motion sickess is no fun

when i was young, i dreaded going on long trips, especially rides in overcrowded buses. i was not so apprehensive when it came to travelling in a car. somehow, a car ride would be more pleasant as i did not always end up feeling dizzy or wanting to vomit. however, bus rides, boat trips and, in later years, flights in a plane always seemed to cause the stomach to churn.

i can recall a particular bad trip, when we were heading for tioman in a bumboat. the ride was about four hours but seemed like eternity. because of the rough sea condition, we were literally tossing and turning in the boat. it did not help where we sat, whether it was at the bow or the stern or on the roof of the boat. of the fourteen of us, with the exception of one, all threw up either in the boat or into the sea.

another bad memory is the time i took a spin in a helicopter followed immediately by a ride in a shotover jet boat in queenstown, new zealand. the effect was so bad that i stretched myself on the road, facing skywards, and stayed in that position until i was steady enough to get up and walk back to the hotel.

when i took my first plane ride, i felt queasy during the trip and also at the end of it. it was worse when the plane hit air pockets and there was turbulence. now, you understand why young children, especially babies, always cry just before the plane is about to touch down.

how to avoid motion sickness:

always sit facing forward. don't face backward in your seat or sit in a seat that faces backward. sitting forward helps keep the motion sensed by your eyes and ears the same.

examine the great outdoors. look outside. from inside a car or bus, look at stuff far away, like the house up ahead or a mountain. if you are seasick on a boat, go to the top deck (in the middle of the boat) and look far out into the horizon - where the sea and sky meet. on an airplane, try looking out the window. this way, your eyes will not be fooled into thinking you are not moving when you actually are.

get to the middle of things. whatever you are riding in, find the place with the least amount of movement. this means sitting closer to the centre of a plane (in the aisle seats over the wings) or in the middle of a boat - rather than at the sides or the front, where you're more likely to feel seasick.

another way to avoid this unpleasant feeling is to take an anti-motion sickness tablet or medication an hour before the start of a journey.