Paintball - Guns agog!

A chest armor in place, a neck collar in tow, a heavy gun in hand, and a mask crowned upon your face - there you are! Ready to 'fight' on the count of 3. Barrel covers off....Safety off.....'GO', and you go running to your first barricade. You make it. Take a breath as shots are being fired and you feel the heat. Slowly, you creep out your head to see what's going on, gun going first. You see people ducking and shooting. You fire a couple of shots. On the left. Then on the right. You are supposed to run up to the next barricade and slowly advance. Well, sorry, I think I am good here. Those shots are scary. The opposite team is unbelievably intense.

Your barricade shakes as it consumes the 'paint-bullets'. This is war. This is a battle. I don't want to play. I have an Idea!!! Let me surrender. I see people with their hands raised trying to walk to the dead-zone but they are still pelted with bullets that those hulks are firing away. I better stay put. Anyways, the game will be over in a minute or two, why get into the way of firing. My inflatable barricade will protect me.

Finally, the game's over. I dart out and declare, 'I don't want to play this'. A bunch of first-timers playing against these mighty Giants. No way!!! We were ambushed and demolished in less than 2 mins. Some of my friends were hit. The bullets hurt. This was certainly not my idea or even the definition of fun. Upon utter defeat, with our egos now 'deflated', we pounce on our 'Game co-ordinators' and ask for a logic that paired first-timers with the bandana-clad machos. Arguments ensue. Apologies flow. We get the air-field all to ourselves. We 12 will play amongst ourselves, with no interference from anyone else. This quietens the frightened demons in my head and I decide to go for it again.

This time is much better. It's just us. All novices. Trying to fire paint bullets from an air-gun.

For some, this can be thrilling. This is a good mock war-zone. If those video games consisting of battlefields, and soldiers, and enemy-fighting, and gun-shooting has fascinated you, then this can be a good sport for you. But for someone like me, who has only played cookie-chomping baby monsters or coin-collecting ninjas, this is so not for me.

My Recommendation:

1. Go with a large group so that you can play amongst yourselves. It's more fun shooting at friends than strangers....(wink, wink). Remember, 'har ek friend, kamina hota hai'.

2. Bullets hurt. Get your gloves. Wear full-sleeved thick hoodies. Cover your head with a cap or something. Make sure no part of your body is uncovered. I am not discouraging you. But precaution is safer and it will let you enjoy this game.

3. Go in the Fall or Spring. Since you are going to be so covered up, you need the weather to be cooler.

But I have to say, I have a new-found respect for our soldiers. Country doesn't matter. But to be clad in bullet-proof attires, carrying heavy guns, and shooting actual bullets, is worthy of worship. If a small paint bullet can hurt and swell up a finger, the actual bullet will just take your life away. Hats off to all the army-people of the world!!!!