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I almost died today
Today was an interesting turning point in that, my focus has officially changed. I can home and took a break from Japanese for a bit, I've been home what, almost 3 weeks? 3 and a half weeks?
Today I did little besides putz around the house and have my QT. Today I got a postcard from Japan from Nanzan University, basically just saying they have my materials and I'm officially officially accepted. The postcard was in both japanese and english and I didn't recognize some of the kanji. I guess it was then I was reminded I needed to step up and start studying. I'll have a placement exam during the first week of being in Nagoya, at Nanzan and I really really want to get into the 400 level class, because the 300 level sounds like half the semester I'd be stuck taking JPN-202 again, which would be boring and wouldn't challenge me... I feel like I'm somewheres inbetween the two levels and I want to get to 400 before i take the exam. (To put me in perspective, the courses run level 100 to 700).
I had gone to Borders the other day to check out the japanese reference stuff and wasn't too excited, so today i did some more research online and decided to also check out the Barnes & Noble that's right across the street from the Borders near West Farms. I had an enjoyable ride over, it was really nice out (maybe a bit on the colder side for June) and I even passed by Susie in her banana weilding mini-van on the way there!
My motorcycle was making squeeky noises when I brake... looks like I haven't been on the ball quite lately, as while I was riding i noticed my front brake fluid indicator. There was a line labeled "Low", showing that if the level of brake fluid was below that line, a refueling was necessary. There was no liquid in my indicator. At all. There should have been a line that said "Empty." At this point I was basically passing the mall, so I figured I'll go home and fill it up then.
Anyways, i putz around Barnes & Noble and it starts to rain. I scurry across the street to Borders and let the rain pass as I find a decent enough Kanji book and also decide on buying another Donald Miller book, To Own a Dragon. If you haven't already, you should read Blue Like Jazz. Mostly because everyone should, and also because Donald Miller is amazing.
The surface is most slippery during the first few minutes of rain because oil and dirt combine with water... It may be wise to avoid riding during the first part of a rainstorm because road surfaces are slickest then.
I head out of Borders and and decide I'm too lazy to head down the busy streets past the mall and so I decide to just take the highway back. The two straight away lanes are backed up for miles but luckily i just need to get into the right lane to get onto the highway. Suicide Note by Obadiah Parker is playing on my ipod.
As I speed happily past the other filled lanes of traffic a 15 passenger white van shoots through a break in traffic to get into one of the parking lots.
People just don't see motorcycles when they're making left turns. It's Darwinian. Something happens when a cage driver switches on his directional signal. The Cloak of Invisibility descends upon the motorcyclist and then there's a Bang!.
I slam on my brakes. Another car is right behind that van, attempting to get into the same parking lot.
Rear-tire skids can occur in quick stops or rapid speed reductions...when a rear tire skids, the ability to turn is lost.
My rear tire skids and I can't for the life of me remember....do I immediately let go of the rear brake, or is it that I do not let go under any circumstances? I know the rear brake skid is opposite of a front tire skid, in terms of what you do. Riding on my motorcycle it felt like I had a tail, and that tail was quickly moving to my right.
The biggest danger in any rear-tire skid is releasing the rear brake when the real wheel is out of alignment with the front wheel. You could be thrown off in what is commonly called a "high-side" fall.
A "high-side" fall is when you get thrown off the motorcycle head over the handlebars. One website describes it as the somewhat aesthetic way to die. You don't get tangled up in the bike, you just get tangled up with whatever you hit first: traffic, tree, pavement.
"Diana your problem is that when it comes to braking, it's like you have a lead foot," my dad says, marking points off my riding test during the braking portion.
It's cool, its fine. The van passes. I keep my foot down on the rear brake until i straighten out and I'm good to go on the highway. I wonder what all the 20 or so cars full of spectators are thinking. I wonder what would have happened if I had died right then, or gotten critically injured.
I better stop wondering because that car passing in the left lane I'm trying to merge into is going 20 miles faster than me and almost hits me.
I got caught in the rain on the way home.
But I was listening to this song:
shakenToday I did little besides putz around the house and have my QT. Today I got a postcard from Japan from Nanzan University, basically just saying they have my materials and I'm officially officially accepted. The postcard was in both japanese and english and I didn't recognize some of the kanji. I guess it was then I was reminded I needed to step up and start studying. I'll have a placement exam during the first week of being in Nagoya, at Nanzan and I really really want to get into the 400 level class, because the 300 level sounds like half the semester I'd be stuck taking JPN-202 again, which would be boring and wouldn't challenge me... I feel like I'm somewheres inbetween the two levels and I want to get to 400 before i take the exam. (To put me in perspective, the courses run level 100 to 700).
I had gone to Borders the other day to check out the japanese reference stuff and wasn't too excited, so today i did some more research online and decided to also check out the Barnes & Noble that's right across the street from the Borders near West Farms. I had an enjoyable ride over, it was really nice out (maybe a bit on the colder side for June) and I even passed by Susie in her banana weilding mini-van on the way there!
My motorcycle was making squeeky noises when I brake... looks like I haven't been on the ball quite lately, as while I was riding i noticed my front brake fluid indicator. There was a line labeled "Low", showing that if the level of brake fluid was below that line, a refueling was necessary. There was no liquid in my indicator. At all. There should have been a line that said "Empty." At this point I was basically passing the mall, so I figured I'll go home and fill it up then.
Anyways, i putz around Barnes & Noble and it starts to rain. I scurry across the street to Borders and let the rain pass as I find a decent enough Kanji book and also decide on buying another Donald Miller book, To Own a Dragon. If you haven't already, you should read Blue Like Jazz. Mostly because everyone should, and also because Donald Miller is amazing.
The surface is most slippery during the first few minutes of rain because oil and dirt combine with water... It may be wise to avoid riding during the first part of a rainstorm because road surfaces are slickest then.
I head out of Borders and and decide I'm too lazy to head down the busy streets past the mall and so I decide to just take the highway back. The two straight away lanes are backed up for miles but luckily i just need to get into the right lane to get onto the highway. Suicide Note by Obadiah Parker is playing on my ipod.
As I speed happily past the other filled lanes of traffic a 15 passenger white van shoots through a break in traffic to get into one of the parking lots.
People just don't see motorcycles when they're making left turns. It's Darwinian. Something happens when a cage driver switches on his directional signal. The Cloak of Invisibility descends upon the motorcyclist and then there's a Bang!.
I slam on my brakes. Another car is right behind that van, attempting to get into the same parking lot.
Rear-tire skids can occur in quick stops or rapid speed reductions...when a rear tire skids, the ability to turn is lost.
My rear tire skids and I can't for the life of me remember....do I immediately let go of the rear brake, or is it that I do not let go under any circumstances? I know the rear brake skid is opposite of a front tire skid, in terms of what you do. Riding on my motorcycle it felt like I had a tail, and that tail was quickly moving to my right.
The biggest danger in any rear-tire skid is releasing the rear brake when the real wheel is out of alignment with the front wheel. You could be thrown off in what is commonly called a "high-side" fall.
A "high-side" fall is when you get thrown off the motorcycle head over the handlebars. One website describes it as the somewhat aesthetic way to die. You don't get tangled up in the bike, you just get tangled up with whatever you hit first: traffic, tree, pavement.
"Diana your problem is that when it comes to braking, it's like you have a lead foot," my dad says, marking points off my riding test during the braking portion.
It's cool, its fine. The van passes. I keep my foot down on the rear brake until i straighten out and I'm good to go on the highway. I wonder what all the 20 or so cars full of spectators are thinking. I wonder what would have happened if I had died right then, or gotten critically injured.
I better stop wondering because that car passing in the left lane I'm trying to merge into is going 20 miles faster than me and almost hits me.
I got caught in the rain on the way home.
But I was listening to this song:
- Until we fall back onto the Great I Am
- We’ll use up all we got, our love we will exhaust
- Until we learn to trust in the God of Abraham
- And give up what we got, all will be lost
