I nearly killed myself today. LOL. Why am I laughing? Because I prayed that God will protect me and surely, He did. It's hard to put into words how and what happened, but God was certainly real and awesome. I should also add that I prayed for God to teach me and reveal more of Himself to me, and that too, He did. (:
Anyway, I took the above shot earlier this week. It suddenly poured so I ended up turning in 'illegally' to avoid the rain, and then thought it would be good to keep a memory of the bike that I've been learning on. I don't even know what model it is, except that it's a Honda. A blue Honda -- which you can obviously see in the picture.
Oh well, my arm really hurts now. It's time to get back on my knees and thank God for all that has happened.
...not exactly my dream bike (though it might be my dream doll & the perfect accessory, hurhur), I'm so thankful that I'm getting closer towards owning one. (:
material wants = evil. ...but who could resist? Not me!
I WANT A DUCATI HYPERMOTARD! 1100 S, please.
Unfortunately, it's 1098 cc -- which means, I'll need at least two years before I'm allowed to ride one. Sobs. Meanwhile, if you happen to see its toy model, scream and I'll be there -- pronto.
And I think I may have just found the bass guitar I want... Good, cheap and pretty.
Now, onto the search for the perfect amp. Forward and beyond!
Went for my first try at riding a pillion today and it was disastrous. Haha. The only other lady in the class was a Caucasian lady taller than Zong Ren. As if I wasn't bad enough on my own, I had to handle someone two heads taller and probably weighs twice my weight. (Okay, maybe not twice.)
So we barely made it round the first turn and I lost control and fell. I felt so apologetic after that... causing someone to fall. Eeeeks. I think I will never want to pillion anyone. Much less a person bigger than me. :X
Interestingly, right after my lesson (which I obviously failed, because I still can't do the narrow plank), I went to the counter to book my next lesson and found out there's still slots for the very next session! But I was hungry and it was so hot outside. After that incident with the pillion, I was still suffering from aftershock. Haha.
Oh well. I think I will be stuck here for quite some time. Sobs.
Zong Ren passed already. Again, he only took it once. Chey.
But we had this simulator riding thing. Zong Ren was a wreck. He kept "falling" and eventually met an accident. I didn't crash nor meet with any accident. I think for simulator, I beat him hands down! Haha.
Then again, what's the point?
Chey.
Though it does mean that I'm a much safer rider, and he's just a reckless loon. Haha.
Yup, it's the same bike I saw at Suan Lum Night Bazaar. Probably a different model though. Zong Ren tells me it's not common in Singapore. :( I hope he's wrong.
A day before I left for Bangkok on Airasia, there were news reports about the disabled being unable to fly. I thought it was quite funny and it must be really depressing for the poor copywriter and marketing team who thought they came up with the perfect tagline.
Anyway, I visited their Zoo. I checked all the websites online and they all told me the zoo admission tickets were 30 baht or so. When I got there, I realised it was 50 baht for Thais and 100 baht for foreigners. They're such suckers. I nearly got my way through with 50 baht but then I couldn't lie. I told them I'm not Thai and then they took 200 baht from us.
The zoo was small and badly taken care of. The animals were so few and they all looked like they needed a new home desperately. Or maybe I was too used to our zoo, which is really tops. :) That reminds me. I have a discount coupon from the NDPgoodie bag for 50% off Night Safari admission tickets. Yay!
This meerkat has a smiley face! Hehe :) I didn't edit it; I sweeeaar.
Children at the zoo
And then we also went to Ratchada Market, a really old non-touristy spot off the central shopping area. The place and almost everything it had was vintage! I bought a big packet of pop corn for 10 baht and it was all so sweet and yummy, unlike the lousy ones we get here at the cinemas where 75% is plain pop corn that didn't get the syrup on them. Yucks. :(
This, I didn't take at Ratchada but at Silom. But there were plenty of these (and Vespas) at the Ratchada market too! Wish I could have one!
Anyway, I have officially progressed to Lesson 2 of my riding! Yay! And you know what... I have had a total of 7 sessions of Lesson 1, including the orientation session which isn't really a "test-able" stage. You know how we usually regard 7 as the perfect number? Hur hur. :)
I still have quite a bit of problems with my throttle control and banking angles but hey, I sure improved a lot since my first time! I did ram the cones a few times though. :X Nonetheless, I'm moving on to the more complicated circuits.
I think learning riding has been one of the key moments of my life that I will always remember. The times I fell. The times I spent practicing on my bicycle. The times I wanted to give up. And the times God revealed His love and faithfulness.
My instructor from two weeks ago still recognises me. When he saw me riding the outer circuit - again, he asked me in Mandarin, "Why are you still here?" So I told him that I had actually gone onto the inside cornering circuit but didn't manage to do it. So when I had to retake that bit, I had to retake the entire outer circuit again as well. He then walked over to my session's instructor and asked if he was going to bring me into the cornering circuit. He said, "Are you going to bring this girl in to do cornering? You must bring her in. She is okay already; can go in. Last week she went with Mr Ho already."
And he continues, "Let her fall a few times then she will learn how to corner!" jokingly. :X
Safe for the "let her fall" part, I was really amazed that he would bother to do that for me. I think this is one of those occasions that I know God is has an abundance of blessssiinnngggss waiting for us to discover. :)
Thereafter, my instructor did bring me inside (not just because my prev instructor urged him to but also because I obviously have no problems braking anymore!!!) and I did squash a few cones, scream a whole lot, and fell about 3 times. Yet despite my chaos, my instructor that day - while reprimanding another guy for bad posture - said, referring to me, "She will improve. Her posture is good, just that her eyepoint is not quite right that's why she falls but she will improve"
I felt really encouraged. I thought I was really screwed up but hey, my instructor believed in me! He said I will improve! And I did!!!! I stopped falling. Although I wasn't 100% steady like some of the other guys, I was definitely going through the course and not screwing up. No fallen cones. No screaming. No falling. :)
God loves me soooo much!
"...how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:11b
Peekaboo Squirrel! So cute, right? Hehe. Taken from Cuteoverload.com
Anyway, I still haven't passed Lesson 1 of my bike course but I'm so close! Haha. Today was my first time in the outer circuit and after a few bumpy rounds (everybody needs a bit of warm up), I was back on form. Actually I was in the outer circuit the last time but only to follow the instructor for 2-3 orientation rounds. The real test is when you're on your own and then learning how to do the high speed braking and then the low speed braking.
At first I was really screwed up. I dropped my bike on our first warm up round because I kinda forgot how to ride (especially at the turns!) But it didn't happen again and the instructor told me my technique was pretty good already. I just needed to pick up speed towards the end instead of going on second gear all the time. I don't have problems going on the higher gears but sadly, there were soooo many students all around, I spent most of my time waiting. It got reaaallly sian la.
The instructor told me to use my horn. He told me "Don't pai seh, just horn. You all are my babies. I will protect you one. You tell me what happen, I'll go and talk to the other instructor for you!"
Road bully sia. Haha.
On another note, Shirleen was injured being a pillion. Poor girl. But hey, I thought it was peculiar how so many people started to link her accident back to me learning to ride. Although I'm really fond of riding already, I didn't start off learning because I wanted to have fun. I started because I saw a real need. If somebody could provide me with a better solution, I would be all ears. But for now, this is my best solution. And rather than constantly dwelling on how dangerous it is, I find myself really blessed just by learning how to ride. Each week when I go for lesson, something happens to remind me that God is my refuge, my ever-present help in times of need. And He has never failed me. :) While I may be slow in moving through the lessons, I'm definitely safe and well-loved.
I was really encouraged when Sonia prayed for me a couple of weeks ago - that I may learn more about God everytime I ride. I didn't think anybody would be approving of my learning to ride and wanted to keep it to myself as much as I could. So when Sonia didn't try to discourage me, but only prayed that God may watch over me and teach me wonderful things about Him - the same way she learnt so much about God every time she drove - I was close to tears by her prayer.
Had my 2nd bike practical lesson - still at Lesson 1 but today, I'm doing good! Hehehe. My bike fell much less (maybe about 5 times, as compared to 30 the last time!). I ran into some early hiccups because I wore my crocs thinking it's my favourite pair of shoes but the instructors said they are hazardous for riding. :( There was then about 5 instructors going around trying to find a solution for me. Their boots were far too big for me. One of them said I had princess feet (in Chinese) because my feet are so small. I told him my feet are merely proportionate to my body size. :/
Anyway, in the end, I spent 15 mins sitting around and finally, one brilliant instructor brought a whole clunk of cloths and stuffed them into the boots. I don't know what kind of difference it made because they were still too big and I couldn't walk properly. But I was glad I could finally go ride.
Back to the mini circuit, this time I had no problems turning! Yay! :) So I upgraded to Gear 2, then the problem with braking started. Changing gears was all right. Trying to brake was complicated. Haha. Press this press that, kick and dunno what. Piang.
Okay la. I did it. I tend to jam brake a lot - but only when there are people in front of me. You know, those newbies who are still figuring how to move off in Gear 1. (Yes, I can now make fun of them because I topped the class today. Hahahaha.) I start to panic because I'm afraid I'll ride into them. When there's nobody blocking my way, I generally don't have much problems.
I really thank God for the weather today. I thought it was going to rain and was worried I'd have to ride in the rain but it didn't - until my lesson was over. Hehe. It was warm and I got my zebra tan again. But I'm happy today.
Next week, I'm going back to the same mini circuit to master my Gear 2. I think I should be able to move onto the outer circuit then. I'm guessing I will take 4 sessions to complete Lesson 1. Sounds slow but hey, slow and steady wins the race! :)
And I love Zong Ren soooo much. He not only bought me a helmet bag (although the design really sucks, but it's typical I guess), he also got me my own pair of Spidi gloves! (pictured above) They are so much much more comfortable than those stupid white furried gloves you buy for a dollar at the driving ctr. Hehe. And when I fell, they're like the perfect companion to keep abrasions away! Yay.
Thank you, love!
And thank you, God! I love you love you love you! :)
By the way, I think the new crocs Cleo in Chocolate and Cotton Candy is yummylicious pretty!!!
I had my turning-training again today. I realise warm-up is very important. Just lack of one day and I was unstable again. But of course, it didn't take me long to pick it up. Practice does make perfect! :)
Today, Zong Ren used some scrap styrofoam (as though some litterbug had pre-known that it would come in handy for a certain young lady who is learning to ride) to create a mini circuit for me to ride. At first, they were just turning points which forced me to make sharper turns. Later, he placed them on a straight line so I could weave in and out of them - which proved quite difficult. I kept yelling "MISS!" but I did have some successful rounds.
I think I did well. Zong Ren thinks so too. Hee :)
For now, the only thing stopping me from progressing in my bike course is learning how to turn.
I lived most part of my life riding a 4-wheeler or the back seat of a tandem bicycle. I remember those days in school when everyone went to the chalet to cycle and I had to either stay behind, run along, or - when I met Wei Juan in Secondary School - depend on her to lead the tandem bike. So I never quite figured out how to turn, even when I finally did manage to cycle.
I don't know why they just can't provide a Class 2C for people like me who need smaller bikes. Scooter course, perhaps? Sigh.
But anyway, I had a mini training class today with Zong Ren. :) He helped me pump up my bicycle and we went downstairs to do some circles and turns. I succeeded! Although I am still quite raw - especially when trying to circle the plant thingy - I think I made huge improvements. I'm willing to let go and just lean on my side. I did fall once though - no blood - because I turned too close to that plant thingy (some landscape object in my neighbourhood) and my handlebar whacked it. I flew forward but managed to support myself.
See, I'm the expert at falling. Haha.
I'm so happy Zong Ren was around to watch me and encourage me. :)
I was just sharing with him that there was one thing I learnt. Trust.
Trusting in God's protection and then rejoicing in His presence that is so well manifested in the breeze I feel as I ride. :)
