Well, my first attempt at driving a
motorbike at night, and in the rain was pretty mortifying. My vain self was put
to shame. I remembered as I wobbled and hobbled all over the road that I had
confidently declared just the day before that I could drive a motorbike. All of
my new local "family" members and friends, looked at this little
white girl and didn't believe a word I said. It is now apparent to me that they
believed correctly. No, I did not crash into a tree or lay the bike down, but I
performed miserably as the rain ran into my eyes, my headlight seemed so dim
and weak in the dark, and my earlier confidence melted as the bike seemed to
too powerful and huge.
I did drive off the road... only a little
bit. I was pulling out of my drive onto the main road and swung a little wide.
Granted, my rain jacked hood was covering my eyes, but I'm not sure if anybody
else realized that. All they saw was the new, foreign teacher driving her motorbike
off the road through a patch of lemon grass.
Then, I made my way to the little shop
where the fat, cat lover woman resides and one of my students bravely said she
would ride with me the little way to the classroom. My take off was jerky, and
extremely precarious. Somehow, we made it to class in the rain and up a muddy
slope. I pulled to the top and started sliding down. How awkward. What do you
do with a motorbike on a muddy slope when in starts rolling back down?
Light-bulb! Apply the break.
Anyways, I had a hard time focusing on
teaching my English class as I kept picturing my self driving through that
patch of lemon grass with a hood over my eyes. I was embarrassed and amused at
the same time. I thought, if I couldn't take myself serious, as I quietly
chuckled at myself, how could my students take me serious?
Next time, I wont declare so loudly and
confidently that I can do something until I have at least tried to do it a time
or two in the rainy dark.
