Motorbike Time!

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.