Tests
Tomorrow I'm going to take a scuba diving test. I haven't studied or taken any sort of a test in more years than I have fingers--so I can't count that far back--and don't how I'll do. If I pass I may go diving this weekend, somewhere in the South Sea maybe. Where exactly I probably won't know until I see a sign on the road as we exit the highway.
I almost inadvertantly ended up going this past weekend. A bag was packed for me and loaded into the van. I made sure that we would be coming back by 7 pm, the time I was meeting to go camping. He said, "no, tomorrow we'll return." Within minutes I wasn't going with them and we were both smarting from the miscommunication. But then I ran into an eccentric man on a motorcyle that likes to throw boomerangs--he sorta looked like he lived on his bike, a well worn suzuki 350 dr something or other with a blue tarp strapped across the back rack. He pulled up next to me at a stop light: I could hear his engine as he weaved through the cars. When he stopped he eyed my bike. I saw he was not Korean and raised my visor. "oh hey," he said. "you live here, you wanna pull off somewhere and chat?" Nice guy. He me a hot tip on a Kawasaki Vulcan 500cc in Busan for only 1.5 million. Seriously considering the upgrade, now that the 125cc is pulling two nonbeerdrinking fools up the hills around here--so it all turned out okay.
As for this test tomorrow . . . the 'test' on Sunday turned out poorly. I climbed up a real wimpy slope, most of which I would normally do without any sort of protection and acted all wussy about it. I blame it on the total confusion of not only strangers belaying me, but strangers whom I don't understand. Didn't know how to use a figure 8 descender so I could only do the wuss pitch of a multi pitch climb. I did learn the word for falling rocks though.
If that serves as a model for what to expect from previously shabby skills now atrophied from disuse, well then, tomorrow will be interesting. I do remember--now, at least--to dip my BCD into the water before strapping the tank into it. What else will I be tested on?
In other news Jangma--장마--starts today, the month long rainy, some call it it monsoon season. In other words I can expect to ride my bike in the rain or slowly bleed to death from cab fares. Or go back to taking the bus, turning a 15 minute commute into an hour each way.
I almost inadvertantly ended up going this past weekend. A bag was packed for me and loaded into the van. I made sure that we would be coming back by 7 pm, the time I was meeting to go camping. He said, "no, tomorrow we'll return." Within minutes I wasn't going with them and we were both smarting from the miscommunication. But then I ran into an eccentric man on a motorcyle that likes to throw boomerangs--he sorta looked like he lived on his bike, a well worn suzuki 350 dr something or other with a blue tarp strapped across the back rack. He pulled up next to me at a stop light: I could hear his engine as he weaved through the cars. When he stopped he eyed my bike. I saw he was not Korean and raised my visor. "oh hey," he said. "you live here, you wanna pull off somewhere and chat?" Nice guy. He me a hot tip on a Kawasaki Vulcan 500cc in Busan for only 1.5 million. Seriously considering the upgrade, now that the 125cc is pulling two nonbeerdrinking fools up the hills around here--so it all turned out okay.
As for this test tomorrow . . . the 'test' on Sunday turned out poorly. I climbed up a real wimpy slope, most of which I would normally do without any sort of protection and acted all wussy about it. I blame it on the total confusion of not only strangers belaying me, but strangers whom I don't understand. Didn't know how to use a figure 8 descender so I could only do the wuss pitch of a multi pitch climb. I did learn the word for falling rocks though.
If that serves as a model for what to expect from previously shabby skills now atrophied from disuse, well then, tomorrow will be interesting. I do remember--now, at least--to dip my BCD into the water before strapping the tank into it. What else will I be tested on?
In other news Jangma--장마--starts today, the month long rainy, some call it it monsoon season. In other words I can expect to ride my bike in the rain or slowly bleed to death from cab fares. Or go back to taking the bus, turning a 15 minute commute into an hour each way.
posted by The Principal at 11:05 PM
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