All I wanna do is Zoom A Zoom Zoom Zoom

Many personal triumphs were had this week. 

As we have begun to familiarize ourselves with the new living quarters, house guests who hadn’t previously introduced themselves have become quite comfortable doing so.  Our bathrooms (especially mine) have lately been a haven for the world’s most resilient super pest: cockroaches.  You would think that living in Chicago, I would've had my fair share of them, but I wasn't ever properly trained for roach combat.  The only pest that Chicago prepared me for were rats.  Although I don’t prefer to see rats running around everywhere, they don’t really bother me.

So the first time I sauntered into my bathroom and ran the shower, it was a scene straight out of Psycho when two brown blurs ran past me the size of pringles!  Not having my glasses on, I couldn’t make out their details on the dark tiled floor which frightened me even more.  Every shower/toilet use after was a detailed inspection from the safety of the bedroom floor prior to entering.  The day after the Psycho scene, I killed my first intruder with the heel of a heavy Chaco sandal.  I didn’t feel good about it as I don’t fancy killing anything, even roaches, but I did feel braver. 

After my first kill, I realized that I was still very nervous about getting rid of them quickly and sometimes waited for ten or more hair-raising minutes until they were in the perfect position for a direct shot.  This would not do as I sometimes need to shower quickly or get on with my life in general, so I installed the Killer Kels incentive.  For every roach I kill without hesitation, I award myself 50pts.  If I hesitate because of the roach’s size or position in the bathroom, I only get 20pts.  These points are of course make-believe and don’t amount to anything, but my competitive gaming psyche wants the 50pts and it helps me overcome the squeamish insecurities.  We also have geckos all over the house but I rather like those and welcome their stay. 

Stacey and my rides, safe inside our gated porch area

I also traded in my long-distance walking feet for a motorbike!  Although I prefer to walk most places within a kilometer, it has been liberating just knowing that I can go anywhere in Da Nang and even to regional hot spots like Hue or Hoi An. 

When I first acquired my Suzuki Viva, we took it down to the quietest, widest street possible and my good friend showed me the ins and outs of gear shifting, breaking, lights..etc.  I was ready to go!  First take off down the road and I felt really secure and pro!  I even did a U-turn, practiced my breaking and went around the block.  It was definitely new, breaking and shifting with my feet as opposed to bicycle handlebars, but I felt my test-run was as successful as it could be.  I hopped back into passenger mode for the trip back to school and when we got back, we were going to drive both bikes a few blocks away for celebratory coffee. 

Our celebration, I’m afraid, was premature.  I was so confident on my new steed, that I came out of the school lot too quickly and like a bat outta hell, flew straight across the street (dodging traffic), up onto the sidewalk and nearly smashed into a long line of motos.  After finding the breaks, I looked back at Paul's face in sheer terror on the other side of the road.  “Maaaybe we should just have coffee here” was the consensus. 

The next day, Paul and I took the bike (me, passenger again) over to a recommended mechanic to get a few things looked at.  An older Vietnamese gentleman approached us right away, and with some miming, we were able to convey that my idling engine cuts out suddenly (he fixed it), my front headlight was pushed in a bit (he adjusted it), and my front break handle wasn’t very tight (he tightened it).  For these three prompt adjustments, I paid the man 30,000 dong.  (Aprox. $2.50).  I can’t think of too many people who harbor warm thoughts for their auto mechanic experiences.  The service and cost of maintaining your ride here is unparalleled.  Impeccable.   

After a wash and full petrol tank, I was ready for my first trip back on the road after my Evel Knievel stunt the day before.  I was for sure nervous, but this time I kept a healthy balance of nerves and confidence as we rode parallel to the bay.  I passed, I turned, I honked, and before we knew it, the mountains were approaching.

“Are you ready for it??”

“YEAH!”

Onward our motos purred into the foothills of the mountains.  Taking a few quick glances to my right to take in the blue ocean mass and small juts of lush land, I screamed a very common saying among our band of teachers:

“We live here!!” 

We didn’t make it all the way up to Hai Van Pass, but instead parked the motos and enjoyed a couple of drinks at a roadside shack.  On the way back down, I felt my confidence gaining as I naturally maneuvered around motos on the road, pedestrians, and other obstacles.  I mastered queuing at a traffic light, gated in with several other motos, and a smooth take off.  I am still very cautious and quite slow, but I’m comfortable with these attributes for the time being.  As long as you’re alert at all times and anticipating obstacles from all directions, riding a motorbike is very enjoyable and relaxing.  

Stacey is rockin the white stallion scooter

I still cringe when I see whole families piled onto one bike, but it is the main mode of transport here and is accepted.  Helmets are required for all adult riders, however, for children they are only encouraged.  It is not uncommon to see a small child standing between his parents, holding onto the driver’s shoulders or four rumps squished onto one bike.  Cell phones, like in Western countries, distract many drivers on the road.  This is an economy eagerly emerging into more and more technology and distractions are going to be present, as they are everywhere else. 

Stacey and I are adamantly walking anywhere within our neck of the woods, whether it be our neighborhood café or a new favorite cơm (rice) joint.  That might seem like a no-brainer to most, but walking, even short distances, is almost non-existent here.  Next week I think I’m also going to start scouting out bicycles.  With the adoption of the roach game and moto, I am feeling fully settled into my new life here.