November 9, 2008
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Happy Birthday Pops! 65 years young... but you don't look a day over 64! Sorry I could not be there to help you celebrate, but I am sure you had a great time anyway! This one's for you!
Sarcasm
This god fellow is a sarcastic and sadistic bastard. When you’re down, there’s nothing he likes more than kicking you in the balls, just to show you who’s in charge.
Being paid in Aussie dollars, the exchange rate has been mega unkind to me recently, and I find myself now earning 30% less per month than I did just 4 months ago. As I have been doing my best to save money in order to (a) get myself completely out of debt, (b) pay for the flights to London for Linn and my trip over Christmas and (c) buy a nice Kawasaki, all of the above have now been put on ice for some time.
Wednesday evenings have traditionally been set aside for me to ride down to Hsinchu and have dinner with Linn, occasionally also meeting up with one of the Red Lions who lives there, along with his wife. As Linn comes up to Taipei County on the weekend, it is only fair that I also make an effort and so I will head down the coast to meet up with her and take her out to dinner. Over a recent discussion during dinner, I commented to her that the saving for the Kawasaki is pretty much not going according to plan, so she should be happy that I will not be getting my new bike any time soon.
Of course, after that conversation there was only one course of action open to this god bloke (and god could only be male because a female is not as callous and cold hearted as this). Riding the Suzuki back up the coast, I came up to a red light, and there waiting at the lights was not just a Kawasaki, and not just the Kawasaki model I want to buy, but the very same Kawasaki model in the very same colour that I want to buy. Kick in the nads. Take that! I could almost hear the cries of laughter from the heavens.
Etienne recently asked me to help him collect his braai from his beach house in Fulong, and so – with some time to spare – I said no problem. He said he would go to work, then pick up a rental truck to drive down to Fulong. I asked what time he expected to be in Fulong, and he reckoned around 1. So, being me, I thought it over and reckoned that perhaps it would be a good time to ride the mountain bike down to Fulong. After all, I have been talking about it for some time, and what better time to do it than this, especially as there was a ride back to Taipei county for me and the XTC?
I told Et that if the rain held off then I would go biking down, otherwise he could expect to see me at our usual meeting place in central Taipei. On the morning of the big day, Et called me up nice and early.
“Are you coming today?”
“Yes mucker,” I replied. “I’m heading down there on the bike.”
“When are you leaving?”
“In about 15 minutes.”
“Cool bud.”
The weather was great out here, with just a few clouds in the sky, but it was a little overcast in Taipei City and beyond, towards the south-eastern area, and I figured it would probably rain a bit.
What I was not prepared for though was the absolute torrent of rain that was about to hit me. In to Taipei city itself, everything was ok – I had ridden along the river for a few km, and then in to city traffic, but essentially so far it was as planned. I got to Muja/Muzha/Mujha/etc etc etc, and it started spitting, but again I was not too worried about it.
I got to Shenkung, and I was perhaps 20 minutes behind where I thought I should be, but it was not too bad. A quick stop at the Circle K for some Pocari and then the climb in to the relatively low mountains. And of course, this is where it started to rain properly. In to Ping Si, I was now getting bored with the weather, I was soaked and cold, and miserable and hungry too. Had Etienne driven past me at that moment in time and asked me if I wanted a lift, I would have accepted without hesitation.
But he didn’t. Onwards I rode, past Café Monet, and on to the junction which turns off to Fulong. Up the incline, it was not too bad at all, despite the rain, and then in to the long tunnel. As I got to the end of the tunnel I checked my cellphone and saw I had a missed call from Et. I called back.
“Where are you?” he asked.
“At the tunnel. You?”
“Will be in Pingsi in 5 minutes.”
“Cool. Then we should meet around Fulong… although you will probably get there before me,” I said.
I started the descent and then on to the flats, a torrent of water heading right in my direction as I fought not only the rain but also a bastard headwind. This was now beyond the realms of even close to funniness, and across the border of “pissed-offity”. But your humble chronicler is nothing if not a warrior and a battler, and giving up is not in my nature, unless Et just happens to be driving past me with 30km to my goal, which he wasn’t.
So I trundled on, expecting Et to catch up with me at any moment, and laugh at my drowned puppy looks. Through Shuangxi I rode and still no sign of the braaimaster. My legs were aching, and I was losing energy fast, the 90 km ride taking its toll on these old legs of mine, but still I pedaled, determined to make it to my destination. And just 3 km before my arrival in the town, there is the blue truck coming up to me, driven by Et himself.
“You sure you want to continue?” he asked.
“Yes mucker. I’m not quitting this close to Fulong!”
“Thought so.”
“Had you caught me up 20 km ago you would have had a different answer!”
“Yes,” replied Et, “when I was driving and the rain was coming horizontally in to the windscreen, I was thinking Rob won’t be happy with this!”
Damn right!
He headed off to Fulong to pick something up, and told me we would meet at his place soon. I got there before he did, to the sound of his landlord’s wife attempting to sing Karaoke on the home entertainment system. His landlord – a brilliant bloke who seems to own most of the town of Fulong – came out to greet me, and suggested I give him my shirt so he could dry it. As Et had just arrived, he suggested I just comply with the request, strange as perhaps it may seem, as it just saves time and effort, so I did.
We picked up the braai, loaded it on to the truck, put the bike in and secured it as well, then headed in to the city where we had to drop it off. Et then brought me to my home so I could take the bike upstairs. On the way in we were overtaken – despite a red traffic light 100 metres ahead – by a racing Toyota who swerved in and out of the traffic, swerving hard in his attempt to avoid hitting 3 cars, and instead hit the kerb in the centre of the road. The thud of the collision with the kerb was loud, but it did not deter our young friend, who zoomed off, turning through a red light right next door to the police station. Nice one mucker.
Once we had safely made it out to my pad and the bike was back where it belongs, we headed out together again to the Costco, Carrefour and RT Mart. We then took the truck back to the rental place, and went our separate ways… the rain still falling.
Of course, the next day it was 33 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. Yes god. Thanks. Your kindness knows no bounds.
Comments (1)
thanx sweets...very kind of you...x