March 11, 2003 : scooting troubles part II
I worked most of the day on De Magneet, though I didn't have a chance to spend as much time as I would have liked. Since I considered the scooter to be in a vulnerable position, I decided I would head back this afternoon and either A) see if it worked or B) move it to a better location and actually lock it.
I hopped on the tram, got off by the Pita restaurant where I had previously boarded the tram the night before, and headed to the scooter. I have neglected to mention the fact that it was very much raining at this point during the day. Obviously, as steering a scooter doens't allow for an additional hand to hold an umbrella, I was well on my way to getting soaked.
Of course I attempted to start it again. The past week has proven that "one never knows" and I found my attempts completely futile. I started walking it in the general "direction of home" and 20 minutes later, as I was on a street I had only been on a few times in my life, I remembered a scooter store in the general vicinity.
As if walking a scooter isn't traumatizing enough, going in to a scooter shop and leaving the broken scooter next to a line of new-model scooters is a humbling experience. I wouldn't want one of those if I could have my green one running, but it looked so small and fragile next to the souped up versions, with its cracking green paint and slightly battered plastic casing. You hear me scooter? We miss you! We don't want one of those scooters where we would have storage space beneath the seat. We want only you!
I'm sure that statement doesn't pull much weight.
The man at the scooter place looked at it and summed up his theory (in addition to my theory) that if it was the kick-start, then it'd be a chunk of change. I told him I'd think about it, and I was thankful that he wasn't the pushy-salesman type. Obviously with a scooter like my own he could see I couldn't really afford for him to be overly pushy. (the word 'afford' being a pun)
I kept walking it and passed a newspaper store when the word LOTTO came jumping out of me. Why not, right? I mean if down on my luck, I'm down on my luck. It my opinion it was the perfect moment to buy a lottery ticket. One ticket with the computer picked numbers for tomorrow night's drawing, and 4 scratchers. (I won 5 Euro on my scratchers. Just enough to cover the cost of the scratchers)
I dropped off the scooter at a nice location, secured the back-wheel with a lock and headed home completely soaked. I walked to the tram-stop and realized once again that this probably wasn't or was (depending on how you look at it) the day to buy lottery tickets. My tram was 15 minutes away and I was a 20 minute walk from home. I walked.
At home I worked on the De Magneet some more and readied myself for going to school tonight. At 6 I headed to the tram-stop and as I stepped to the platform I looked down the tracks only to realize that the tram I had really wanted was already nearing the next stop. (read: 10 minute wait)
I made it to school where we had yet another great lesson. Lut, our teacher, separated Muloud and myself, and put us with a couple of different students. I suppose variety is better when learning a language, but I think I learn more when Muloud and I go through the cards 3 times and really "know" the stuff as a few others (not all of them) only have enough time to go through it once.
After class was over I headed over to the English class again, and this one was more animated. Their first question/discussion was over the word "reservation" as they couldn't get their heads around how one could "make a reservation" and then "have a reservation" and did that mean that they "got a reservation?" to which I told them that it meant they "had a reservation." We talked in reference to hotels and restaurants, and I think it was clear in the end. There was even a guy in the back who was a Garth Brooks fan. (not kidding!) and after class he told me all about his collection and how he missed Garth back in 1989 when he did a show in the Netherlands. This class wanted to know more about healthcare, politics, and just "how big" the US really was. I didn't get emotional this time around, and we had a great time. This is really something I could start looking forward to. I have any number of topics I think would be great to talk about.
I cought the tram and headed home. At the now famous cross-roads, where the trams are NOT timed appropriately, as I was getting off my tram to switch trams, the tram I wanted was pulling out of the stop. Bad lotto day, right?
At this time of night (10:30ish) trams are very few and far between. I want to the stop and it didn't even HAVE a light blinking telling me "where the next tram was." They obviously didn't have one "waiting at the terminus" and as I was looking up, the tram I'd eventually take passed on it's way TO the terminus. I gave it about 20 minutes. So I walked.
I walked in the direction of the way I'd want to go, and ended up back at the tram stop by the Pita plac. I glanced up and read that I had 15 minutes. I walked to the frituur across the street and ordered a viandel. (it was consequently named something else on their photos, but she understood what I meant.) When I paid she rattled on and on about something, and then she slowed down when I told her that i was learning dutch. (I think she thought it was funny/cute. That's one thing I love about it here. People love attempts.)
Eva called me while I was eating my viandel at the tram stop and told me that she hadn't picked up the scooter with her mom tonight because she "didn't have the keys." What she didn't realize is that I had set everything out for her. I had assumed that she wouuld come home, switch on the computer and see the keys sitting there. I had also written her a very explicit email letting her know that the scooter "wasn't locked to anything" but that it was just waiting to be picked up. (read: she didn't need keys) This sort of dampened my already dampened day, as it meant that the scooter would now enter its third day of day-messing. Tomorrow.
Once again, bless Eva's heart. She bought a cheese pizza, waited for me to eat her half, and calmed me down when I was home. I swear I'm going to write a letter asking them why tram drivers down pause at stops when they see that another tram is pulling in. All I'm asking for is a pause. Then again, maybe I wouldn't pause either at 10:30 on a weeknight when my working-day is only a little over an hour of being finished.
IN THE NEWS:
When I got home, I talked to Nichole. With war on all of American's minds, I had though that she might be having second thoughts about coming here. Her mother has actually said, "I'll kill you Nichole if you don't go," but the people that come into their shop always say the same thing. "You don't want to go over there now do you? Which doesn't work so well on Nichole's nerves. They are, however, secound-guessing going to Paris while they are here. As it seems that Eva and I can't really afford (in light of the scooter/car situation and/or wants/needs) they'd be two American's in a somewhat tense situation. (their words, but to be honest, I understand them to a certain extent) I suppose we'll just wait and see how it all turns out.
