(and repeated!) the Pimsleur Spanish short course CDs. Nothing too advanced, but I think it does help to feel more at ease (knowing the basic greetings and such). At least now I can say “No entiendo Catellano” (I still remember that a Greek lady got really mad at me when in response to what she asked, I tried all the (other) languages I knew trying to say I don’t speak Greek :)).
The other weird thing is that questions in Spanish sound to me somehow similar to Turkish (and I don’t know Turkish!)... something about the way they stress somewhere in the middle of the sentence.
Oct 05, 10:33AM PDT | 11 cheers | 2 comments
Pros:
1. Saves gas (average $7/week compared to current $25/week)
2. Not much investment (I checked and $700 buys you a decent 50cc moped)
3. No extra hassle (for <50cc and <35mph mopeds, no need for registration/tag/insurance… though I think I’d like to have insurance)
4. Off-beat enough for me to try :)
Cons:
1. Longer commute time (20-25 minutes per trip compared to current 12-15 minutes per trip)
2. Less safe (true, rides as slower speeds, but the driver is directly hit in case of an accident; also, car drivers are not too courteous/careful toward their less number-of-wheel gifted counterparts)
3. Not suitable in all weather conditions (not too much of a concern right now, but I don’t think it’s fair to wish for a drought just for the sake of riding a moped)
And parking is another concern… I’m now paying for a permit to park on campus (of course I can give the permit to somebody else, but it’s inconvenient if one day I decide to drive to school because of the rain, cold, etc). Also, I have yet to find a spot to park a moped on campus (bikes have a tendency to be stolen around here, and I’m not sure yet how mopeds will be treated!)
So considering all of these, what would you do?
Oct 05, 09:44AM PDT | 8 cheers | 5 comments
right knee has been acting up lately. True, I should’ve known that I can’t keep playing soccer relentlessly and run as if I’m not! Now I’m left with a knee that’s feeling uncomfortable… enough pain to know I should take care of it, but not enough to make me go see a doctor.
Two weeks, that’s how much time I gave it to heal (I did go and watch my friends play soccer enviously, of course!), and last night ran two easy miles and iced the knee. It’s not feeling worse so far… maybe I should just accept it as it is, and move on. Not having enough physical activity has already made me grumpy.
Oct 03, 07:10PM PDT | 7 cheers | 3 comments
I'm doing 39 things
