The 6th Kyu that is! I mentioned the the other day that I sat for my next grading at Aikido. I got back my results before class today and found out that I passed (not that I’ve met anyone who has failed one yet). Yay!
The Week In Review
This week has been a bit of a blur, and I’ve been building up quite a number of drafts but haven’t got around to posting things. I apologise for the brevity of it, but here’s at least a summary of what significant happenings have gone on recently:
- Another Wagamama Visit – Back in March, the FOBORG gang got together to have a get together over dinner. Another few months later (has it really been three already?) on Monday we met at Wagamama’s for our next dinner. My last visit there wasn’t super-impressive but this time was much better because we had a better waiter, with the night topped off by a large dessert at Freestylers! Great seeing you (Stacey, Jason, Paul, Michelle, Karl and Caroline) all again!
- Friday Dinner – Had Shannon, Karen, Michael and Marie over for dinner to give Suhail some more company after his big back operation. Three courser as usual including Roast Pumpkin Soup with Garlic Croutons, followed with Bourbon Chicken, a Saffron and Champagne Seafood Medley and a Butter Bean Salad finished with an excessively rich Sticky Date Pudding (inspired by the dessert other FOBORG member’s had on Monday!).
- Aikido Grading – The rest of the week when I wasn’t preparing for the dinner was spent on training for my 6th Kyu grading that was held today. It was a really big one, starting at 1pm and finishing at 4pm, with legs starting to cramp after sitting in seiza for too long. My actual grading went quite well and I will find out the result of it this Tuesday.
I Hate Cars
I like to think that I ride my bike rather responsibly, but today was such a pain when a car pulled out in front of a red light and I went down. Thankfully it wasn’t as bad as my incident back in January but it is still (literally) such a pain. I managed to get away with only a few cuts and bruises and the bike actually got away pretty well this time (just cosmetic damage). This year has been pretty bad for riding… I might have to give it up :-Z
Quicksilver/Roxy Pro
This weekend I managed to make it down to the see some of the surfing action at the Quicksilver and Roxy Pro. Once again, the beautiful beaches of Snapper Rocks at Coolangatta played host and would have drawn a crowd of (my guess) at least a thousand or more throughout the day.
I managed to catch the final showdown for the Roxy Pro, which was won out by local 17 year old wildcard surfer, Stephanie Gilmore over Hawaiian Megan Abubo. The competition continues til next weekend, so there will be plenty more action to come. My highlight of the day (after all the awesome surfing) was when I found myself standing right next to the former World Champ, Sofia Mulanovich whilst I was taking pictures of the newly crowned one. Oh, and did I mention I saw the huge surfboard that everyone rode to set a new world record?
The Bike Is Back
Well it’s been a month almost exactly since the big accident, and I finally got my bike back today but not with the frame that I had been expecting. Apparently the yellow Kona that was suggested by the store proved too troublesome to put together with the handlebars of my old Vivace. After trying eight headsets, from a variety of states, stores and countries, they decided that they would have to give me the 2004 model fram instead of the older (I think almost 2001) one. The bike now has a pearly white exterior, and I can now get back on the road and ride! Have a bit of closer look at the bike here and here. I can’t say that I have been too impressed with the customer service (or lack of) I’ve been given over the last month, and I’m still stunned at how my bike has been in the shop for much longer than my car has ever been in. I’m going for a ride…
Missing the Bike And Too Much Music
Well it’s been almost three weeks since my I was supposed to have my bike back, and almost four weeks since the store has had physical possession of it. At the end of this long waiting period, let me just say that I have not been a very happy customer. I think I tend to be a pretty reasonable customer, being rather understanding of the one or two things that might make something late, but there are only so many times I will let my expectations be crushed.
The current story is that a single part (the headset) that is required has not been sent by the supplier (Avanti) and is apparently on its way from New Zealand. Now I’m not sure on what planet the supplier happens to be living on, but I am under the impression that New Zealand is only a few hours flight away! Since it took a while for me to be accepting of the actual frame I am getting, I’m not entirely enthused by the alternatives that are now being suggested by the bike store. I don’t know about you, but either a) paying more for another frame or b) accepting a lesser frame to get the job done quicker, are on none of my “acceptable scenarios” list. Of course, I’d be willing to upgrade to a better frame if there was no cost involved, especially considering the time that it has taken.
Oh and while I’m really in the mood for ranting tonight, curses to JB Hi-Fi for enchanting my wallet to spill more blood. The chain always offers such great value for all types of music and tends to have a pretty comprehensive range. It’s such a danger when I have to wait for my bus because a store happens to be right next to my bus stop and I’m always bound to find something of interest. Tonight I ended up purchasing four more CDs to add to my collection including:
- The Vines – Highly Evolved
- The Vines – Winning Days
- Infusion – Six Feet Above Yesterday
- Derrick Carter presents Tone Theory Vs Oneiro – Poverty De Luxe
On A Bike Again
I’ve been rather careful about putting excessive pressure on my leg after severely aggravating it two weeks ago walking to and from work. The bruising and tenderness has been healing, but not quite at the same rapid pace it had been originally. The result is that I haven’t been nearly as active as I’d like to have been, and I my diet was accordingly adjusted. Read more “On A Bike Again”
First Aikido Grading
Amongst the many other things that happened this weekend, I managed to complete my first Shinsa (grading). My first ever Shinsa was a long one, spanning almost three and a half hours where we had to sit, as much as we could, in the tireless Seiza (sitting with legs folded underneath our bodies) position. I had been training quite hard for the level I was grading for, but was still anxious at the possibility of making a mistake during the very formal testing process. Thankfully it all paid off, and I received my certificate and stamp tonight, testifying to my completion of the 9th Kyu Shinsa.
The whole testing process was rather enlightening as everyone is expected to stay there for everyone else’s grading (all 36 for this one). As one of the beginners in the dojo, I probably got the most out of it, witnessing everyone else complete their more advanced routines. For me, the most fascinating part was probably watching and appreciating how advanced the basic moves we learn in class can be pushed and applied so effectively. I always find it very motivating to watch people demonstrate just how far your skills can be developed and refined.