Alright, I'm back after getting some quality sleep. Few more points I'd like to add to my last post.(Much of it is opinion oriented.)
First, cars are getting more efficient these days. To be fair, the emissions are cleaner But why aren't wee seeing cars that get equivalently good gas mileage? I think car companies are directing more time into output rather than fuel economy. For example, it has become a norm to see cars pushing 300hp with a V6 engine. Consumers are interested in the paper spec so they think, wow, thats awesome. But think about this. How often do you use the max power? Also, that max power of your engine is weighed down by the accesories and other fancy stuff. If you want a fast car with gadgets and accesories, you are putting handicap on yourself voluntarily. Also, car companies can make the engine peaky and high revving just so they can get the horsepower rating. Useless to have torque at such high revs as most people never hit it, and torque at lower revs makes more sense for daily driving. I don't see the need for cars going 120+mph on the road.
Also, people tend to overlook the non visible factors involved with cars and motorcycles. This is something that the paper specs can't show. As far as Japanese motorcycles go, they are cheap, reliable and high output, but lacks something. I'm not sure if its due to cost cutting, or lack of designers who know what driving pleasure is. The two BMW motorcycles I test rode, felt better than any other bikes I've ridden before. Probably attention to details, and superior engineering. Maybe inferior in terms of paper spec, but far superior in actual feel. Just because something uses new technology in engine, does not necessarily mean better.
I believe in simple vehicles that won't get outdated quickly. Simple, small, and light cars will require less resources to put together. It can get great gas mileage while giving good performance. Less does not mean reduced driving pleasure. Higher maintainability and timeless design would mean a car that lasts longer, reducing total amount of waste. Car companies love to add, but not subtract. I think subtracting is the real key to making a environmentally friendly vehicle, and isn't it something thats totally within their reach?
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We don't really celebrate Christmas here, but we do celebrate the New Years called "Oshogatsu". I suppose you can say it's the Christmas/Thanksgiving equivalent in Japan. Instead of Christmas cards, we send letters to all the people we know wishing them a good year. The first three days of January are spent relaxing and spending time with family. Most people go back to work from the 5th or maybe even later. This is roughly how new years works in Japan.
On that note, I would like to wish every one Happy Holidays and a Happy new year!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
Bitter like a straight coffee?
It's Christmas Eve already and almost the end of the year. It seems like its snowing a lot in the New England area, but where I live, it rarely goes below 40s at the lowest. There might be a few days in a year that it might dip below freezing, but that's rare. It's a big news if it snows and accumulates half an inch. According to the weather forecast, it says low of 42F for most days next week. Regardless, people look like they are ready for a trip into the wilderness of winter Alaska. I do miss the snow... kind of.
Thoughts on bicycles...
I love to ride my bike all over the place. When my friend is home, I would ride my bike 25 miles one way to go hang out. Great exercise, significantly over 1000 calories(est.) burned round trip. With the money I save, I can go and eat something at a cheap restaurant and maybe even get change. Gasoline in Japan is about $4.90/gal, and combined with 25 miles of stop and go city driving, round trip would be at least $10 on a car. This is without putting into account the other expenses that go along with owning a car. The trains are pretty expensive, and I would spend about $10.83 for round trip. Of course, there are issues like rain, time, etc. However, I can make that trip in a little under 2 hours, and train or car would only be about 30-45 minutes quicker. If you are into exercising and spend an hour on top of driving, the total would come out to be about the same. This is limited to those who commute reasonable distance, and/or have lots of stop and go traffic. I don't know about you, but it works for me.
Bicycle fit...
There are bicycle frames made of steel, carbon, titanium, aluminum, etc., and they all range in price anywhere from thousands of dollars to free out of the garbage. But material and price don't necessarily get you a "great" bike. Sure it's a "great" bike in terms of quality, or for those that just want to show off how much cash they got. In reality, for those who actually ride, the garbage bike just might be better. Why? Fit is the key. Of course, It's a bit of a fetch when I say that a bike that came out of garbage is better, but its also true that a frame that doesn't fit you can be a pain. Literally. The harder and further you ride, the effect of the ill-fit gets exaggerated. To the point where your body might start hurting, you might fatigue faster, or at the worst, cause knee injuries. It can also make your riding inefficient, possibly lowering the effect of the lighter weight. So when you go buy a bike, make sure you get it fit properly by a reputable dealer. It might cost extra, but at the end, it would pay off by providing you with a bike that will give you the most bang for you buck.
Thoughts on cars, subtract, not add...
Improvements in technology gives birth to many new products and ideas that pop up everyday. It's relevant in the automotive industry with all the gadgets, new safety features, functions, etc. So you can be driving around with something like the "i-Drive", navigation system, automatic parallel parking feature, and drive by wire setup. Or you can be driving around in a barebones car with an engine, buttons and dials for climate control, and the good ole' cable operated throttle. Sure, all these new gadgets are fun and they make your ride comfortable, apparently.
Do you need all this? I want to own the car, not the opposite. Would you like i-Drive that requires you to agree to the lawyer screen everytime you start the car? I have never seen it myself, but I read in many sites that it asks you to agree not to operate it or something because it's a distraction. Why is it in there then? Do you really want to go through several steps just to turn on the heater when you can do that with the traditional button? Navigation system might be useful if you are constantly driving in a city and need to go visit different places. However, if you just need it once a month, is it worth the extra few hundred~thousand bucks to have this thing installed, which can break and need to be serviced? Drive-by-wire is pretty cool, it makes it less touchier at low gears, makes you more connected with the car(?), etc. And it's USED ON FIGHTER JETS!!! Wow. We should all drive around with the oxygen masks and cars that run with landing gear wheels because its used on fighter jets. I don't remember most people saying, "damn, I MUST HAVE (enter features here) or else I'm not driving to work!" I think most people learn to adapt, and all these gadgets are merely distractions. So car companies compensate for people not paying attention to the road by adding more safety features. Makes for a heavier car, necessity for stronger engines to give the same performance, worse fuel economy, increased points of failure, more reinforcements, and so forth. Also, all these gadgets that are "in style" will go out of style just as quickly.
http://my.reset.jp/~inu/ProductsDataBase/Products/ISUZU/PIAZZA/PIAZZA-05.jpg <- Look at the cockpit. This used to be the coolest thing when it came out in the 80s, looking like Kitt from Knight Rider.
What I want to see, is a simple car. I like to use Apple products as an example. iBook, and iPods are great beause they are simple, at least design wise, making it timeless design. A light, fun, reasonably priced, barebones, good mileage, and tough car. If all cars can be lighter, they would all have better mileage, at the same time, requiring less to make it equally safe. Take a look at the 80's Honda Wagovan, or the CRX. It gets 40-50mpg. People might actually pay more attention to the road with less distractions. Instead of adding gadgets to make a car "good", they really need to work on the direct and "connected" feel with the road. From what I heard, people really like the modern Mazda cars because of the feedback they get from the car. This also goes for Porsche and BMW. On the other hand, cars like Lexus might be full of options, but I hear that it has a really disconnected feel. Probably not a fun car to drive. From my point of view, a fun car would beat a gadget infested, inefficient car any day. Something like Caterham Super Seven, or Lotus Elise is my style.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3K-mrlYG7Y
Can anyone tell me, is this "self defense" technique or just attempted murder? Either way, this is pretty hilarious and worth a look. Although I made it sound like it, it isn't gruesome or gory.
It's 5:34AM already. Sorry if this was difficult to read, because I didn't edit it. Like always, comments are welcome.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, whatever it is. Goodnight.
Thoughts on bicycles...
I love to ride my bike all over the place. When my friend is home, I would ride my bike 25 miles one way to go hang out. Great exercise, significantly over 1000 calories(est.) burned round trip. With the money I save, I can go and eat something at a cheap restaurant and maybe even get change. Gasoline in Japan is about $4.90/gal, and combined with 25 miles of stop and go city driving, round trip would be at least $10 on a car. This is without putting into account the other expenses that go along with owning a car. The trains are pretty expensive, and I would spend about $10.83 for round trip. Of course, there are issues like rain, time, etc. However, I can make that trip in a little under 2 hours, and train or car would only be about 30-45 minutes quicker. If you are into exercising and spend an hour on top of driving, the total would come out to be about the same. This is limited to those who commute reasonable distance, and/or have lots of stop and go traffic. I don't know about you, but it works for me.
Bicycle fit...
There are bicycle frames made of steel, carbon, titanium, aluminum, etc., and they all range in price anywhere from thousands of dollars to free out of the garbage. But material and price don't necessarily get you a "great" bike. Sure it's a "great" bike in terms of quality, or for those that just want to show off how much cash they got. In reality, for those who actually ride, the garbage bike just might be better. Why? Fit is the key. Of course, It's a bit of a fetch when I say that a bike that came out of garbage is better, but its also true that a frame that doesn't fit you can be a pain. Literally. The harder and further you ride, the effect of the ill-fit gets exaggerated. To the point where your body might start hurting, you might fatigue faster, or at the worst, cause knee injuries. It can also make your riding inefficient, possibly lowering the effect of the lighter weight. So when you go buy a bike, make sure you get it fit properly by a reputable dealer. It might cost extra, but at the end, it would pay off by providing you with a bike that will give you the most bang for you buck.
Thoughts on cars, subtract, not add...
Improvements in technology gives birth to many new products and ideas that pop up everyday. It's relevant in the automotive industry with all the gadgets, new safety features, functions, etc. So you can be driving around with something like the "i-Drive", navigation system, automatic parallel parking feature, and drive by wire setup. Or you can be driving around in a barebones car with an engine, buttons and dials for climate control, and the good ole' cable operated throttle. Sure, all these new gadgets are fun and they make your ride comfortable, apparently.
Do you need all this? I want to own the car, not the opposite. Would you like i-Drive that requires you to agree to the lawyer screen everytime you start the car? I have never seen it myself, but I read in many sites that it asks you to agree not to operate it or something because it's a distraction. Why is it in there then? Do you really want to go through several steps just to turn on the heater when you can do that with the traditional button? Navigation system might be useful if you are constantly driving in a city and need to go visit different places. However, if you just need it once a month, is it worth the extra few hundred~thousand bucks to have this thing installed, which can break and need to be serviced? Drive-by-wire is pretty cool, it makes it less touchier at low gears, makes you more connected with the car(?), etc. And it's USED ON FIGHTER JETS!!! Wow. We should all drive around with the oxygen masks and cars that run with landing gear wheels because its used on fighter jets. I don't remember most people saying, "damn, I MUST HAVE (enter features here) or else I'm not driving to work!" I think most people learn to adapt, and all these gadgets are merely distractions. So car companies compensate for people not paying attention to the road by adding more safety features. Makes for a heavier car, necessity for stronger engines to give the same performance, worse fuel economy, increased points of failure, more reinforcements, and so forth. Also, all these gadgets that are "in style" will go out of style just as quickly.
http://my.reset.jp/~inu/ProductsDataBase/Products/ISUZU/PIAZZA/PIAZZA-05.jpg <- Look at the cockpit. This used to be the coolest thing when it came out in the 80s, looking like Kitt from Knight Rider.
What I want to see, is a simple car. I like to use Apple products as an example. iBook, and iPods are great beause they are simple, at least design wise, making it timeless design. A light, fun, reasonably priced, barebones, good mileage, and tough car. If all cars can be lighter, they would all have better mileage, at the same time, requiring less to make it equally safe. Take a look at the 80's Honda Wagovan, or the CRX. It gets 40-50mpg. People might actually pay more attention to the road with less distractions. Instead of adding gadgets to make a car "good", they really need to work on the direct and "connected" feel with the road. From what I heard, people really like the modern Mazda cars because of the feedback they get from the car. This also goes for Porsche and BMW. On the other hand, cars like Lexus might be full of options, but I hear that it has a really disconnected feel. Probably not a fun car to drive. From my point of view, a fun car would beat a gadget infested, inefficient car any day. Something like Caterham Super Seven, or Lotus Elise is my style.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3K-mrlYG7Y
Can anyone tell me, is this "self defense" technique or just attempted murder? Either way, this is pretty hilarious and worth a look. Although I made it sound like it, it isn't gruesome or gory.
It's 5:34AM already. Sorry if this was difficult to read, because I didn't edit it. Like always, comments are welcome.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, whatever it is. Goodnight.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
First Blog entry for the last month of the year.
It’s December already. Not too many days left of 2007, but that doesn’t affect my ability to write more blog entries.
I hung out with my friend yesterday for her 29th birthday. We went to watch the “December Boys” on the first movie showing of the day, at 10:45AM. Why so early? We get to watch the movie for 1200 yen(US$10.85) instead of the usual 1800 yen(US$16.25). I thought it would be pretty empty, but I didn’t expect to have the theater all to our selves. I had no objections to that. As for the movie, it was pretty good. But don’t expect anything excellent or out of the ordinary. It’s one of those films based on a book, and I’m sure the book is better than the movie. The use of new motorcycles was bothersome though. All the cars, houses, clothes, etc. were 1960’s, but the motorcycles were blatantly new. Maybe I am the only one that noticed it, but it took away from the movie.
After we watched the movie, we had lunch and walked to the city. We went to a book store where I found some kind of a panda mascot doll chilling at a bookshop.
“Yonda?” means “did you read?” in Japanese. It’s a pun.
Since it’s gotten colder, someone gave the panda a scarf to wear. I was the only one taking the picture of it, but who wouldn’t? At that store, I bought a book about FRP and instructions on how to fabricate FRP car body parts. Just something I am interested in.
Next, we went to a surplus store so I can get the LED flashlight I wanted for my bicycle.
It’s called Fenix L2D Premium Q5. It uses Cree XR-E LED for the light source, which is capable of projecting a blindingly white light. Although the performance of the light itself is much higher than most would ever need, the versatility is the key. The neat part about this flashlight is that it uses a voltage step up circuit so it would work with either 1 or 2 AA. I prefer to use the rechargeable NiMH batteries rather than the disposable batteries, and it helps that L2D performs the same. Rechargeable batteries output lower voltage than alkaline or lithium, and some electronics like MP3 players don’t work. There are other batteries like lithium CR123A(3V per cell) which perform better in all ways, but they are expensive and hard to find. Best to go with the popular AA batteries.
I was quite excited when I purchased the flashlight and I was playing with it all the way to the restaurant where we had dinner together. It’s like a male equivalent of buying new shoes or jewelry, for those that may not understand. After dinner, we went to an “ashi-yu”, where you sit down on a bench and put your foot in the small tub of hot spring. It warms your whole body up, and after about 10 minutes of it, you start to sweat. It’s nice because it’s located outside of the spa place, and it’s free. You meet lots of interesting people there, and they all enjoy talking. My friend and I were talking to a chiropractor, who came a few minutes after we got there, for a good 20 minutes. Maybe more.
The ashi-yu got us thirsty so we hit up Starbucks(yes, there are billions in
Random tip of the day…
Check out the self myofascial release technique(SMRT). This is a method to loosen up and condition the soft tissues that have scarred or knotted. All you need for this, is a foam roller or a tennis ball. Google “foam roller” and you will come up with bunch of them if you don’t know what they are. You put the roller on the ground, and you lie, sit, whatever, on the roller putting your weight on it. Roll on it until you hit a part that hurts, and then stay there until the pain goes away. Repeat with other parts. Static stretching on its own can’t loosen up the tight muscles, and this will leave you feeling great, while giving you better performance if you work out or play sports.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Entry about all things big.
Here I sit, struggling with an ever slowing internet connection trying to come up with something good to write about. The title says it all. It's about all things big. What about being big you ask? Well stuff such as...
My right knee when it was swollen. Hard to see in the photo, but it was pretty big. However, the pain was bigger.
Next, is the following picture.
Yes, it's a big Christmas tree. A big blue Christmas tree set up at the very beginning of November. I though it was a little early, but they think otherwise.
We want to see something that's even bigger next.
This was another Christmas tree, also set up too early. This thing stood at least 3-4 stories high. In fact, it was too big that I had to take two pictures. However, that's not all. This tree even changes color! How fascinating. It definitely got my blood boiling. Yes. Wow.
Now, onto something even bigger...
That's a huge Torii. It's a gate like thing thats constructed in front of the Shinto Shrines. This one is pretty impressive as you can tell.
Next is a big...
Bridge. A pretty well known one located in Arashiyama, Kyoto. Unfortunately, the foliage hasn't really started yet due to the unusually warm weather this year.
Last, but not least how can we talk about big things without this.
It's a mountain in Kiyotaki, Kyoto. Not the biggest mountain or anything, but it looks intriguing. Intriguing enough to make me want to climb it some day.
Now that I look back at what I wrote, it's awesomely worthless. Oh well, it was meant to be a joke anyways.
----------------------------------
Photos taken in Kobe and Kyoto.
My right knee when it was swollen. Hard to see in the photo, but it was pretty big. However, the pain was bigger.Next, is the following picture.
Yes, it's a big Christmas tree. A big blue Christmas tree set up at the very beginning of November. I though it was a little early, but they think otherwise.We want to see something that's even bigger next.
This was another Christmas tree, also set up too early. This thing stood at least 3-4 stories high. In fact, it was too big that I had to take two pictures. However, that's not all. This tree even changes color! How fascinating. It definitely got my blood boiling. Yes. Wow.
Now, onto something even bigger...
That's a huge Torii. It's a gate like thing thats constructed in front of the Shinto Shrines. This one is pretty impressive as you can tell.Next is a big...
Bridge. A pretty well known one located in Arashiyama, Kyoto. Unfortunately, the foliage hasn't really started yet due to the unusually warm weather this year.
Last, but not least how can we talk about big things without this.
It's a mountain in Kiyotaki, Kyoto. Not the biggest mountain or anything, but it looks intriguing. Intriguing enough to make me want to climb it some day.
Now that I look back at what I wrote, it's awesomely worthless. Oh well, it was meant to be a joke anyways.
----------------------------------
Photos taken in Kobe and Kyoto.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Popularity of racquetball in Japan
I love racquetball. You get the opportunity to beat the hell out of the ball, without worries about going out of bounds. Even if you can't hit hard, you can still win since tactics are just as important. If you push yourself hard for an hour, a 150lb person may be able to burn around 800 calories. Of course, the values aren't exact, since weight and individual difference will account for some deviation from it. How can it get any better? Fun exercise thats also a great workout at the same time.
Unfortunately, racquetball is not a very popular sports in Japan. According to JARA website(Japan Racquetball Association), there are only about 200 courts, and 300,000 racquetball playing population in Japan. To give you an idea, I live in a pretty big city, but there are only few places. All of the places are a small part of the gym facilities, which usually costs at least $700 annually in membership fees. Seeing that racquetball is out of reach for me, I would love to see facilities dedicated to racquetball go up. Rather than people not wanting to play, I am assuming people just don't know about it. Maybe some promotion might make the future of racquetball brighter in Japan.
Unfortunately, racquetball is not a very popular sports in Japan. According to JARA website(Japan Racquetball Association), there are only about 200 courts, and 300,000 racquetball playing population in Japan. To give you an idea, I live in a pretty big city, but there are only few places. All of the places are a small part of the gym facilities, which usually costs at least $700 annually in membership fees. Seeing that racquetball is out of reach for me, I would love to see facilities dedicated to racquetball go up. Rather than people not wanting to play, I am assuming people just don't know about it. Maybe some promotion might make the future of racquetball brighter in Japan.
A day in the life of...
It’s starting to get chilly here. If you live in
Anyways, a knee injury hampered my progress in cycling. It’s about 99% healed now, good enough to start going back to it again. I will post stuff from my future rides, if I find them to be worthy of posting.
Something I’ve been putting time into lately is job searching. I came up with several plans for the future, so the job will be something that would get me ready for it. I hope to have a job soon.
…And about a good read.
Some people might think I read books at the frequency similar to that of Halley ’s Comet visit. However, I recently picked up the translated version of a book called “Burt Munro Indian Legend of Speed”. Not because I wanted to read in Japanese, but because that was the only one at the book store. There isn’t much demand for English books in
Burt Munro was neither an engineer, nor a man with a lot of cash. It wasn’t that he was a genius of some sort. Perseverance was what took him this far. Although the review might make you think the book is full of technical writings about bikes, majority of it is about the man and his life. You don’t need to like or know about motorcycles to enjoy the book. A good starting point might be watching the movie called “The World’s Fastest Indian” with Anthony Hopkins. Great movie, but it does not do justice to all that he has accomplished. It’s a moving book that made me reflect on myself. I highly recommend the book to learn about a life of a man who had “the courage to follow his heart and his intuition”.
(Quote taken from Steven Jobs speech)
Comments are always welcome.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Story from the past
I wrote this back in August when I was still living in the US, and had my motorcycle. Maybe some have read it already. Good times.
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Last Ride
I planned a 30 mile ride before I left my aparment. It was 11:28PM when I left my parking lot. Perfect temperature for motorcycle riding. The exact temperature, I don’t know, nor do I care for they are nothing more than numbers. I was going down I-384, thinking I should just turn around and head home to my apartment. However, I saw the fork on the road for I-84 and I-291, and figured why not, I only have my bike for another week. So I decided to hop on 291.
I love I-291 at midnight. Very desolate, no need to worry about passing or being passed. I had the freedom to go as fast or as slow as I wanted to! I ended up cruising between 55-65mph, where my bike felt most comfortable at. I thought of turning around at some point, but the bike was running all too well, I wanted to keep on riding. So I did.
I continued riding past Springfield. The view from I-91 was pretty. Particularly, the flashing neon of the Basketball Hall of Fame caught my attention. All of that went by very quick however, since Springfield isn't that big of a city. As I continued to travel north bound past Springfield, the street lights that illuminated the road became sparse. Within a couple miles, almost all street lights were gone, and I was riding in the dark. Occasionally, a car or a truck might pass me, but oddly, I appreciated their presence. I usually hate traffic, and wish I was the only one on the road, but riding at night on a desolate road can get lonely at times.
My odometer was showing 170 miles or so, which meant I should start looking for a gas station. My bike equipped with a 6.1 gallon fuel tank is good for at least 230 miles before hitting the reserve, but it was at night, and I didn’t want to take chances. So I saw the sign, I think it was Exit 18, and got off of it. At the end of the off ramp, I took a right onto Route 5 south, hoping the Mobil station would be open. When I found it, not only was it not open, but looked like it was closed forever. So I turned around to look for other gas stations, heading northbound on Route 5. Both Shell and Hess stations were closed. I thought to myself, “It’s ok, I still have at least 40 miles left. I will find another gas station.” So I continued up the route 5, which was much more interesting than the interstate. The big roads take you places quick, but you miss out on the atmosphere the area has to offer, whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
The first town I rode through was Northampton, if I remember correctly. Looked like a nice town, which reminded me of the main street in Manchester. I get stuck at this weird traffic light, that never seemed to change. I hate those sensor operated lights because they never detect motorcycles. Anyone that rides motorcycles probably know what I’m talking about. So I decided to take a right, turn around, and then take another right, to go on the way I originally wanted to go. Of course, the last right I wanted to take is a “no turn on red”, and I am forced to wait again. So I finally clear that obstacle, and I find a gas station in the area called “Pride”. I guess they have something to be proud of when their prices for the most expensive gas is under $3. Here, I stopped to fill up my tank and buy some Vault and a bottle of water. Filled up 3.432 gallons, and probably got around 50 to 60 mph. Probably closer to the latter. I continued my way north, forgetting it was a little past 1AM.
----------
Last Ride
I planned a 30 mile ride before I left my aparment. It was 11:28PM when I left my parking lot. Perfect temperature for motorcycle riding. The exact temperature, I don’t know, nor do I care for they are nothing more than numbers. I was going down I-384, thinking I should just turn around and head home to my apartment. However, I saw the fork on the road for I-84 and I-291, and figured why not, I only have my bike for another week. So I decided to hop on 291.
I love I-291 at midnight. Very desolate, no need to worry about passing or being passed. I had the freedom to go as fast or as slow as I wanted to! I ended up cruising between 55-65mph, where my bike felt most comfortable at. I thought of turning around at some point, but the bike was running all too well, I wanted to keep on riding. So I did.
I continued riding past Springfield. The view from I-91 was pretty. Particularly, the flashing neon of the Basketball Hall of Fame caught my attention. All of that went by very quick however, since Springfield isn't that big of a city. As I continued to travel north bound past Springfield, the street lights that illuminated the road became sparse. Within a couple miles, almost all street lights were gone, and I was riding in the dark. Occasionally, a car or a truck might pass me, but oddly, I appreciated their presence. I usually hate traffic, and wish I was the only one on the road, but riding at night on a desolate road can get lonely at times.
My odometer was showing 170 miles or so, which meant I should start looking for a gas station. My bike equipped with a 6.1 gallon fuel tank is good for at least 230 miles before hitting the reserve, but it was at night, and I didn’t want to take chances. So I saw the sign, I think it was Exit 18, and got off of it. At the end of the off ramp, I took a right onto Route 5 south, hoping the Mobil station would be open. When I found it, not only was it not open, but looked like it was closed forever. So I turned around to look for other gas stations, heading northbound on Route 5. Both Shell and Hess stations were closed. I thought to myself, “It’s ok, I still have at least 40 miles left. I will find another gas station.” So I continued up the route 5, which was much more interesting than the interstate. The big roads take you places quick, but you miss out on the atmosphere the area has to offer, whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
The first town I rode through was Northampton, if I remember correctly. Looked like a nice town, which reminded me of the main street in Manchester. I get stuck at this weird traffic light, that never seemed to change. I hate those sensor operated lights because they never detect motorcycles. Anyone that rides motorcycles probably know what I’m talking about. So I decided to take a right, turn around, and then take another right, to go on the way I originally wanted to go. Of course, the last right I wanted to take is a “no turn on red”, and I am forced to wait again. So I finally clear that obstacle, and I find a gas station in the area called “Pride”. I guess they have something to be proud of when their prices for the most expensive gas is under $3. Here, I stopped to fill up my tank and buy some Vault and a bottle of water. Filled up 3.432 gallons, and probably got around 50 to 60 mph. Probably closer to the latter. I continued my way north, forgetting it was a little past 1AM.
Route 5 travels right along I-91, and I often saw signs for onramps to the big road. It was tempting to get on the interstate because route 5 was lonely and creepy at times. I fought the temptation and stayed on the back roads though. That was the road I took all the way into Vermont.
Temperature seemed to go down as I got closer to Vermont. The great thing about riding a motorcycle is that you really get to smell and feel the air. It’s quite interesting really, you feel the temperature dip at certain locations, and rises at others. But sometimes, you are caught with a mesh jacket when the temperature goes down at night, which is exactly what happened to me.
Temperature seemed to go down as I got closer to Vermont. The great thing about riding a motorcycle is that you really get to smell and feel the air. It’s quite interesting really, you feel the temperature dip at certain locations, and rises at others. But sometimes, you are caught with a mesh jacket when the temperature goes down at night, which is exactly what happened to me.
I didn’t realize when I crossed the Vermont border. Brattleboro was the first sign that told me I was in Vermont. The town is a very small one, I have to say. Almost half of the town is built on a hill, and I rode through the town in a matter of a minute. I didn’t believe it at first, but I realized I passed the town already, so I turned back. I found a parking spot on the side of the road, around the middle of the town. From there, I took a walk around to sightsee, at 2AM. I noticed a fire alarm going off, but was a bit puzzled because no one was outside. People started walking out little by little. I figured they were asleep and didn’t want to get out of their beds. Feel bad for them though, it’s in middle of the week too. Most of them probably had to get up in the morning for work. Just as I was about to leave the town, fire trucks came, so I took off before they blocked off the roads or anything.
So now that I escaped, I looked for a gas station nearby. Luckily, I found a 24 hour Mobil station just a mile south of Brattleboro. It wasn’t gas this time. I needed to use the restroom. So I tried to pull the door open, it won’t open. I push the door and it still didn’t open. I saw a white lit up button in between the two doors that looked like a door bell. I thought to myself, “you gotta be kidding me”, and pressed the button. Sure enough, it actually was a doorbell, and the guy unlocked the door. I wonder if it’s like this everywhere in Vermont.
The friendly old man with frizzy hair at the counter was talking to a younger customer. They were just shooting the shit, figure it was the only thing available to do at night in a place like that. I thanked the old man, and he gave me thumbs up. Funny guy. As I put my helmet on and got ready to head out, the younger one at the counter said something to me. I had to take my helmet off and my ear plugs out to hear him. Seemed like a pain in the ass at first, but it’s always interesting to talk to people. Especially those who talk to you at 2:30AM. Talking to random people is something I learned to appreciate in the recent years. They usually have a lot of cool things to talk about.
The guy was an unique character. This person, at age 19, has worked a bunch of jobs already. I’m talking bunch, as in four jobs at once at some points. He said he has a kid, but no wife. To get into the details a bit, his girlfriend was a little pissed and broke 6 of his ribs with a crowbar, sending him to the hospital. No wonder why he isn’t engaged to her anymore, and that was a good decision on his part. He started going into child support issues, his job now, and whatnot. He had many interesting stories to tell, which I won’t list here for various reasons.
We just babbled on, until the topic of my origins came up. He seemed fascinated by the fact that I was Japanese. Probably not many of us around where he lives. He wanted me to write his name in Japanese, so I did, and also wrote down my name to show him. People have asked me to do this before, so it was nothing new to me. However, this one caught me by surprise. Normally people would say “cool”, or something along those lines and that’s what I was expecting. Instead, he goes on and says, “hey, isn’t that dragon?”. I was startled by this, how did he know what it meant? Turns out, he likes dragons, and showed me his tattoos on his arms. I noticed they lacked some details you would expect from a well done tattoo. I didn’t know whether I should tell him my honest opinions or not, because they weren’t too pretty. Turns out, he felt the same way too, so I didn’t have to censor myself. Apparently, the one who did the tattoos was on heroine, and he only found out afterwards. Poor guy. We talked for about an hour, and it was past 3:30AM so I told him I should get going. After giving me the directions back to Connecticut, he finished his cigarette and walked back into the store. I learned some important life lessons from this encounter: watch out for angry women, know who you get a tattoo from, and all there is to do in Brattleboro is to hang out at a gas station. I’m only kidding, by the way. I was finally on my way home.
By then, the temperature dropped significantly that it felt cold on my bike. It reminded me of the cool fall days when it would be perfect while the sun was up, and it gets cold almost immediately after the sun sets. Being in Vermont didn’t help. Route 5 was empty, more so than on the way up. I encountered 3 cars in maybe 30 miles. I didn’t really keep track of exact mileage. I was too occupied with the sweeping curves and the view. Not that I was able to see much scenery at night, but the combination of cool temperature, cloudless sky, and the lack of light pollution made the stars stand out. When I pulled over at the side of the road and turned off my bike and all the lights, it was literally pitch black. Couldn’t even see my own hand or any part of the bike while sitting on it. The crescent moon with the clearly visible outline of the shady area was pretty neat.
So now that I escaped, I looked for a gas station nearby. Luckily, I found a 24 hour Mobil station just a mile south of Brattleboro. It wasn’t gas this time. I needed to use the restroom. So I tried to pull the door open, it won’t open. I push the door and it still didn’t open. I saw a white lit up button in between the two doors that looked like a door bell. I thought to myself, “you gotta be kidding me”, and pressed the button. Sure enough, it actually was a doorbell, and the guy unlocked the door. I wonder if it’s like this everywhere in Vermont.
The friendly old man with frizzy hair at the counter was talking to a younger customer. They were just shooting the shit, figure it was the only thing available to do at night in a place like that. I thanked the old man, and he gave me thumbs up. Funny guy. As I put my helmet on and got ready to head out, the younger one at the counter said something to me. I had to take my helmet off and my ear plugs out to hear him. Seemed like a pain in the ass at first, but it’s always interesting to talk to people. Especially those who talk to you at 2:30AM. Talking to random people is something I learned to appreciate in the recent years. They usually have a lot of cool things to talk about.
The guy was an unique character. This person, at age 19, has worked a bunch of jobs already. I’m talking bunch, as in four jobs at once at some points. He said he has a kid, but no wife. To get into the details a bit, his girlfriend was a little pissed and broke 6 of his ribs with a crowbar, sending him to the hospital. No wonder why he isn’t engaged to her anymore, and that was a good decision on his part. He started going into child support issues, his job now, and whatnot. He had many interesting stories to tell, which I won’t list here for various reasons.
We just babbled on, until the topic of my origins came up. He seemed fascinated by the fact that I was Japanese. Probably not many of us around where he lives. He wanted me to write his name in Japanese, so I did, and also wrote down my name to show him. People have asked me to do this before, so it was nothing new to me. However, this one caught me by surprise. Normally people would say “cool”, or something along those lines and that’s what I was expecting. Instead, he goes on and says, “hey, isn’t that dragon?”. I was startled by this, how did he know what it meant? Turns out, he likes dragons, and showed me his tattoos on his arms. I noticed they lacked some details you would expect from a well done tattoo. I didn’t know whether I should tell him my honest opinions or not, because they weren’t too pretty. Turns out, he felt the same way too, so I didn’t have to censor myself. Apparently, the one who did the tattoos was on heroine, and he only found out afterwards. Poor guy. We talked for about an hour, and it was past 3:30AM so I told him I should get going. After giving me the directions back to Connecticut, he finished his cigarette and walked back into the store. I learned some important life lessons from this encounter: watch out for angry women, know who you get a tattoo from, and all there is to do in Brattleboro is to hang out at a gas station. I’m only kidding, by the way. I was finally on my way home.
By then, the temperature dropped significantly that it felt cold on my bike. It reminded me of the cool fall days when it would be perfect while the sun was up, and it gets cold almost immediately after the sun sets. Being in Vermont didn’t help. Route 5 was empty, more so than on the way up. I encountered 3 cars in maybe 30 miles. I didn’t really keep track of exact mileage. I was too occupied with the sweeping curves and the view. Not that I was able to see much scenery at night, but the combination of cool temperature, cloudless sky, and the lack of light pollution made the stars stand out. When I pulled over at the side of the road and turned off my bike and all the lights, it was literally pitch black. Couldn’t even see my own hand or any part of the bike while sitting on it. The crescent moon with the clearly visible outline of the shady area was pretty neat.
I took route 5 until Northampton where I decided to hop on the interstate. The sky was starting to get brighter as I passed Springfield, considerably more traffic than on the way up. It was only 5AM, but people were driving to work already, probably to beat the rush hour traffic. I merged onto 384 and the rest of the ride was pretty uneventful, except for couple attempts to take a photo while I rode. That was interesting, to say the least. When I arrived at my parking lot, the Timex watch I attached to the handlebar read 6:06AM. The sun was coming up, something I never get to see.
Starting my blog!
I'm starting this blog because everyone is doing it. Peer pressure. I'm just kidding, by the way.
I started it so I can share with people what I find interesting. Look forward to my posts, whenever that will be...
I started it so I can share with people what I find interesting. Look forward to my posts, whenever that will be...
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