After a third failed attempt at Circuit Assessment (no more third time lucky - the cycle of threes has been broken!), the allure of motorbike-riding begged itself to be relooked. No, I don't feel liberated with the wind on my face and air around my knees and elbows; riding at 90kmph with impatient asshole drivers on the Central Expressway scares the shite out of me; watching motorcyclists become prime victims of traffic accidents gives me the worst kinds of premonitions; crashing my bike with a pillion rider behind me isn't particularly exciting, either.

But now, at Lesson 5 out of 7 (most lessons with innumerable repeats), the show must go on. When I have a bike license, the luxury will be in the choice I make: whether I ride, or not. Whether I choose to take public transport; or have no choice but to take public transport. Being given the opportunity to make that choice - therein lies the luxury.

By the ever witty and Neil Gaiman:

I Google you
late at night when I don’t know what to do
I find photos
you’ve forgotten
you were in
put up by your friends

I Google you
when the day is done and everything is through
I read your journal
that you kept
that month in France
I’ve watched you dance

And I’m pleased your name is practically unique
it’s only you and
a would-be PhD in Chesapeake
who writes papers on
the structure of the sun
I’ve read each one

I know that I
should let you fade
but there’s that box
and there’s your name
somehow it never makes the pain
grow less or fade or disappear
I think that I should save my soul and
I should crawl back in my hole
But it’s too easy just to fold
and type your name again
I fear
I google you
Whenever I’m alone and feeling blue
And each scrap of information
That I gather
says you’ve got somebody new
And it really shouldn’t matter
ought to blow up my computer
but instead….
I google you

And here it is, sung by the ever lovely half of the Dresden Dolls, Amanda Palmer:



I like having Gaiman-inspired ideas floating and flitting about in my head all day. Very agreeable.

In a time when it was I was lost without oversized t-shirts, when I was unsure of what I'd do if I didn't belong, when staying back in school was something the popular girls did, when petty personal friendships were all that mattered (besides schoolwork, of course), when matte silver spectacle rims and braces were what I had, when Pretty Woman was risque (to me at least), this song brings back much memories. Love love love Roxette.