My Mother Thinks I Am #1!

I'm negotiating my way through the market this morning (now I must do my shopping first, then head back to the castle to get my bike) when I hear my mother calling:

"Mari!"

I turn and he is smiling. He points at me, then makes the gesture of giving gas to a motorbike, like "You got a motorbike?"

I nod sheepishly... but no need, because my mother lights up even more, gives me two thumbs up and says, "Mari, Number One!"

I am so surprised by his enthusiasm, and by the fact that - yes, my mother does know it is time for me to spread my wings and fly in this city. My supportive mother. I want to tell him that yesterday all I wanted to do was run right back into his arms - I mean - right back onto the back of his motorbike. But no, my mother, he is soooo proud of me, so I don't tell him that.

I couldn't tell him that, anyway.

I'm a little embarrassed by the praise raining upon me, so I divert by asking/gesturing to him, "Ms. Sue, firefighter hat?"

Nam nods a John Wayne "yes" and just says, "Cowboy."

Ok, now wipe the tear from your eye like I did, and come with me on my motorbike morning adventure. No dress or heels today, because there was heavy rain last night and I know the dirt bike section of road is likely to be flooded. It is. It is either thick mud or up to eight inches of water in some places. Me and the rest of the bikers - we choose our paths carefully, put our feet up, and hope that our bikes don't flood.

I have jumped out of a plane at 10,000 ft, but free falling doesn't really compare to the rush of adrenaline I get during my commute to work through the mud and water. You know what? It's really, really fun. For now, at least. I arrive to school feeling like I can conquer the world.

And then I teach English all day long.

But today, we talked about how to change the world through reading books, so I think the mud adrenaline just may have fueled my inspirational lesson~