zixingche - bikey chinese lesson

i am nuts about chinesepod and can't help myself. yesterday's brand new intermediate lesson was all about fixing a bike. to listen:

	中级78 A Flat Bicycle Tire
	Visit ChinesePod.com

and some additional vocab from listeners:

brakes 刹车 (shāchē)
cable 刹车线 (shāchē xiàn), 闸线 (zhá xiàn)
pedal 踏板 (tàbǎn)
reflector 反光板 (fǎnguāng bǎn)
handle bars 龙头 (lóngtóu), 车头 (chētóu), 手把 (shǒubǎ)
bike parking shed 车棚 (chēpéng)
to have gotten rusty 生锈了 (shēngxiù le)
“The handle bars are crooked.” 车头歪了。 (chētou wāi le)
mountain bike 山地(自行)车 (shāndì (zìxíng)chē)
安全帽 (ānquánmào) and 头盔 (tóukuī)
坐墊 zuòdiàn seat
尾灯 wěidēng taillight
坐杆 zuògān seat post
坐杆夹 zuògānjiā seat post clamp
反光板 fǎnguāngbǎn reflector
飞轮 fēilún rear sprocket lit. “fly gear”
后轴 hòuzhóu rear axle
后拨 hòubō rear derailleur
链条链贴 liàntiáo/liàntiē chain
气嘴 qìzuǐ stem
前拨 qiánbō front derailleur
牙盘护盘 yápán/hùpán front gear
曲柄 qūbǐng cranks
申轴 zhōngzhóu middle axle
脚踏 jiǎotà pedal
水壶架 shuǐhújià water holder
车架 chējià frame
钢线 gāngxiàn spokes
车圈 chēquān rim
外胎 wàitāi tire
碟刹 diéshā disk brake
前轴 qiánzhóu front axle
把立 bǎlì stem
码表 mǎbiǎo odometer/spedometer lit. “number meter”
碗组 wǎnzŭ headset lit. “bowl group”
横把 héngbǎ handlebars
指拨 zhǐbō shifter
刹把 shābà brake handle
前叉 qiánchā front fork

AaA:aAA route and photos

sample items moved:
4 boxes of books, red ferrari accordian, banguitar, two scaled house models, two stage epees, wig, cookbooks, costume makeup case, and did i mention books?

there were over 20 riders braving mid-20 temperatures, and a whopping 9 (9!) of those riders
were first-time bikemovers. two move-by-bikers came to help with the move right after dragonboating practice (with icicles still on their lifejackets), and one cycle-freighter braved the cold after touching down from hawaii. there were also 4 logisticians who got the terminus-grub piping hot by the time the "brawny bike brigade" arrived. there was food aplenty, silkscreen action and a fire stoked by my fabulous new roommates! the whole affair was documented by two fellas who showed up on the red door doorstep asking if they could film the move for a documentary about bike love in portland. one of the cameramen, Jason, balled up in Steven's trailer with his camera and my accordian and shot the whole thing. pure rapture!

pix by mom: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24841458@N00/sets/72157594480990947/detail/
pix by Michael: http://www.flickr.com/photos/84139144@N00/sets/72157594480063167/detail/

unrelated to bike move, i heard on the MAX (after a gorgeous
early-morning bike ride unhindered by speedy cars) about a mountain bike near
interstate ave. that was helping a car move to the side of the road after it
stalled. fabulous!

AaA: aAA bike move

as mentioned in an earlier posting, i'm moving to north portland as of the 15th of january and am hoping to do the move via bike. here's the information. if you'd like beginning coordinates, give a buzz and i'll send the info. your way! happy for anyone who'd like to join in this most auspicious event.

AaA:aAA

to A. . . and A. . . : an Alliterative Address

after allocating an adequate aepoch at Ashlee and Associates' abode, an adventurous about-face approaching alternate accommodations ascends. aliments available apres activity, and ale also administered after advance accomplished. alliterative accessories applauded (author's aunt to accord alliterative adverts).

(translation: after wiling away about 1 1/2 years at “the red door”, home to backyard movie nights, a new neighborhood with fabulous new roommates beckons. we’ll have tasty nibblins before the move and food accompanying tasty beverages at the end of our excursion, a refreshing way to celebrate a shared accomplishment. NOTE: it's going to be a longer bike move than some recent ones and a little uphill, but anyone with a backpack or trailer or baguette basket is welcome to come. grab a few coathangers or a spoon or two, and we can make a lovely winter parade!)

Commencement Clock: saturday, 13 january, 2007 @ 1:00pm

Beginning Bearings: SE 28th Ave. near the Clinton district

Ascertained Area: A. . . and A . . ., absolutely!

Dress Details: down-like, drenchproof digs describing down-to-earth dimensions and deftness definitely de rigueur.

Contact Coordinates: comment, compadre!

Mad Lib & Annual Letter

in the holiday card sent to people whose addresses i have (and if you'd like one go ahead and send me your address and i'll send one your way!) there was a mad lib from "A Christmas Story". i didn't have the gumption to spell it out in its unaltered entirety in the space of the insert, so here is the original version crafted so expertly by Jean Shepherd (A Christmas Story, p.22):

"It did not pay to take chances, and so we waited in line for our turn. Behind me a skinny seven-year old girl wearing a brown stocking cap and gold-rimmed glasses hit her little brother steadily to keep him in line. She had green teeth. He was wearing an aviator's helmet with the goggles pulled down over his eyes. His galoshes were open and his maroon corduroy knickers were damp. Behind them a fat boy in a huge sheepskin coat stood numbly, his eyes watering in vague fear, his nose red and running. Ahead of my brother and me, a long, uneven procession of stocking caps, mufflers, mittens and earmuffs inched painfully forward, while in the hazy distance, in his magical glowing cave, Mister Claus sat each in turn on his broad red knee and listened to exultant dream after exultant dream whispered, squeaked, shouted and sobbed into his shell-like, whisker-encased ear."

my favorite christmas picture is of Nanny. Nanny was Jason and Ryan's neighbor across the street in Suratthani, Thailand, and on christmas they decided to decorate Jason and Ryan's tree outside with homemade ornaments. Nanny was pretty happy with the result. i miss both Nanny for her great humor (we used to speak in a random language to each other) and Jason and Ryan for creating a wonderful and inspiring space anywhere they went. Ryan is a wonderful photographer and took this picture.

i'll save the annual update for coffee conversations and just mention that:

I A M M O V I N G
as of Jan.15th, i'll be living in NoPo with some fabulous folks and am going to try to contrive a bike move the 14th if at all possible.

that's it. hope you're well. more about the bike move soon