The Shogun

To commence this post I would first like to announce that the fraudulant waiter was successful. I have now worked three days and was somehow assigned to train a newbee today! While the first day of work was a virtual hell, I have subsequently caught on to the pace of hospitality.

But then what does this have to do with a bike...or more importantly "The Shogun?" Well, nothing, its just an update.















The story of the shogun begins last Sunday when I decided that it was necessary that I find a bike. Having called the cheapest (or so I was told) bike store in Melbourne, I was dissapointed to find out that their cheapest bike was over 150 Aus dollars. The owner however was kind enough to direct me towards "what I was looking for." I guess this was going to be the cheapest bike store in Melbourne.

Thus I hopped on a tram - and yes I have forgotten to mention this but Melbourne is a city of trams and environmentalism - north. With limited directions besides "Ceres Park," which no one seemed to recognize I found myself playing the tourist holding a map upside down yelling through the glass to the tram driver. It was certainly much farther than I had anticipated.

To make a long and confusing trip brief, I stumbled upon what appeared to be a forest in the middle of the city Melbourne. Outside the park was a gyspy van offering interesting services, and as I walked into the park one could find alternative energy sources (solar panel fields, wind turbines etc...) on one side, and environmentally friendly housing on the other. It kind of looked like hippies living in the shire - I think that evokes the right image.

In any case I eventually found the cheapest bike store. It was really more a dump with tools for reparation. The way it worked was that you choose a frame, you ask a price which depends on the time it will take to repair the bike into working condition, and then proceed to demantle surrounding bikes to try and make your own bike semi-road worthy. I chose the Shogun...and now I have a bike! She was a little pricy with her v-brakes and mostly sealed inner tubes, but she runs like a top - kinda. I did however forget to mount a chain guard and so I have already completely destroyed a pair of pants (even too bad for my infamous jean repair skills).

Thus I now have a bike, used primarily for arriving to class late and going to work. I'm quite impressed with myself - quite the find.

All best,

Miss you all,

Jordan