Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.Dwagenheim
10-29-02, 03:54 PM
I had to hit the leftover lasagna shortly after waking up this morning. It was a delicious start to the day. I took a shower and washed away last night’s cigarette smoke stench from my body. I hate smoky bars. After fooling around on the internet, doing a load of laundry and some reading, I decided to go outside and enjoy the day. Before leaving, I gave Sara a call at the market to find out where I could meet her later on today. I got on the bike and rode the Burke-Gilman trail to Sand Point where the National Marine Fisheries Service is. I dropped in on some acquaintances from work and told them about the trip. I was reassured of my opinion that Anchorage is a far better place to work. The people in Seattle look like zombies walking around the halls. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s the sterile environment of a government office building. So I cruised over to downtown in the wonderful midday sun and arrived at Pike Place Market. I met Sara, a beautiful middle-aged woman, who was at her station in the market. She was behind her original and creative T-shirt prints. I noticed her striking blue eyes and was impressed by her youthful spirit. She told me about the ways of this original market and we also talked about our travels and experiences. After about an hour of hanging out and talking, she stated packing up shop. We headed over to Pioneer Square, an area of downtown, which is known for its lively club scene, and she showed me the African imports shop we’d be drumming at tonight. I met the owner, a nice guy from Senegal, and Sara put her Djembe in the store until our class. Meanwhile, we walked down the street to an African restaurant for some food. Sara and I ate a huge meal that included fried whole tilapia, chicken, goat, rice, fufu (like mashed potato), plantains, and black-eyed peas. We had a good conversation and ate until we were completely stuffed. We walked back over to the shop and I took a look around the inside for a while before the rest of the class started to show up. Sara put a Djembe drum in front of me and taught me some basics. I knew this would be a test of my rhythm and hand coordination. About 8 people made up the class, instructed by a tall dark man from Senegal with lots of good energy. I felt like I caught on quick as he showed us the rhythm to play before adding fun solos to it himself after we got going. Some of the rhythms were harder for me than others but overall, I felt like I learned a lot. It was a lot of fun being a part of a drum circle after being a spectator for so long. Sometimes I’d close my eyes and get into it and other times I’d have a huge grin on my face from hearing the collective beats. After the drum class, Sara took me home and we said our goodbyes. I told Kim about the experience before calling it a night. (17 miles)
Peace
Dave
Peace
Dave