Sucking up

Me like. Very much. My motto is "flattery will get you anywhere". This is what I got from future flatmate today. Keep it up, and we'll get along just fine :)

New flatmate

Seems like I'll have a new flatmate from June 1. The current one is moving on and the new one will join me about a month from now. He has no problems with me blogging about him (remember the dinner last week?) so you can expect some of my views of him later. A friend and new flatmate were here for dinner this evening. Very nice. Have a good feeling that this will turn out good. Perhaps too good? Since he asked how often he is expected to clean. Told him about Putz-Peter coming about once a month to do it all. He looked startled. And I knew exactly what he was thinking. Doesn't she clean the toilet more than once a month? The answer of course is no. I'm a clean person. And everybody who visits me is required to sit down and pee. Whass the problem?

Practice makes perfect

Also practised what I learned before. Parking coming in from 45° angle, parking alongside the bridge on the left side, on the right side, and also reversing in towards the bridge. Last one is the easiest actually. Almost like parking a car. Then we did three types of knots again. I will NEVER learn that. Today the teacher told me a story about one of the knots. Make a lake with the rope, have the frog jump out of the lake, go around a tree and then jump in the lake again. Clear as crystal? NOT.

Anchoring

Did much better in boat class today. Guess the teacher has some influence on performance, and today I had a guy who was very calm and very reassuring. I did well. And I feel so much better than yesterday. Practised anchoring today. I thought it was just to drop the anchor, and that's it. Turns out it is more to it than that. At least if you anchor at a bridge. But it went well. It's like the teacher said yesterday, women are better in estimating distances :)

Hanging

Ok, so I couldn't keep my mouth shut re the boat lessons. And especially not regarding the knots. This is what my usual place presented me with. Hmmm...

Promise

Ok, last one for a while. I am busy woman. Have to go out. And this one is not about boats. Was walking into town today in order to get to my ok boat lesson when I got an sms from the ex. He wanted to hook up for something to drink and eat. Read hangover. Fine, told him I had one hour before I needed to go. We agreed to meet up quickly. So went to Starbucks and had a too expensive coffee, and waited. And waited. And waited. Fortunately a friendgirl of a friendgirl I hadn't seen in a long time showed up unexpected. Nice chat. Ex finally calls. Ok, so the buses didn't go in the afternoon today due to demonstrations. No problem, good excuse for once. So met up really quickly in the central station before I had to go. Agreed to meet up when I got back. Told him that it wouldn't work since he never answers his sms's or calls. He promised and shook my hand. HAHAHAHAHA! Sent an sms when I was leaving boat place. This is now about 4 hours ago...and I'm still waiting for a response. Anybody wonders why we broke up?

Size matters?

When I was doing badly today I thought I might as well ask. “Are men in general better in driving boats than women?” (kinda taking the bull by the horns). The answer was to my great relief no actually the opposite. Turns out women are better in estimating distances…so why did that surprise me? Guess I just felt low at the time. I say only one thing. Zwanzig centimeter (20 cm)… PS. I know that the headline may not exactly match, but still thought it was appropriate for some reason…HAHA!

Reverse

Realize it's gonna be a lot of boat talk but since I'm living with it right now, you just have to deal with it. Today I learned that it is not ok to reverse with any speed with a boat. Apparently not good for the engine. It's only to be used for "corrections" as they call it. To adjust the location, to back out slowly or similar. On my (tiny) engine it says do not put reverse in when you are speeding forward (like I can with my boat?!?) which is fine. I can understand that. But why not if you start from standstill? I have so many questions and so few answers...

Lesson in humility

In all personality tests I've done (and there's been a few during the years) I have come out very strong on self confidence. So I guess it's a good thing that these boat lessons are teaching me a bit of humility. And not so little coming to think of it. I really don't like feeling stupid like today. It puts a lot of stress on me, and I get angry with myself which in turn causes me to be even more stressed. Over-achiever, is that the word? In theory I understand these things, to slow down and realize that all of these things are new to me and it is all right to feel stupid and be stressed at times. Just don't like the feeling of not being perfect :)

Palstek

This look easy to you? http://www.yachting-power.ch/palstek2.htm It sure doesn't to me...

Sense of direction

I am lacking this particular gene and apparently this is another thing to learn. If the inspector says I have to go back to the home harbour or any other harbour in the neighbourhood, I have to know where I'm going. Why? I always find my way back to Zürich city :) This will cause trouble since I never know where I am (you know what I mean). They always point out a building or something so you can learn. See this yellow building? Yes, and 20 more like it. See that church? Yes, and three more. That type of thing. This together with the knots will probably be my downfall. The teacher today gave me a tip. Said that four knots you really have to learn, but if the inspector thinks you did only so-so on the test he or she will probably test you on the other five knots as well. Gee, thanks. Only nine left to learn :)

Speed

Well, once out there on the lake 300m from shore you can really speed. I have no clue how fast this boat goes, but with 80 horsepowers I can tell you it's fast. And soooo cool! Unfortunately I don't think this will be part of the test. I really speeded full gas today, but since it was a bit of waves I was told to slow down. If the waves bang too much on the bottom of the boat it can do damage. Well, I'm insured and it was fun so what did I care :) PS. I did slow down, ok?

How long is a piece of string?

When you leave the harbour you must do so in a straight line out in the lake for 300m. Nothing I have experience from since I park in the middle of Zürich city, where you have to navigate through swimmers, paddle boats, canoes, rowing boats, ferries, sail boats and other motor boats. The only time I think birds are clever, because they always take a turn when you come too close. How long then is 300m on water? Well, they tell you to look at the church clock. When the clock reaches the horizon it's 300m. At least in the home harbour of this particular boat. I guess with experience you can tell, but it ain't easy I can assure you. Why straight line? After all it's water. But apparently this is important. At least for the test :)

This is the one

The boat I'm driving during the lessons. The fun part is to get out on the lake and SPEEEED :)

Manoeuvre

Another manoeuvre that went fine yesterday didn't go so well today (I wish I didn't have to change teacher every day, the one yesterday was easier to understand + she spoke a bit of English). Anyway, I had to drive towards a bridge at a 45° angle, slowly. Then go into neutral and float. A boatlength from the bridge you turn the boat so that the boat side is alongside the bridge. To do so you have to speed forward a bit after having turned the steering wheel. Then be patient (and here is always where I fail for some reason :) before you go into neutral again. Glide. And then reverse, while making sure the steering wheel is in 0° (engine must be straight). Boat in standstill. Got it? Well, today I had to do it four times before I got it right. And of course you can expect no help from other people. You must be able to do it on your own, like you were alone in the boat. I'm beginning to already dread the test...

Catastrophe

As I suspected it didn't go so well today in boat class. Yesterday I thought I was doing fine, but today was SOOOOOO difficult. Ok, there were some more waves but still. I fucked up. Several times. Almost cried when I got back. Pictures this: two buoys with about 100 m in between. I was supposed to drive towards one of them, stop 1 m before (complete standstill) and then reverse in a straight line back to the other. How difficult can it be? The answer is extremely difficult. I am used to driving with a stick from the rear of the boat. Here I'm driving with a steering wheel, and I have yet to figure out which way I need to turn for the boat to go where I want it to go. Also, to understand all commands the teacher is giving in German ain't easy. All new words. Excuses, excuses, but the truth is: I fucked up. But as Scarlett say, tomorrow is another day. And a new boat lesson :)

Vocabulary

Yesterday I learned that Steuerbord is to the right (well I knew that actually) and has a green light, whereas Backbord is consequently to the left and has a red light. Considering that the lights on my boat is out of order I had no clue. Remember the time I took it out at night without lights? Oh dear, not good. Der Bug is the front of the boat (bow) and das Heck is the back (stern). Didn't even know those words in English to be honest, had to look them up. Tried practising the knots, but oh so difficult. They don't have a proper description, just a picture of the ready-made knot. Heck (ha! pun intended) if I know what to do.

No prisoners

Yesterday when I was exercising parking the boat I was told that first time is beginners luck. Second time is pure luck. Third time it is skill. Needless to say she made me park the boat three times. Every time. It certainly is a lot to learn, but it is so much fun. Isn't it afternoon soon?

Seychelles

Spoke to a friendgirl yesterday. She has changed jobs and now work for a firm selling fish, which is far from what she did before. Ok, so she doesn't actually handle the fish herself plus this particular company has one huge advantage. They have production based in the Seychelles. She may have to travel there. The things you do for your job :)

Internationale Solidarität

Expect to hear those words on the streets of Zürich today. But don't think it'll be a huge demonstration. After all, this is Switzerland, one of the richest countries on earth. Best thing is, I will hear it from the lake. Second lesson coming up this afternoon. Hurray! But first I've gotta practice those knots :(