Friday, August 27, 2010

Hong Kong Chronicles: A New Installment for my Future Book, "Memoirs of a Klutz"

It is important to have read this post to understand some of the things I will describe:

Swinging Like a Monkey

The double-decker buses have narrow, steep, circular stairways that go up and down. I had a friend with me and we were sitting on the top deck of the bus. Unfortunately, I realized we needed to get off the bus at the next stop. There is ideal timing for ascent and descent of the steps and they should be between the major lurches (Stop Lurch and Start Lurch). I started down the stairs in the Start Lurch where the bus has just spit out passengers and the driver basically stomps on the gas to get back into traffic. One thing I did do (learned the hard way) before I go down the stairs, is adjust my two bags so the straps are firmly on my shoulder and tightly clutched under my arms. I also employed my Four Point Death Grip going down. The stairs face backward on the bus and this is what posed the problem for me because I started down the steps just as the bus was heaving forward. My feet came off the steps and I was basically swinging like a monkey from the railings until the bus settled into it's driving rhythm and my feet swung back to the stairs.

5 comments:

  1. I love it! : ) Especially the expression "swinging like a monkey!" I can so relate...sometime I will have to share my experiences on the Seattle buses.

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  2. Gosh, it's so lucky that you were hanging on so well, Jenn! :-) You write very comically and your post certainly made me smile but only cos I know that you're OK (I'm assuming you're not in plaster or traction ...?!)

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  3. Sue - not to worry...I've been a klutz for ***mumble, muble*** years and still haven't broken anything. A fellow klutz claims we have coping mechanisms (like the Four Point Death Grip) that offset the disasters. Oh, and I don't participate in anything insane (for a klutz) like, um, downhill skiing, etc.

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  4. Oh I can so see myself doing that. Hope you are okay.

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  5. I'm just fine...not even an ego bruise...just another story to tell. ;-)

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