This Blog is My Outlet

I would like to be blatantly honest with what I post online...

Sadly, however, I'm not very comfortable in my own skin. I'm very sensitive and I need to be emotionally prepared when somebody gives me either positive or negative feedback.

That's why I've set up a completely separate online account... a completely separate persona beneath a motorcycle helmet - Kai, The Lady Rider. 

I've always wanted to create a blog about my good and bad moments just so I could document them and come back to them after some time to see how much I've grown and what I had to go through. Actually, I already started this kind of thing when I was thirteen years old. I had a diary. It's still with me up to now but I don't write on it too often these days. It's more of a treasure now.

Perhaps I could help other people out, as well. I don't know. I just wanna do it. That's why I'm staying anonymous. Well, not fully anonymous, though. I post a lot of pictures in Google, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Surely, someone will recognize me someday. For now, I'd just like to get off my usual circle, explore the digital world, and be fully open about my thoughts, opinions and experiences.

Rider Ka Ba Talaga???

(My thoughts back in March 2017...)

Tanong ko yan sa sarili ko more than anyone else.

Sa totoo lang kasi antagal kong natigil sa pagmomotor (like... more than 6 months. T^T) tapos ngayon si Skywalker ang gumagamit eh si Daddy. Mas naging useful pa ngayon yung motor ko sa tatay ko kesa sakin.

Napapatanong ako sa sarili ko kung rider ba talaga ako o hindi kasi nga antagal ko natigil. Na-engganyo lang ba talaga ako ng pinsan ko? Dahil ba sa pagkakaroon ng boyfriend kaya ako nawalan ako ng oras sa pagmomotor? Sobrang duwag ko ba talaga sa kalsada? Ano raw bang ikinakatakot ko? Sabi pa ng boyfriend ko bakit daw ba ako kumuha ng motor in the first place kung talagang hindi ko pa kayang harapin yung takot ko?

Ewan... Hindi ko alam kung dahil dito pero kasi nga po... sa sobrang pagka-overthinker ko... Nasa-stuck ako sa buhay. Kung tutuusin napaka-ikling oras lang sana para gumaling ako sa pagmomotor pero instead, na-stuck up ako ng ilang buwan dahil sa sobrang kaka-overthink kapag niyayaya akong mag-ride nina Kuya. Gusto kong masunod yung kahilingan ko na mag-ride kami sa isang village. Kumbaga, sanayin ko muna yung sarili ko na gamitin yung motor ko bago ako sumabak sa kalsada. Minsan din naman naiisip kong lumabas sa kalye mag-isa. Andaming beses ko nang naisip pero hindi ko pa rin yan nagawa. Ewan ko ba.

Rusi Gremlin / Mojo / Korak Parts List

Hey Guys. :)

I haven't had any posts in a while so I'm posting something useful. Hehe...

Rusi (and other China-made motorcycles) are a big hit here in the Philippines. They're affordable and have good quality (believe you me). Hehehe... 

Spare parts from the manufacturer are okay but to be honest, they're a bit more expensive (brand new) than spares for other motorcycle brands (brand new / 2nd hand). Some parts are compatible anyways and it's important to note that a lot of us here live off second-hand parts from other people. XD

Well... motorcycle parts are indeed "standard" but we wanna get the most bang out of our buck right? Hehe. Cheapest we could find for the best possible quality. :P

I ain't much of a motorcycle junkie so... to make my/our lives a bit easier...

... here's a list of Rusi Gremlin / Mojo / Korak spare parts equivalent (other models and information may be included) from other brands:

(Disclaimer!!! My rider friends just found this list as a comment from the Facebook group RUSI Bike nation)

Battery - 4L / 5L

Brake Caliper (Front) - Honda Wave 100

Brake Caliper (Rear) - Honda XRM 125 / Suzuki Raider 150

Brake Shoe (Rusi Rango) - Honda TMX

CDI - Lifan 110

Clutch Cable - Suzuki Shogun Pro (adjustment needed) / Lifan 110 (no adjustment needed)

Clutch Lining - Honda Dream

Clutch Arm Spring - Honda Wave

Front Brake Pad - Honda Wave 125

Front Caliper Cover - Yamaha Mio

Headlight Bulb Size - H4

Lever - Suzuki Raide 150 (clutch side needs grinding)

Oil Cap - Yamaha Mio

Pipe - Honda Wave 100

Rear Hub Rubber Damper - Honda Wave 125

Rear Brake Pad - Kawasaki Wind 125

Rear Brake Master - Shogun

Rear Set - Honda XRM Trinity

Rotor Disc (Front, 220mm) - Yamaha Nouvo / Yamaha Mio

Rotor Disc (Rear, 190mm) - Yamaha Mio (Disc diameter is a bit smaller, uneven wearing of pads)

Rear Shock - Kawasaki Fury 250mm (stock height) / Yamaha Sniper 240mm (lowered height)

Spark Plug - Yamaha Mio (short)

Sprocket - Honda XRM / Honda Wave 428

Throttle Cable - Suzuki Shogun Pro / Honda Wave100 (adjustment needed)


... Hope this helps. Just keeping this here for you and me. :) ...

Meet Skywalker (Rusi Korak Limited Edition)

Hey guys! I missed you! Haha! I haven't blogged in a while now. A month, was it? Shit.

Anyway, I'd like you all to meet my baby. His name is Skywalker -- that's another thing about me; I'm a Star Wars nerd. He's the black motorcycle on the picture below.

Skywalker (black) and his twin sister, Chuchay (white)

Skywalker's Specifications 

(or at least those that I currently understand)

I'm not really into specifications and all the technicalities. Don't expect too much. I'll probably update the specs as soon as I understand them. I have to understand them if I want to save up on minor repairs. Just sharing these things for my and other riders' benefit. These are just bits of wisdom that I got from the user manual, from the dealership, and my friends:

Brand: Rusi (Official website: http://rusimc.com/)

A little interruption here... I don't even know why they put up this website. It doesn't contain anything practically useful, believe me. Their facebook pages (yes, pages) are more reliable but I won't write about that in this blog. I'll create another one dedicated to Rusi motorcycles. 

Model: Korak Limited Edition

Displacement (cc): 110

Fuel: Premium Gasoline, 98 Octane Rating  

(This was just my choice. The sales personnel from the dealership told me we could use any gasoline type)

Fuel System: Carburetor

Gear Shift Pattern: N-1-2-3-4 

(rotary -- one more click down from 4 and it goes back to neutral)

Starting System: Push/Electric and Kick Start

Suspension (Front): Telescopic Fork

Suspension (Rear): Mono Shock

Tire Pressure (Front): 28 psi

(acquired knowledge from other Rusi mini-bike users)

Tire Pressure (Rear): 30 psi

(acquired knowledge from other Rusi mini-bike users)

Transmission: Manual (also available in semi-Automatic)

Price (straight cash): Php45,000 

(as of July 21, 2017)

Price (Installment - 2 years): Downpayment - Php5,000 | Monthly: 2,575

(less Php300 if paid early)

Price (Installment - 3 years): Downpayment - Php5,000 | Monthly: Php1,945 

(less Php300 if paid early)

IMPORTANT!!! Hazard switch is not available for this bike. My nephew helped me tap a hazard switch on the signal lights. Oopss... Sorry, Rusi. Haha! XD

So far, those are the things that I know about my bike. Not a lot, I know. Still learning. Lady Rider in waiting... :P

Update on Me and Skywalker

Skywalker is mostly in our garage and I rarely get to use him. My dad and my brother are the ones who take Skywalker out for a ride. I'm not even sure if we're done with his "break-in." His twin sister Chuchay already has lots of mileage. Well, my nephew (Chuchay's owner) is already an experienced rider. I'm so proud of him, already riding for two years. :)

Right now, I'm practicing control of my clutch on first gear; managing those small tight spaces in our garage with all other cars parked on the side. That exercise is still very helpful because riding here in the Philippines is pure insanity. You never know when an accident might occur. It's best to know what to do in every type of situation - small tight spaces included.

It's a little sad but I can't take Skywalker out just yet. I've only been riding motorcycles for five months and I've only had experience with manual transmission when I bought him. So that's about three weeks of experience with manual. 

Questions and Apprehensions About My Motorcycle Choice

Since I got my motorcycle, many people have been bombarding me with questions and apprehensions. I have my reasons for not getting a semi-automatic (as advised by my cousin). I'll write about them in another blog. Those reasons are probably products of overthinking and my background on occupational health and safety. Those reasons need a blog of their own. With that, I want to bring Skywalker to Cavite where I can religiously practice every weekend. My dad doesn't like this idea and he says I can just practice in Antipolo on the highway in front of our gate. HIGHWAY. Marcos HIGHWAY where there are lots of crazy-ass pedestrians and motorcyclists who counterflow when traffic is heavy.

Meanwhile, my cousin likes the Cavite idea since I'm still in the process of building my confidence on riding. One thing he has commented on is Skywalker's transmission. Hehe. He asked why I hadn't gotten a semi-automatic motorcycle. He has insight about my reasons but I've yet to explain to him. I hope he reads my blog.

With that, I'd like to point out that it's not really about what people say that matters to me. It's about how much I trust myself to ride. I sincerely appreciate these questions and apprehensions since a lot of my family members already had catastrophic accidents including my own dear little sister. Well, not little per se, she's already 24. But the accident was so catastrophic and life-changing to the point where my parents almost denounced us when she found out that all of her children are still involved in motorcycling. I understand that they don't want those accidents to happen again.

So for now, I'll do what I want. I'll ask my cousin to help me bring Skywalker to Cavite and I'll practice there. I love my cousin so much, he's so supportive about my decisions and the reasons behind them but he's still protective of the Lady Riders in his bike group. I mean, he's the one who got me into this in the first place. Haha! XD

For now, I'll leave you with that update. Let's hope the next blog comes out earlier. :P

Kelan Kaya Ako Makakakuha ng Motor? XD

Masaya ako para sa kapatid ko kasi nakakuha na siya ng motor. Hehe. Rusi SSX 200. Unlike before, hindi naman ako nakakaramdam ng inggit ngayon. Pangit pakinggan pero sa totoo lang andami ko nang kina-inggit sa baby brother ko. Hehe. Yung computer shop business na sinuportahan siya, nung tinuruan siya mag-drive ni Daddy, tapos ngayon sinamahan at pinayagan siya kumuha ni Daddy ng motor. Masaya ako para sa kapatid ko and advantageous din yun para sakin kasi makakapag-practice muna ako sa manual bago ako kumuha ng sarili kong motor. Bwahahahaha!!! XD

Pero bigla rin akong napatanong, kelan kaya ako kukuha ng sarili kong motor? Umpisa pa lang ng April and up til now excited talaga akong kumuha ng motor. Dumating nga sa point na sumama ang loob ko kay Daddy at nasabihan akong balat-sibuyas dahil sa mga pag-uusap namin about the dangers of motorcycling.

So ayun, I really couldn't say that my financial status is holding me back kasi kaya ko naman talagang gawan ng paraan na magka-pera. Medyo sa-id ako ngayon. Anak ng tokwa Taxi kasi ako ng taxi recently dahil sa 6AM shift ko. It's probably because masyado akong nasanay na nakiki-angkas sa mga naka-motor and it takes me a very short amount of time to get to work. Tsaka hindi ko alam, baka gusto ko yung convenience ng motor in terms of time kaya kahit napapa-taxi ako okay (?) lang kasi umalis ako sa bahay ng walang allowance, makakaabot ako.

Is it the thought that I should put my life in order before I get my own motorcycle? Or procrastination? What is it that holds me back? Ewan. Grabe ko ka-overthinker noh? Pero sige, puntahan natin yang mga aspects na yan.

Financially, I'm in deep shit. Yung credit card ko Php15,000 lang naman ang limit, hindi ko mabayad bayaran. And guess what, naka-max out yun. Wala akong savings na maayos. Php1000 lang laman ng passbook ko. Pero meron naman akong life insurance with investment kahit medyo kauumpisa pa lang. Mag-iisang taon pa lang yun. And this cutoff nga, andami kong utang maliban pa sa mga loan ko. 

Bakit kaya ako nagkaganyan? Isa lang maibibigay kong sagot. Magastos talaga ako. I fucking like convenience and not working too much. Hindi ako smart sa money ko. Or at least, hindi ko pa nababago yung gusto kong baguhin sa sarili ko, which is yung pagiging magastos nga. Lagi kong excuse na I have financial responsibilities sa family pero hindi naman kasi talaga mawawala yun. Ang gusto ko talaga is mawala yung responsibilities ko para matustusan ko mga kagustuhan ko (like yung motor) kasi nga magastos ako. Sabi nila makakatipid daw ako sa pagmomotor. Really? Sa case ko ewan lang ha. If I were to use a motorcycle to go to work everyday baka pwede. Pero hindi lang naman maintenance and gas ang kailangan kong i-take into account. May parking fee pa po, mga teh. :)

Konektado yan sa habits ko eh. Hirap ayusin ng sarili lalo kapag nasanay ka sa dynamics nyo sa bahay. Not sure I gotta explain this so I won't.

So kaya ko naiisip na "ayusin" muna ang buhay ko bago ako magdagdag ng kahit ano pang pagbabago. So kung kelan ako makakakuha ng motor.. Ewan. Most likely, matagal pa.

Riding a Motorcycle Could Be The Best Possible Therapy

I honestly have no idea what I'm gonna write about today. There are so many thoughts in my head. So many thoughts that it gets to a point where I can't find the best way to organize them. So let's just go with this kind of blog, okay? The spontaneous kind where I just type and type until I get tired or sleepy.

First up, the blog schedule. I probably shouldn't have posted about that. I couldn't keep the Friday sched anyways. Writing on Fridays and Saturdays would've been nice since those are my days off from work. But it seems that Sunday (while listening to classical music) is the best time for me to write even if I'm tired from work. That's when all my thoughts spontaneously pour out. Basta. Let's just put it this way, whenever I feel like writing, I'll write. Maybe more than once a week. But right now, I'll do my best to be consistent with once a week. 

Consistency has never been my best trait, mind you. Most of the time I'm late for work. Most of the time I feel down. There are even times when I just wanna give up and shut down. I don't feel like facing my day. Whenever I feel like I have so much energy, positivity or happiness, I always fear that a great cloud of sadness and negativity will come right after. And usually that's true. 

I should probably get myself checked out by a shrink or something but I do know this. I wanna fight it. I'm always fighting it and it keeps coming back. Even without a shrink, I'm actually very blessed to have so many people around who understand me and love me. I do know that but most of the time I fail to be grateful. There's so much stimuli that could set my antics off at any given time. It's one thing to be strong because of the people who support you and love you. It's quite another story when you have to be strong on your own. That's when the struggle begins; when I'm left alone with my own thoughts.

So how do I deal with it? Well, I found a few things that keep my anxiety at bay: 

>> praying

>> writing

>> reading

>> arts

>> photography

but very recently I found that riding a motorcycle outweighs the other four (praying is an exception, of course. That's a fundamental part of my being). Why??

You see guys, I'm such a loner most of the time to the point where I feel like I have my own little world inside my head. And to say that it's not good at all is an understatement. My best friend and I talked about me putting more time and effort to "get out there" and make more friends, socialize and possibly get a boyfriend or something, but the truth is, there are just times when interacting with people tires me a lot. I don't know why my brain and my heart is wired in such a manner. God must have a reason for this. I just don't know. And there is a danger to this. The danger of amplifying my anxiety, depression and overthinking.

Writing, Reading, Arts, and Photography all take my mind off the challenges and sometimes monotony of daily life. But my goodness, let me tell you this, riding a motorcycle outweighs them all.

1.) Riding keeps me focused. I like how riding forces me to be consistent with all that I do.  It's like a mini-training or a mini-exercise for my mental strength. Moving forward, I'll be riding out in public roads, most of the time. For sure, I'll soon be interacting with other riders, cars, pedestrians and crazy-ass roads. For sure there will be A LOT of stimuli that could set me off. But despite these things, I have to remain focused. Otherwise, I'll crash. I don't want that to happen.

2.) Riding is a bit counter-intuitive. I've had so many fails when I first learned how to ride. From the video, "Twist of the Wrist" by Keith Code, he describes what we call Survival Reactions or SRs. They're the most natural things a person would do if one panics while riding a motorcycle. They're "natural reactions" that are supposedly there to help me "survive" but, in truth, they can get me killed on a motorcycle. My mind has to remain sharp and alert if an emergency happens. In other words, I have to "counter" these SRs in case I experience an emergency.

Let me give an example for this one: 

As defined in this blog (link), "a whiskey throttle is what happens when a rider loses control, panics and loses even more control resulting in sometimes serious injury but at best hilarious moments." By God, it is not hilarious at all. It was fucking scary when I first experienced that. Not to mention I had a death grip on my front brake. So what's the best thing to do, then? Let go of the throttle, my brother told me. Or if I REALLY panic, hit the emergency off switch. Now isn't that counter-intuitive... What I naturally did was to hold on to the handle bars but that would've gotten me hurt if the situation had escalated even more. Kind of like fighting my nature, right? Anxiety, depression, overthinking... My mind has to stay sharp all the time.

3.) Riding is a real-world activity with real-world consequences. Unlike my other hobbies, I feel like I'm interacting with the real-world when I'm out riding. My arms felt like spaghetti after that whiskey throttle experience. I shook so badly but my brother and my guy-friend were so understanding that they didn't let me ride any further that day.

Another day, I was so tired that I fell from my cousin's bike and landed on my left side even before I had the chance to actually ride the bike. I had so much confidence in my skills but apparently, it wasn't enough yet. He ended up riding with me, coaching me throughout the session. 

On another day, cyclists scolded me to keep to the side while I was practicing since they needed to practice, as well. And what did I do? Did I stop riding? Did I hold on to my usually-sensitive, thin-skinned self and let those experiences/comments get to me? No. I picked myself up, did what I had to do to become a better rider.

Oh and another one of the real-world perks? I got to make new friends and I nourished my relationship with the old ones. All of them were so supportive while I was still learning how to ride. They're more like brothers and sisters to me now. That actually feels good. Again, it gets tiring for me at some point because I'm so much of a loner. But then, a day with friends is so much better. 

4.) Riding is pure bliss. I don't think I can accurately describe in words how blissful it is to ride. I'm not even gonna talk about riding out in the country where the scenery is really pretty. That's just one of the perks of being able to ride out on your own. You can go to very picturesque places. But riding in itself is blissful. For starters, you'll feel very proud of yourself for being able to ride safely out in the streets, for being skillful enough to ride on two wheels, for putting science into action, for being more aware of your life's value, for being mentally strong despite the dangers, challenges and harsh comments from people. Pure bliss and serenity, let me tell you that.

As with my introduction up there, I don't know how to end this, too. But if there's one thing I'd like you to take away from this blog is that riding a motorcycle is possibly the best therapy out there. Go get your license, gear and motorcycle now. 

On Getting a Driver's License in the Philippines

Ang saya. Meron na'kong lisensya. Ay teka... Resibo pa lang pala yun... :)

First up, my apologies, I said my blog was supposed to be updated every Friday (GMT +8:00 Manila Time) and it's already Sunday today so.... yeah... sorry about that. XD

Anyways, I'm really anxious-excited that I can now ride on public roads. You know what, I've been procrastinating for the past three weeks for this. So here's what I did and how I probably could've done it faster had I not chickened out during the last couple of weeks:

Apply for a Student Permit

Just go to your nearest Land Transportation Office (LTO) Branch, fill up the application form, submit your requirements, pay the fee and BOOM! You get your cute, orange student permit. ^ __ ^

I say "cute" because I found myself lucky to get an actual rigid ID card that looks like a legit driver's license. Look at it!

Medyo may hugot dito because a couple of years ago it was supposedly just a piece of paper. It actually looked like ground wood and not even good quality paper. I remember when my mom was still learning how to drive she used to remind me about keeping these small pieces of government papers intact. Take care of them. They're important pieces of paper.

The significant thing to note here is you wait for a month before you can apply for a non-professional driver's license. During that month, practice your driving/motorcycling skills. Practice, practice, practice!

Apply for a Non-Professional Driver's License

So yeah, one month after I studied and practiced for the exam, I went to LTO, filled out the application form again, submitted the requirements, paid the fees and yes, I chickened out. I procrastinated. I took the written and practical exam only three weeks later.

I can't give you the exact reason why but it's probably because this whole motorcycle thing is gonna be life-changing for me. Getting my license is a turning point. Mind you, almost everyone around me are against motorcycles. Unfortunately, there's that stigma about severe injury or instant death via motorcycling. 

But lo and behold! I have my "license" now. Haha! Or... well... technically I can start riding in public roads. I'll explain on the next part.

Wait for your Driver's License (ID Card)

After I passed the exam, I paid another fee for the printed non-pro driver's license but I couldn't claim it yet. LTO personnel said I had to wait and tune in to national news about when the release will be. Apparently all those passed the exam from October 2016 - present don't have their cards yet. That's one more thing you gotta be prepared for when you're in the Philippines. Progress is excruciatingly slow. Hehehe... More so with processing government stuff. XD

So there you have it. That's my experience on getting a driver's license here in the Philippines. If you have any questions about how to apply, feel free to comment. I'll do my best to help you out. :)