Day 10: Facing the Illusive Om Glenn

April 12th, 2011

Days Left to Journey: 47 Days

Training km Cycled: 20 km

Going All In.

It was like waiting for the river (the last card dealt in Texas Hold 'em Poker) to complete a straight flush. That's 649,739:1 odds. Yes, it felt that intense.

Checklist of Tasks that Must Be Completed Before Going on a Cycling Tour to Jepara, Central Java:

1. Show up at the right moment to be invited to the follow along on the tour.
2. Get time off from teaching.
3. Have the tour fall in the middle of National Exam week when I have vacation.
4. Borrow a bike.
5. Get slicker tires for the bike and change the tires.
6. Fix the broken chain.
7. Borrow panniers rack.
8. Attach the panniers rack.
9. Borrow panniers.
10. Borrow a helmet.
11. Hope that the tour will have a day off near the city of Tasikmalaya so I can fulfill an obligation to speak to teachers at the Siliwangi University.
12. Get approval from the coach, Om Glen.

1-11 Check! 12... not yet.

After teaching, I packed up all my things and headed off to the Jakarta Bike2Work office to wait for this Glenn. I arrived at 2pm. He was supposed to come by around 4pm, then it changed to 6pm, then to 8pm. Finally, I was told that he wasn't going to come and that I should go see him at his hotel. I never met this man and now I'm going to his hotel room to ask permission to follow along 600km with his team who have been training together for 2 months?

The Sale.

I came up with a whole speech about how I could be useful and wouldn't be a burden. When I finally met the man I gave him my spiel and assurances. Rather confidently and recklessly I assured him I could get back on my own if there was a problem. He said, "Yes!". I know that sounds like a marriage proposal, but in a way I was just as excited. I rushed back to finish putting my bike together and tried to sleep at 1am on a hard floor.