One of My Favorite Things: Royal Enfield Bullet

Folks, this is the bike I got just last summer. They build these things in India, but the company that originally produced them came from Great Britain. This one is in classic black, with lots of chrome and polished metal. It's a pretty small bike really, weighing in at just under 400 pounds, but you've got to remember that it's made for wrangling your way through the Himalayas on winding dirt roads. And, it sounds almost as good as it looks. It's a single cylinder, 500cc, THUMPER!

Up until 1947, Great Britain owned India. After India won its independence, lots of cool British stuff got left behind - like the Royal Enfield motor cycle factory. After the Brits left, and the Royal Enfield Company in England went bankrupt, Indian businessmen took the factory over and just kept on making the exact same bikes - to this day. At first, they built the bikes for the Indian Army, and you can still buy all-green military versions of the Bullet.

So while my bike is brand new, it's important to realize that it's a actually a 'brand new' 1950 motorcycle! After it's finished being broken in (in about another 250 miles), the top speed will be 75 mph, and it'll get around 72 miles per gallon. You can find out more about these time machines at http://www.royalenfield.com .

I'd always wanted one of these beauties, because when I was a kid I lived in southeast Asia. My dad was a civil engineer, and we got to travel extensively throughout the region. On a trip when I was 14, we visited Bangalore, in India, and a friend of ours who lived there and owned a Bullet, took me for rides around the city.

Oh, until my bike's broken in, look for me cruising along at around 36mph. Don't worry, I'll be pulling over to let you past!

Book Review: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie

Sherman Alexie's book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, made me laugh and cry (well I don't really cry, not since my black lab, Mo, died anyway). A poignant personal narrative, loosely based on the author's own life, the story focuses on the life of Junior, a Spokane Indian growing up on the reservation, or rez.

Junior is typical of kids on the rez in that he has to deal with a lot of violence and alcoholism. He was born with a brain defect that left him with a chip on his shoulder, and a creative turn of mind; Junior wants to grow up to be a cartoonist, and the book is full creative and humorous drawings.

He quickly learns that for many, staying on the rez can be a death-sentence, so he decides to attend an off-rez public school, full of white farm kids. He encounters and overcomes racism and his own insecurities to become a star basketball player, and one of the most popular kids at the school.

This book appealed to me for a number of reasons. I love stories about real people surviving and thriving in the real world - which is messy! Many of the personal trials and challenges described in the book are the same as those going on behind closed doors in our own neighborhoods, or even in our own homes. Also, the story takes place in eastern Washington, where I went to college at Washington State University, so it was easy for me to visualize.

I loved the book and fully recommend it, but that recommendation comes with a warning; the book contains lots of sexual references and violence. Alexie didn't pull any punches when it came to describing just how brutal real life on the reservation can be, so make sure to check with your parents before reading this book.

Cover art from http://www.fallsapart.com/truediary.htm