Where am I after four weeks of Spanish
crash courses at Ensenada following the
study of the hundred lessons and four
audio CD of the Assimil method?
The Assimil method of Spanish, is dense
and humorous, but the progression is very
even too fast, personal judgment. The most
important reproach that I make it relate
to the repetition of the lessons, only the
first 13 are recorded twice, saving of
space! Moreover it is
impossible to copy the CD's. Then the
lessons accelerates for sometimes
being not easily comprehensible.
Admittedly elocution is representative of
the rate of the current speech.
But
for a advanced age and a audio-phonic
wearing of prosthesis one, the challenge
becomes real. I tried it and, as I am been
obstinate, I persisted with crash
courses.
The Center of Languages in
Ensenada is one of the many schools of
languages in the city. It is specialized
in the training of Spanish intended for
the English-speaking North-Americans. The
method of the school is founded on the
principle of repetition of grammatical
structures, exercises and ludic games for
relaxation. The professor was very
professional. At the end of four hours I
was exhausted, I returned to California
RV-Park to have rest and take again Spanish
in the end of the day.
Far from the
self-mockery but I specify, if need be,
that I speak broken English. For
exonerating me
I came to listen to a video
of the weekly magazine “L'Express” on the
Net: “The French presidents and English, a
exercise of style”, matched comment, “the
result is exotic”. French has a real
problem with the training of the foreign
languages. For the analysis of causes I
return surfer to the Net to the Tomatis
Method.
But finally what does it
remain about it? Difficult to say, in fine
the training of a language can be
summarized by the formula:
to practice,
practice, practice. All the methods recall
it to satiety. It is besides the intuitive or congenital
method of young children
with the listening to the parents, one
needs to Communicate.
On Monday, February 11 at 06:00 am I left California RV-Park, Ensenada, Baja California. Thus I returned to the USA to try find Michelin tires new and/or occasion or substitutes. After an army control then three tolls I arrived at Tijuana around 08:00 am. Alas it took more than two hours to traverse the last two kilometers to reach the border, where US controls are meticulous. I paid the six dollars for the visa after having left my digital fingerprints, the ten fingers, and my portrait. I left the frontier zone around 11:00 am.
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| US border | |
I entered the TCI #866 enclosure, Michelin tires dealer , in Irvine, CA, around 02:00 pm, that is to say eight hours for 300 km. Divine surprised expected me, there were eight Michelin tires 14.00R20XZL at Lancaster store, TX. The devil had been exorcized. Thus, one of variations of the Murphy's law is checked: “The worst is never certain”. Consequently I threw the last three tires 14.00R20XL ex-military to the nettles and I reserved six new Michelin tires 14.00R20XZL, four goes up and two in spare. Indeed the two current spare tires have +51.000km and are very worn. Thus I could go as far as South America and buy two other tires to supplement both spare, if necessary. I took go for the next morning in order to ensure me of their real availability and to know the delivery date. I established my bivouac in Newport Dunes RV-Park as previously.
On Tuesday morning I met Michael, the “territory account to manage” TCI, after discussion he promised to send an e-mail in the morning to give me the date of arrival of the tires at the Irvine TCI store. Waiting started again, it is a question usual… Indeed the experiment of Beasley in Houston in July 2012 and TCI#866 in January 2013 encourages me with circumspection. As long as I will not have the delivery date and the tracking number I will not be sure of their real availability. Of course the day occurred without I received a message from TCI #866.
On Thursday, February 14 I received an e-mail from Michael announcing that the tires would be delivered on Tuesday the 19th, to follow... But on Monday 18th an new e-mail told me: "the delivery of the tires has been delayed" to follow... A new e-mail on Thursday 21st told me the tires will be delivered & installed on Friday 22th to follow...
I had appointment at 2 pm on Friday, February 22 to install the six Michelin new tires 14.00R20XZL.
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The rims R20" pose a real problem to find
Michelin tires or others. I slaved away in
India and especially in North America
where the American army reserves all the
tires XZL/XML and Michelin of course
privileges such a customer to the
detriment of the rare private customers. I
used ex-military used tires XL with
detrimental incidents. I misadvise it
although it is an worse-with-outward
journey in the event of urgency.
In the
Michelin Truck Tire catalog, data
book March 2012, I discovered that there
exists a kind of tire XZA 4 for rim R20"
and a kind XZL for rim "conventional 22.5"
commercial size", 425/65/R22.5 XZL &
445/65R22.5 XZL. Alas I nowhere did
find information concerning the use of
these sizes and the Michelin salesman
TCI #866 at Irvine, CA, was not of any
help.
At all events the rims R20″
with of Michelin XZL are not the best
choice to go round the world both for mileage
& cost. My experiment in solo on the bad
roads in Asia as well on the gravel-roads
in
Australia and North America does not
justify to in no case off-road tires.
Moreover road-trains as well Australian as
North-American use conventional 22.5" tires.
Finally the rims R20" and tires XZL are
to play leapfrog in the sand dunes, cf the
Rallye Paris-Dakar.
A solution
would be to have two sizes of rim R20" &
R22.5" and to organize the world trip
by continent with return to the base camp
to change the size of the wheels. But
it would be necessary to make the dead end
on the deserts in S.AM and Asia which
are not however advisable in solo. Another
solution would be to remain in R20" and
to make tires send by
Vrakking when
necessary. Finally it is necessary to keep
in mind that the approval of the truck is
made with a size of rim and tires, cf
“Le barré rouge” form.
All is
question of personal appreciation,
organization and financial choice.
This reflection is part of a future
document “Of the use of a truck for a
round world tour in solo and uninterrupted”.
Some time ago I had sent an e-mail to
Michelin Mexico. I received on February
14th, 2013 an answer of the type, I love
you neither am I. Here the original to be
translated by the Net surfer using Google
or other:
"...Hola Guy,
Gracias por su correo electrónico e
interés en los neumáticos Michelin, con
gran placer recibimos la oportunidad de
servirle.
Lamentablemente las llantas Michelin XZL
14.00R20 no son distribuidas en México.
Sin embargo, le recomendamos contactar a
un distribuidor autorizado Michelin en USA
para asistencia y disponibilidad de las
llantas que usted requiere.
Por favor visite nuestra página web
www.michelintruck.com y le sugerimos
utilizar la herramienta distribuidores
para asistencia con las llantas que usted
requiere.
Nuestro objetivo es asegurar que su
problema se ha resuelto o le hemos
respondido satisfactoriamente a la
pregunta que nos realizó. Si desea obtener
más ayuda, por favor, responda a este
mensaje o llámenos al 001-800-487-0427
(llamada sin costo para México) o
1-800-847-3435 (llamada sin costo para
EE.UU.) horarios de 7 a.m. a 3:30 p.m.
lunes a viernes hora Central.
Atentamente,
Roberto
Departamento de Atención al Consumidor
Experto Certificado en Productos Michelin..."
This answer justified a posteriori my decision to go back to the USA to try & find Michelin tires 14.00R20XZL. Phew, honor was intact.
