~Mark Twain
A Brief Moment of Silence, Please
I will miss ol' blue. We had some good times cruising through the crowded streets together. You really bond with a piece of machinery when you're constantly escaping certain death because the brakes don't work at all.
However, my brakeless days ended last week. And I have no one to blame but myself.
Michael and I went biking and, coming to an unfamiliar part of West Lake, began following signs to a "Longjing Park". Thinking the park was just around the next bend, we followed sign after sign. But the incline became more steep and the going more strenuous, and we biked higher and higher.
The park turned out to be on the top of one of Hangzhou's mountains. But of course, having invested our time and pride into the venture, we sweated it out to the top.
The strain had been too great. On the return trip, the bike literally began falling apart. Links in the chain had begun to split; the wire to the back brake snapped (not that it really worked anyway). We had to stop by a bike paramedic to jury rig the poor girl enough to get me home.
I ran in my apartment to get something for Michael and left her propped up outside. Exhausted, I forgot that she was out there. First abuse, now neglect. She left me for another man.
Bikes in China
Yes, there are bikes everywhere. Most streets are divided into at least four sections: two car lanes separated by a divider or island (which can be very long, making U-turns difficult) flanked on each side by bike lanes (shared by buses when they stop for pick up) which are in turn flanked by wide sidewalks.
Cabs are more expensive in Hangzhou than other cities, and the buses here are overcrowded. Unless your destination is far away, going by bike is your best bet.
Since a lot of Chinese cuisine is fried (and if you think all they eat is rice, you are mistaken), I initially supposed the "secret" behind their skinniness lay in their daily excercise through biking. Perhaps not. Most of the bikes seem to be motorized, half-moped jobbies.
Folding bikes are very popular as well - small, expandable bikes that provide a different feeling ride (turns out I don't like them much) but require little storage space. But there are still the traditional bikes around - like my ol' blue, and now my rusted grey wonder. I wonder what some of these bikes' stories would be, if they could talk. Many have been raised from the dead several times it seems.
I have witnessed a change in traffic patterns in Hangzhou just in the two months I have been here. When I first arrived, everyone - bikers and walkers - would venture out between lanes and moving traffic whenever there was a brief opening. The city has now begun a new campaign, stationing policeman at intersections at peak times (who issue jaywalking citations) and line guards who enforce that bikers stick to their lanes, proper moving direction, and wait their turn behind designated lines. The campaign actually seems to be working - even during times where no guard is present, the jaywalking has significantly dropped.
I really am in love with China, so it is only fitting that biking - one of my favorite things to do - would be such a common mode of transportation.
Listening Pictures Can Tell - More Than That, Taking Back Sunday - New American Classic
Wanting More tunes. I didn't bring enough of my library. Suggestions or songs would be greatly appreciated.