Living in exile

I am using a bike bequeathed to me by a former English teacher. The experience was not so bad but I did not use the bike all throughout. It took me about 15-25 minutes to bike from the office to home because I was afraid of getting into an accident. Because the people here have not agreed well on who has priority over the roads, bike lanes, and the sidewalks, I prefer to exercise extreme caution.

I was a very casual bike rider and I am not rushing even if I could. I have not used the fucking bell, unlike other riders. I really do not understand how anyone could consistently use the bell while biking, especially if one can stop or slow down or even move aside. I wonder if riders know that if you use the bell relentlessly, the informativeness of the bell goes to zero quite fast. After a while, the bell would not even have an effect.

I was also so casual that I used hand signals (except the lovely middle finger). I should keep on using hand signals until it becomes a thing. I wonder if a small action like that would have influence.

While riding my bike, the seat of my bike became loose. As a result, the seat is shifting up and down making it hard to balance. I had the seat tightened and that cost me 2 yuan. The guy at the bike repair shop commented on the lightness of the bike (was it imported or domestically produced?). I said that a colleague left it for me. I don't think he believed me. I wonder why though.

I also was stopping whenever there is a big gap (say a sidewalk and a road that do not have an incline) that could be painful in the “taint” region. I wonder how other people can manage not to feel that pain. Jesus. Is getting to the destination marginally earlier be worth the pain to your genitals? All that chafing!

One thing that really bothered me during the bike ride was another biker (who was carrying his baby in front) going down on a downward incline (about 30-45 degrees?). There were people and bikes approaching the incline. The rider had to make a decision. Step down, carry his child, and bring the bike down along the incline. Or ride the bike down the incline and hope for the best. I was worried and wanted to shout (but I am afraid I will be the fool in that situation). But I stopped my bike on the side and observed. The rider was successful. But in another world, both the rider and the baby will be injured or possibly dead by now. I wonder what goes through the mind of the rider as he does the cost-benefit calculus. How much is the rider willing to trade convenience for safety? In China, I always hear 安全第一, which means safety first. After that incident, I had a renewed sense of understanding of just how ambiguous that Chinese expression really was. I think it should be 方便第一， which means convenience first. And the word 安全 probably refers to selfish 安全. File this under things we should know better.

During my bike ride, I also encountered a marathon. There were tons of spectators. Comments ranged from “same old, same old” to “wow”. I was blasé most of the time while peripherally looking at the marathon. I often wonder why people join these marathons. In contrast, I do understand the need to walk long distances and to stumble upon sights, sounds, and smells. The only time I ran is when I have to chase something or if I need to catch an appointment. I probably can count on my fingers the number of times I have actually ran. Maybe I should read the Murakami's nonfiction on running.