Left or right? Slow down or speed up?
These are the questions I keep asking myself as I make my way to school on my bike. Today when a bicycle-cart pulls out in front of me from a side street, I think that I can quickly pass it on the left- that is, until in my peripheral vision I notice a giant blue mass closing in on me from the left, fast. I slow down and the bus misses both me and the bicycle-cart by maybe a foot as it comes across from the left lane to the sidewalk and makes a stop. After braking and cutting a sharp turn left and around the back of it, I'm looking up for the next vehicle or person that may come at me from any direction (including straight ahead, even though I'm on the right side of the street).
This game of weaving through buses, bicycles, motorbikes, carts and pedestrians is one of many things now made possible by the warm weather. Though it took longer in coming than I'm used to, spring has come and already pretty much turned into summer, and this place almost seems like a different city. Bicycles are out in force, food tents, tables and stools have sprung up on streets and sidewalks, men's t-shirts are often rolled up (or not employed at all), and jianzis are flying on every other street corner.
Speaking of my new favorite sport, playing jianzi's been a great way to make Chinese friends. Many times I've been asked to join people who are playing, or have had strangers come up and join us who were playing, and by the end of the night we're laughing and talking (or trying to talk) like we're old buddies. Just last Thursday night an American friend and I played with some people who invited us to join them, and as we were leaving they kept trying to get us to promise that we'd be back the next night, saying, "We're friends now! You need to come play with us every day!" Unfortunately, I don't have the kind of time to make those commitments. Speaking of not having time, I have two more classes to teach soon, so I'd better get back to preparing.
P.S. I haven't shaved for a little over a month, and generally, the reaction to a beard has just been mild surprise or a few extra stares. But Nick, my Korean-American classmate who is in his 60s, was talking to me after class a few days ago, and said,
"Mike, I don't know if you'll like to hear this, but I've been thinking it for a few days."
"Sure, go ahead." I reply.
"You know, you really look a lot like General Lee."
"Robert E. Lee?"
"Yes."
Sorry there's no photo, my camera recently passed on. It will be missed.
