Traffic

I realized the other day that it had been quite a while since I had updated the blog. Things here in China are really picking up and I am constantly doing something! My day-to-day life consists of teaching... (EVERYDAY of the week), tracking down western commodities, practicing yoga and extremely long dinners.

Traffic is going to be the focus of this current update since it was a very hectic and sad week due to traffic reasons.

I am the proud owner of a three-generation hand-me-down bike. It has a basket, a bell that doesn’t quite work and several ribbons donning the blue random brand bike. The ribbons I have been told are good luck and I should not take them off. Any luck I can get while out on my bike is welcomed with open arms. I love riding my bike and it's the most convenient way of getting around the city. One other advantage is not having to use my limited Chinese. So my bike is a way of avoiding using my limited Chinese skills. The video above is taken on the corner of one of the streets I ride home on. It gives you a great idea of how crazy the bike/scooter/walking/bus/car/truck traffic is. For the most part, riding around on my bike is very safe. But...(Disclaimer: terrible story coming up...)

Tragically, I did see a fatal accident the other night on my way to the grocery store. I arrived just seconds after the woman was hit by a motorized scooter. I saw her mangled body on the ground and a few people around trying to help. I didn't want to gawk so I did my shopping and 20 min later when I came out she was in the same position. No paramedics or police yet. They came screaming around the corner soon there after though. As I was unlocking my bike and noticed the paramedics covering her with a sheet and putting her into the van. I imagined they would leave straight away for the hospital if she were alive... However, they stayed at the scene. I hurried to get away cause I felt like I was going to vomit from the thought of being so close to the situation.

Alright, story over...

Needless to say, I am slowing down and being really cautious when riding. If I'm not on my bike I am usually on the bus. (Again, avoidance of using Chinese.) I can get pretty much anywhere I want on a bus and I think I have a much better grasp of the city because I know the bus routes.

The buses are generally very crowded; it's only 1yuan to ride the bus. It's a very bumpy, jerky, stop and go ride. Sometimes it's fun to pretend I'm surfing to pass the time since many of them are pretty slow. Actually as this is being written I am sitting on a jam-packed bus coming back from school.

And a last resort... Cab. Cabs are insane! Every one of our students wear glasses, yet, you will never see a cab driver wearing glasses. Which might be why they seem to speed around with a sense of reckless abandonment! There is a rare occasion where I don't need to grab the window or bars from the backseat. Not only the driving is crazy, but also cab drivers tend to have their own cab driver dialect.

Many times do not read characters or pinyin and refuse to listen when you speak or have someone on the phone help you. There have been many times where I have no idea where I am and end up saying "ting zheli" -stop here- getting out and finding another cab. Younger cab drivers usually are more helpful when trying to speak and they are more likely to be able to read.

Speaking of riding in a cab… I'll leave you with a conversation that happened in a Senior (13-15yr old students)...

There is a statue of Mao in a square in the heart of Fuzhou. He is raising his arm straightforward –saluting Hitler style–. Thinking that it might be a conversation starter the question was asked: “Who is that person?” The senior student said, “I have no idea, but he has been trying to catch a cab for a long time!”