aWAy

or the fiets… A city where one can cycle everywhere is a cool city… Indeed, it is. But I, as a typical portuguese, will make the other side of the story.

Where I come from there is no one who cycles to go to work. Its too hilly. Or too far. Or too hot. Sometimes is too cold. Of course this makes of the average individual one that is of an average quality cycling, especially if it is a girl that was never prone to sports, like me!

Well, here I am, in the city of the fietsen. Had quite some training in the previous year in belgium. I must say i’m not doing so bad. Already had 3 almost immediate encouters with street obstacles: a dog of a size of a small rat that was zig zagging in the fietspad (pad of the fietsen). 15 cm.  A car that turned right without checking that I actually had priority going straight. 10 cm. A pedestrian crossing the street while I was passing a red light. 30 cm. Things almost happen.

My fiets was made further south, which makes it a fancy tiny bike that needs a “french” adaptor to pump the tires. The breaks are in the pedals. Dont work. The front break…doesnt work either, besides as a loud horn to warn everybody in a sound like “getouofthewayimcomingthroughandicantstopthisthiiiiing”. The lights dont work either. Got some portable ones.

It is a great fiets. Remindes me every day that I needed to get to this age (almost 30) to get out of the house in the morning with 0º or heavy rain and think… Its ok to get cold or wet! I ll dry later.

It gives me a strange satisfaction when I go back to the place where I come from and after hearing my friends explanations on how to pay the brand NEW car to tell them: I have a blue bicla. I got it for free (thank you!). It gives me no major troubles and saves quite a lot on oil.