I took advantage of this rare cool and clear day during Golden Week to take my new bike for a shake out ride. By pure luck I headed inland, away from the busy heart of Tongling. Perfect for learning how to use the dial shifter on the handlebar and adjusting the seat correctly. In the bike shop I'd simply bought the bike without a test ride. Not something I'd do in the US, but here I'm not sure if you can test ride bikes, and I had absolutely no idea how to ask for that. My poor little Lonely Planet phrase book doesn't cover this sort of shopping situation. However, Dahon sells bikes in the US, and I trusted my instincts. Most of the components were good quality and it had decent Schwalbe tires. Turns out I did just fine. The bike seems sound and it rides comfortably. It's surprising, though, just how quickly it gets dirty. I'm used to the rain washed streets of Seattle. So I sponge off my bike after each ride. This isn't because I'm a crazy neat nick, it's smart preventive housekeeping, as I'm storing it in my apartment with white marble tile floors. The streets of Tongling have muddy potholes near its many active construction sites, and the road can be rough in places. The dirt around here is red and sticky clay. It sticks to everything. Perhaps it makes good pots. Anyway, this characteristic affects surface drainage when it rains, and streets get waterlogged fast. To reach the pretty oasis in this photo, in a marshy area near the railroad tracks, I had to navigate a flooded roadway under the trestle bridge. I waited for a few cars and mopeds to splash through first, then rode the center line before the water fully pooled back. After a full month here, I now know that cars and mopeds alike completely disregard pedestrians and cyclists, so it pays to wait to avoid a soaking. With so many new car drivers in China, these "early adopters" act like the US 30 years ago. As in: "Roads are for cars, I'll just honk and honk so you understand that I'm barreling through." It's obnoxious behavior, but, perhaps with time, Chinese drivers will become more considerate of other road users. I hope so. While there seems to be a lot of traffic in Tongling, the reality is, the majority of China's 1.3 billion inhabitants don't yet own a car because they can't afford to. But as a car is an aspirational possession, car ownership can only increase. I'm learning to expect motorbikes, mopeds, trikes and other cyclists to drive both ways in the separate "bike" lanes on each side of the wide boulevards here. I'm also on the alert for cars that shortcut along these alleys, laying on the horn as if I'm both deaf and blind to their approach. I'm not planning to ride at night, ever, because mopeds, motorbikes and a few too many cars drive without headlights. Saving energy perhaps? Crazy? Absolutely! Obviously it's not a ticket able offence for the local traffic cops. Disconcerting at first, now I'm sort of used to it.
Beyond the flooded roadway I tooled along along an avenue lined with small trees and pruned shrubbery until the boulevard abruptly ended and turned into a dirt track going through a village. A lady was raking a big pile of wheat kernels in the cul de sac, using the hot road surface to dry the grains. Hmm. Now I know that washing my bulk grains free of stones really does make sense! Nearby are some half completed apartment towers. I strongly suspect this is one of the many bankrupt real estate projects all over "go for broke" China. The old village is still here, in a floodplain that backs up to some brush covered hills. It has some weedy ponds that must be stocked with fish because there were several guys with fishing rods trying their luck in the pond. Close your eyes, and you could almost pretend it's old China. Now that I have wheels I will explore Tongling and try to find what's left of these anachronisms. As I'm a romantic with a weakness for anything historic, I'm finding it hardgoing to locate the remnants of traditional life here. The Chinese, particularly here in SW Central China, are focused on the future that they see in the more affluent coastal cities like Shanghai, and getting there ASAP. Coming from "beautiful country" which is how "America" is translated in Chinese, it's understandable if sad, that everyone wants all the consumer trappings of the West double quick. I hope that China does preserve something of its deep and fabulous past. Really, how many themed retail shopping malls does the world need? Of course, it's easy for me to say this, as I don't have to sweep any streets with a twig broom hoping my child can finish high school and get an easier life. As an ESL teacher, I am conscious of how well regarded being a teacher in China really is. The normal high school classes are packed with students and they are doing their best to study hard and improve their economic future. Still, I have to store my bike in my apartment. I know that to someone, my bike would mean a shortcut to wealth. I'm here to teach English, not give someone an undeserved leg up to sudden affluence. The Chinese work hard for their money, and so do I.
Cathy Donaldson
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