It has been raining here the last few days, not a downpour to save us all from drought, but a heavy drizzle, enough to be annoying and slightly uncomfortable. Yesterday, despite it being pay day, I had no cash in my wallet to catch a cab to work. So, I braved the roads on my Chinese made bicycle. I soon discovered that like at home in Australia, people tend to turn into crazy drivers. Crazy drivers are the norm here so with the added element of the rain, the level of craziness was increased. It was not too bad on the way to school, but on the way home I was determined that someone was out to get me on the road. People seemed unable to decide which side of the road they would drive/ride on (right or wrong side?), some of them thought that the rain meant they should speed up, some thought they should make significant reductions in their speed (surely it is not right if a laowai on a bike is overtaking a local on a scooter?) and some just decided to simply stop. To top this off, I had forgotten to take my umbrella or rain coat - I looked like a drowned rat by the time I arrived at the gym. If the rain continues, it might be time to fix the brakes and bell on my bike!
I also discovered yesterday that riding a bike in $700 leather boots is not going to extend the life of the shoes. After riding home in the rain, I looked like I'd been out at the horse paddock with my mud splattered boots from riding through a muddy construction site. The upside of the rain is that my bike has been returned to it's shiny orange colour!
Thank goodness for an ATM visit......I arrived at work warm and dry this morning (and with a packet of cashew nuts thanks to the lovely cab driver!). I hope everyone is staying warm at home - I heard from Dad that it was 34 degrees in Canberra! Nice.
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