a fantastic ride

After class today, I packed my bag full of books (V. by Thomas Pynchon, Chinese books by Chinese teachers) and headed off on my bicycle. I rode west and north to explore Xi Pu and Pi Xian. Pi Xian is about a half an hour away by bike, and gorgeous.

I went down one street with trees on one side, and a river on the other. All the establishments on this road were either tea gardens, beer gardens, or just garden gardens. If anybody else visits, this is where I'm bringing them.

Riding around in Pi Xian today, I came up with a new way to practice Chinese. If anyone says hello to me, I turn around, ride back to them, and ask them (in Chinese) if they speak English. This is a great opening into a conversation, and I met a ton of people.

On my way back, I passed an electric scooter, and then he passed me. As he passed me, he asked if I was tired. I said no, but he still offered his shoulder to me, and we shot down the road toward my home. We had a broken conversation--steering a bike, holding on to a shoulder, and speaking Chinese is a bit much for me--but it was good enough. Often I fantasize about grabbing on to the back of a scooter. It was nice to have someone offer.

It's too bad my time in Chengdu is winding down. Things are going so well.