Cursed Bicycle Thief
Having not a lot of yen but an adventurous spirit, we get a lot of joy out of exploring the backwaters of Osaka by bicycle. Whenever we have some free time (still quite often at this point!) we jump on our saddles and zoom around.
This is a land of cycles - and when riding around you really get the asian nation vibe - people ride in every which way and pedestrians must give way to cycles, even if that means leaping out of the way of a tipsy cool kid on his bmx.
There is a 3 tier bicycle ranking system that organises the populus according to age, coolness and speed.
The first is the ubiquitous single gear push bike with a basket on the front. It comes in a variety of colours, with ice blue being the most popular. These bikes can be belted around if you are in a hurry, but most often people just cruise on them.
The second is a mini bmx/mountain bike cross over. Often these bikes fold up so people can take them on the train and they are always decked out with pegs at the back, so sexy j-lo types can get a dink with their equally hip 20 something boyfriend. Hairspray seems to be a compulsary accoutrement to this kind of pedaling machine.
Finally there is the mumma of all bikes - the MAMA CHERRY! The mama looks like the ubiquitous pushie, but it is totally decked out for cruising comfort. It will usually have a steel contraption at the front where these obaasans can mount their umbrella`s, ensuring　protection from rain, hail or typhoon. Usually these bikes have these strange muff attachments over the handlebars - htey kind of slide their hands in and grasp the handles. My guess is they are to protect obaasans hands from the sun, but I can`t be sure it isn`t some fashion statement.
The Mama cherry will often have two baskets and a child seat, for ferrying around little `uns. Some even have a motor for pure cruising comfort. The ultimate accessory to a mama cherry is a sunvisor hat with an extra big visor bit that you can pull right down over your face - shielding your whole face from the sun. I don`t know why sunglasses haven`t taken off here, but I guess a visor can offer a lot more protection!
Anyway the reason I am rambling on about bikes is that my beautiful ice blue pushie, with the brand `BROAD` was stolen last night outside Tennoji station. Now let me tell you, there were at least 400 other bikes in the vicinity, but they took mine. The locks here are flimsy little things that come with the bike and obviously these hardened bike thieves laugh their evil laugh as they snap them from the bike with their huge, sweaty hands.
I hope my bike isn`t scared...And that it remembers the good times we had together, for a whole week - the ride up north where we found that vast housing block and I thought of a movie I wanted to make...the time we hit Korea town riding cross-town...and last night our last night alltogether, Ry,me and the bikes, finding that Shinto　temple that was having a big ceremony. The gravel there was nice and crunchy and you could really get some speed up...
Oh well - off to buy another bike...booo
This is a land of cycles - and when riding around you really get the asian nation vibe - people ride in every which way and pedestrians must give way to cycles, even if that means leaping out of the way of a tipsy cool kid on his bmx.
There is a 3 tier bicycle ranking system that organises the populus according to age, coolness and speed.
The first is the ubiquitous single gear push bike with a basket on the front. It comes in a variety of colours, with ice blue being the most popular. These bikes can be belted around if you are in a hurry, but most often people just cruise on them.
The second is a mini bmx/mountain bike cross over. Often these bikes fold up so people can take them on the train and they are always decked out with pegs at the back, so sexy j-lo types can get a dink with their equally hip 20 something boyfriend. Hairspray seems to be a compulsary accoutrement to this kind of pedaling machine.
Finally there is the mumma of all bikes - the MAMA CHERRY! The mama looks like the ubiquitous pushie, but it is totally decked out for cruising comfort. It will usually have a steel contraption at the front where these obaasans can mount their umbrella`s, ensuring　protection from rain, hail or typhoon. Usually these bikes have these strange muff attachments over the handlebars - htey kind of slide their hands in and grasp the handles. My guess is they are to protect obaasans hands from the sun, but I can`t be sure it isn`t some fashion statement.
The Mama cherry will often have two baskets and a child seat, for ferrying around little `uns. Some even have a motor for pure cruising comfort. The ultimate accessory to a mama cherry is a sunvisor hat with an extra big visor bit that you can pull right down over your face - shielding your whole face from the sun. I don`t know why sunglasses haven`t taken off here, but I guess a visor can offer a lot more protection!
Anyway the reason I am rambling on about bikes is that my beautiful ice blue pushie, with the brand `BROAD` was stolen last night outside Tennoji station. Now let me tell you, there were at least 400 other bikes in the vicinity, but they took mine. The locks here are flimsy little things that come with the bike and obviously these hardened bike thieves laugh their evil laugh as they snap them from the bike with their huge, sweaty hands.
I hope my bike isn`t scared...And that it remembers the good times we had together, for a whole week - the ride up north where we found that vast housing block and I thought of a movie I wanted to make...the time we hit Korea town riding cross-town...and last night our last night alltogether, Ry,me and the bikes, finding that Shinto　temple that was having a big ceremony. The gravel there was nice and crunchy and you could really get some speed up...
Oh well - off to buy another bike...booo
posted by kimba at 7:48 PM
Meet your hosts: Kimba and Ryryry
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