the wheels on the bike go round and round

My flatmate has also lived in Germany - yet another nation of bike riders only she says THEY are very decisive with their bike riding, they choose a course and stick with it and it's your choice if you get out of the way or not. Plus you know, generally as a nation they're tall and lithe with strong firm bones.

The Japanese on the other hand completely befuddle me with their apparent lack of decision making skills. I wonder if it is a cultural thing, a result of always being taught to make decisions on consensus and never give your personal opinion. maybe it's genetic? has research been done on this I wonder?

Whatever the reason it really is quite painful to watch them struggling along sometimes. I mean they insist on riding these HUMUNGOUS beasts of bicycles with wheels that are bigger than they are - presumably so the less work their stubby little legs will have to do in carting them about - but good lord do they wobble! And then you get the ones who think they're speed racer or something, but are actually a menace due to their inability to make quick decisions and APPALLING lack of space/distance ratio judgement.

I mean good god, it really is UNBELIEVEABLE! I guess you'd have to have lived here to believe it, but they really do appear to have a severe inability to judge distance. If you are coming down the footpath towards them and theres a mile clear either side of you they'd STILL start to wobble frantically as they desperately try to make up their minds which way to go.

No kidding I mean really! The other day we saw this lady riding a bike on the street and a car came round the corner so she stopped, I mean literally stopped you know and the car has the WHOLE street to itself to avoid her and yet it STILL manages to scrap itself along the side of the bike! Unbelieveable.

I mean good god I thought I was a bad driver you know, but at least I can pull of a parallel park on Victoria street with confidence even when it's busy. But we spent at least an hour sitting outside a cafe in Ginza the other day watching even the smallest of cars attempt this park which would easily fit two vehicles in it, each finally chickening out and driving off after a few attempts until one guy got in there on 76 point turn! Honestly, I've never seen anything so simple turned into something so cringingly painful! And he still managed to crunch the wheels up against the curb!

It is a wonder the Japanese are known for their abilities in technology I tell you, though I suspect that maybe that's due to their almost inhuman ability to work non-stop which simply sees them getting things out to the market first rather than being any smarter because efficiency here REALLY leaves something to be desired. But that's a blog for another day.

Stay cool till after school kids

Ka kite ano (sorry if i spelt that wrong!)

Smiles
Fernleaf