Vehicles of the Revolution...

If there's one thing that China does better than Canada, I think it might be bicycles. (And Chinese food.) I know this is a bold statement and I am prepared to back it up with both anecdotal and photographic evidence. What I love about the streets of Weifang, is that they are packed full of bicycles and every incarnation thereof: the standard two-wheeler, the electric bike, the "wheelbarrow bike" or the "bucket bike" as I have dubbed them, the scooter, the trailer-pulling bike, and of course the uncategorizable contraption bikes. In addition, it's more than common to see any kind of the aforementioned fully loaded with passengers (young and old), vegetables, baskets, garbage, bottles, household supplies and/or all of the above.

I don't know my way around China enough to make broad sweeping generalizations about the state of politics, art, society, etc. Of course, I am going to do it anyways. I think the people of China are most creative and innovative with their use of bikes. I am not sure how to explain this properly. Two conversations I've had with co-teachers come to mind. We were trying to cross one of the always hectic streets, marvelling at the continual rhythm and counter-intuitive (for the Westerner) logic of traffic, and someone said something to the effect of "for a country that has such restricted freedoms on a broader scale, in their everyday lives there are a lot more freedoms than we have at home." We were talking about the fact that you can just ride a bike without a helmet while carrying your infant and a 20 kilo load of onions. Just now as I write this from one of the more prestigious locations in Weifang (Yes Starbucks and try to save your judgements for a later blog about the miracles of transnational corporations), I saw some youth parading down the street with placards. Excited, I exclaim "Oooh - a protest!" and without turning his head, co-teacher Colin says "there's no way that's a protest, they would get arrested." Good point, still new here, still new here... I know am rambling.  I will try to put it all together: Sure, you can't protest. Information is seriously controlled. Wealth is restricted. (Wait, this sounds a lot like Canada?) But, hell, you can ride whatever kind of bike you want, pack as many people as you want onto it, schlep your produce around, and there's no way you'll get a ticket for not wearing a helmet or having a bell or blowing a red light. It's beautiful.

Did I mention that you don't have to be a hipster? Maybe that's actually my favourite part. Bicycles aren't about being hip. You don't have to have a Campagnolo and park it outside of Habit  while you write in your Moleskine. You just have to get your family to work and school and then get your groceries home. Oh, and you're not trying to save the planet either, it's just cheaper. In fact, you have the same bike your grandparents had. And not because it's vintage, because it still works. And you're not wearing an overpriced silk-screened T-shirt with a bike on it either.

A while back my dear friend, Sailor Nick, and I were talking about humankind's greatest inventions. We agreed that the bicycle and the wheelbarrow are definitely in the top ten. My dad has always said he doesn't trust people that don't eat a lot. I apply the similar logic to cycling; how could you not trust someone riding a bike? And, let's consult Homer G Wells; "Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race."


When you add it all up, China is definitely getting this one right.