...Wheels, wheels, wheels, wheels...
...Ding, ding, ding, ding...
...Spinning, spinning, spinning, spinning...
...Beep, beep, beep, beep....
...Round and round they go...

...best described as traffic in Shanghai. in one word, mesmerizing.

To a westerner, the hustle and bustle of the Shanghai city streets is much more than that known in New York, it is better described as organized chaos. There are cars of all sizes, huge trucks the size of semi's, motorcycles, mo-ped's , the bicycle, and of course the lonely pedestrian.

The bicycles comes in all types: motorized, peddle-push, or half and half, but all being equal, every bicycle has a bell that "dings" and a basket attached in the front to transport the necessities. Just as in the States, there is one seat on a bicycle here in Shanghai, but more often than not, another individual will be riding along as well. The skill and tact of which both individuals stay on the bicycles keeping their current speed as they turn the corners and cross through intersections, is still quite puzzling to me.

At the intersections, few stoplights exist. Even if an intersection does have a light, it seems to be merely a figment of the driver's imagination. no one really pays any attention to the lights, for if the intersection looks clear then with no further hesitation, the current speed is kept, and the driver just goes right through. And as for the bicycles and their respective cyclists, they have their own designated lane in the streets of Shanghai. They continue to peddle down the street with the wheels spinning round and round with a simple "ding, ding" of a
bell if someone is in the way. (not that you have time to move out of the way, but at least you were for-warned).

So where does a pedestrian fit into all of this? He/she doesn't. There have been many times when I have begun to cross the street as it is seemingly clear of traffic, even the signal indicating it is time to walk, only to have a bicyclist whiz around the corner from no where.

So I have found myself wondering, am I in Pamplona again? Every year in the Basque country there is the San Fermin festival, also known as "the running of the bulls". The streets of Pamplona, narrow, bumpy and uneven cobblestone, wet with rain and lined with fences with the enormous and agitated bulls that are released to run these streets chasing men dressed in white with red sashes and scarves. Runners fall to the ground, sliding into the fenced sideline either from a push of a fellow runner or from a bull.

Again, I ask myself, am I running with the bulls? Do the bicyclists and drivers envision this pedestrian wearing a red sash and scarf? Do they seem to think I am teasing them by crossing the street simply to get to the other side therefore leading the chase? Pedestrians just like the runners in Pamplona, run to keep from getting knocked down to the fenced sidelines either from a car or another pedestrian. They are slip on the wet pavement just as the runners in Pamplona slip on the cobblestone streets. Everyone is allowed to participate in the "running" here is Shanghai. At least in Pamplona, females were not allowed to participate! Daily, I am running with the bicyclists and drivers of Shanghai. A trip
to the market, just a few city blocks, can be physically and mentally challenging, at times downright exhausting... but this is what I love so much.

Doing well and more to come.

第二章行路難

04/29/2004