[L] I guess what the folks here say is true, "Everything a foreigner does here takes approximately 3 times longer to do than it does in America!" Being a task-oriented person I am, being so "inefficient" here in this new country, at first, was driving me crazy! But towards the end of the week, after realizing that this is now simply a fact of life for a good while, things begin to look a more humorous each day. Suddenly, we realize that the "simple" things in life that once we took for granted in America, can become a long, drawn out adventure...
So, we finally went to get bikes!! After being here and seeing the importance of having a basket on the bike (i've seen people transport anything from furniture items to their groceries on their bike!), I realized that I wanted a basket on my bike too. After "test driving" a few different bikes, I finally narrowed down a bike that best fits me and my height AND with a basket capability. A few hours later, after negotiating & getting ready to buy the bike.... "BANG!" It sounded like a drive-by shooting. It was so loud people looked to see it I was hurt. But NO, it was really the wheels on the parked bike that spontaneously popped (or rather, exploded). So then they come out to change the tires and assure me that they bike wheels were over inflated and that everything else was okay.
But then, they changed their minds and decided, "Oh no, this bike has no capabilities to fit a basket. Sorry." But a basket was what I REALLY needed! So I told them "No, I don't want to buy it anymore. I can get another bike (starting all over again) or go to another shop." Suddenly, things changed and they said, "Oh yes! We can put a basket on it!" So then they did! So yay... I now have a bike that I can ride home in WITH A BASKET! =)
So, we proceeded to ride our bikes home. Everything was going well -- I have a new bike, I have a basket, life is good! =) We ride for at least 15-20 minutes (a couple miles down the road), and "BANG!" No, it wasn't a drive by shooting. It was the wheel on my bike that popped (or rather exploded) AGAIN! So, now we are stranded on the side of the road. I can't carry my bike back to the shop, nor can we go home (another 15-20 minute ride). Luckily, our friend had a number to the bike shop and called them to come out to service our bike. But the bike shop people didn't have a car, so they had to load all their equipment onto their own bike and bike out to help us. After 30-40 minutes of sitting on the side of a dusty road, they finally came to replace my entire wheel, and I was able to bike home in one piece! PTL! =)
At last, after 2 tire explosions, basket to no-basket back to basket debate, 30-40 minutes sitting on the side of the dusty road in hot humidity, we now have bikes! Yay! Now the challenge is to not get our bikes stolen! We heard of someone we know who got his bike stolen 6 times on 1 year!!! Yikes. We ordered some heavy duty U-locks that costs almost more than our bikes...
