This is the view looking up at our apartment. Notice how the sky is not blue, nor gray, nor anything at all? That's how it always looks. We are told pollution is to blame. You can pray for our lungs, if you think about it. That stuff growing off the top of the building is foliage from our rooftop garden.
Since moving to this country four years ago, we have had two electric motorcycles stolen, one very nice mountain bike stolen, and one green van crushed to smithereens by a steel truck (insurance money awarded, but actual pay-out not looking good...we're not holding our breath).
Nothing against this country, mind you. It could, and probably would be the case in any huge city in the world. Even so, in moving to this new city, we were leery of investing another kuai in transportation. This left us in a bit of a spot. Though our apartment is cute, we were fast getting tired of looking at it. We needed to get on the move! But how? The six of us don't fit very well in a taxi anymore, and we are quite a spectacle on a public bus. The kids are so terrorized from all the attention by the time we get off at our stop that whatever reason we had for leaving the house no longer seems worth it.
Then the L0RD gave us a piece of manna for our jar. Not surprising. Another foreign family in the area bought a new van and decided to lend their old van, indefinitely, to some
poor saps folks who could use it. The next day we had the keys to this little red bubble, and we were once again mobile! And gratefully so!
Since we are among the only razorbacks in the entire country, we have lovingly dubbed this puppy "The Hog." If it weren't on loan, I would push to have the charging head of a razorback custom-painted on the nose. Wouldn't that look sweet? When we first got the van, the gears needed some work, so we actually
sounded like a hog as we snorted down the road. The van is quiet now, but the name has stuck.
Inspired, Daniel spared a few kuai for a bicycle. It is definitely not a very nice mountain bike, but neither will it temp the thieves. A nice green in color, it has no gears, but it does have a lovely basket in front. Here's to being back on the road!
