Just finished the 3rd session with my new Chinese tutor– and I’m feeling it is going fairly well.As we left, I mentioned that I must taxi home as my bike had a flat.  Jed offered me a ride on the back of his bike.  I hesitated thinking of the inconvenience to him (and effort to haul me home).  But then I realized that he (like most other Chinese) probably thought it wasteful to taxi … most Chinese would think, ‘why not just walk the 3/4 mile?’  So I gave in to the pressure and straddled the bike rack and he took off.

Actually I enjoyed the brotherly-sense of riding along together, my tutor speaking slowly in Chinese (repeating often) answering my questions about the weather in his home province, or things about his new life in the city.

Then I noticed all the people (from cars, walkers, other bikes) watching us; I guess it is a rare site for them to see a foreigner on the back of a bike!