No Hands

Forget speaking fluent Chinese!  I have recently acquired a much more valuable skill: riding a bike with no hands!  This trip has been, as my dear friend T. would say in his muddled British accent, "totally worth it."

If you're anything like my mother, you're first thought is surely:  "Are you wearing a helmet?"  The answer is obviously no.  In fact, I've actually not seen a helmet since I've been in China. They must all be getting exported to America.  None to spare for us here.

In any event, it's been a process.  Only a few weeks go, while watching M. ride down the Tsinghua campus while simultaneously eating baozi and changing the song on his iPod, I insisted that I would never be able to do it, that I would fall flat on my face.  But then one day, like magic, it just happened.

It was then that I realized the keys to success with this undoubtedly necessary life skill...

1. Never look down.  Keep your head up and look at the road ahead.

2. Sit up straight and don't lean too far to one side or the other.

3. If you think you're about to fall, don't panic.  Rather, pedal faster and keep pushing forward.

4. Don't give up. It's never easy at first; just keep trying till you get it.

and

5. Believe in yourself.  Just let go and trust that you'll go in the right direction.

Follow these five simple rules, and you'll be hands-free in no time.