It was amazing. My green flash (*groene flits, an amazing natural phenomenon that I only know of my mom who's seen it), or else lazy bike, was simply stupendous. It got looks of awe (and shouts of awe!) everywhere I went. Because of the silent motor, noone knew that the thing that flashed by plodding uphill with gusts of wind beating down on it, was actually cheating. No fear of the elements with me, no sir. The bike was incredibly comfortable, and as a good Dutch woman I biked huge distances with the thing. But alas. My last picture: Bam. I parked it somewhere on a side-walk. And as I was inside, a car that had been parked next to it drove backwards, crashed into the right wheel, and drove off without leaving a notice. Total loss. Apparently. So to make a looooong, frustrating story short - the gemeente Amsterdam is providing me with a replacement bike, but a new model, mid December. And until then? I'm using the carrier bicycle again that I wrote about before, with which I've fallen three times. And this morning a scootmobiel was delivered! A thing of which I know no translation, but the picture: It is absolutely great for the humor. Maybe because the average age that people who are on it have, is at least 65. People probably think I borrowed my grandparents' thing. It tickles my funny bone, in the same way as this duo bike I used to go on with my mom (a two person bike with motor where you can pedal backwards: no difference). I suppose it's all pretty tragic. But I can't stop thinking of decorating it with flashing Christmas lights or a sticker 'baby on board' or playing 'jingle bells' all over town.
1 Comment
Aunt B
24/11/2017 08:26:39 pm
You should totally do that Mattanja! (adding all the paraphernalia)
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Mattanja OosterhuisHaving grown up in diverse places on earth, I suppose I've learned to make the best of what comes my way. Such as a hemorrhage. After this bleeding in my head occurred in dec. 2010, my life has come to look different. On my blog I write about some of this. Archives
March 2018
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