Wheels

So, to get around, my Board of Education (BOE) has provided me with my very own set of wheels. Here she is! Ain’t she a beaut?

Granny bikes are fairly common as your two wheeled way to get moving, aside from motorbikes and perhaps cooler looking bicycles that come in brands like Panasonic. So far, I’ve taken this bad boy (yes, it’s a boy granny) around to the grocery store, home goods store, to work at my junior high, and to the Hamada waterfront. Even after taking a few wrong turns, ducking into the wrong tunnel or heading down the wrong side street, thanks to the way the city is built, I’m soon enough looped back to City Hall or some other identifiable central point towards home. I’m predicting maybe in another month of leisurely exploration, I should have the area down pat. By bike, it probably takes about twenty minutes tops to get from one side of Hamada to the other. Small town.

You feel it too when you find yourself easily bumping into fellow foreigners at the depato, or have some of your students recognize and wave at you while your waiting at a crosswalk. It’s not to the point of being claustrophobic, but it’s certainly a new feeling for me.

The main thing I’ve had affirmed by living in Hamada, which I also learned a bit backpacking through Europe, is that small town maps are sorta crap. At least in terms of scale. Just set foot outside and wander, greet those you know, and by the time you look down again at the map in your hand, you realize you’ve made it about two thirds across the page.