I felt slightly uncomfortable cycling to school alone. Why? As a Scottish person cycling through the quiet backstreets, people often stare at you. I was wearing a dress which was a battle in the little bit of wind, trying to preserve modesty past the Muslim school! I am also not great on a bike if I am going round bends, over bumps or if motor bikes pull out of alleys etc in front of me. I tend to scream my way round all these objects. Geoff says I will be know in Mae Sot as She Who Screams on a Bike. I do think Mary Gillespie may rival me on that one though. And the pair of us cycling miles behind our 4 men on the way to a restaurant tonight was a sight to behold. Scream! Screech! Brake!
Anyway I decided to be brave so I set off leaving Geoff at Canadian Dave's with his fry up. 1 min cycling down the street, I stop at traffic lights. (Great traffic lights as they count you down till it's time for you to go from 60 to 0.) A motorbike pulls up beside me with 2 guys on it. The one on the back smiles at me and says, 'Hello', which left me in a quandry. Is he being over familiar, just friendly or what? I say hello back. Then a white flash speeds across the junction in front of us. It's Mary on her first bike ride for many years, cycling fast along the busiest street in Mae Sot. I shout, 'Mary,' turn and explain to guy this is my friend, another teacher from Scotland. ie we are not loose women so don't get any ideas!
'I know,' he replies. You were both in my restaurant and I just rented bikes to her sons. 'Oh, you are from Aiya Restaurant!' 'Did you not realise?' he replied. In my head I was thinking, 'Hmmm, no I actually tho
ught you were trying to pick me up!' Then I was mortified that he might realise what I was thinking .... How embarrassing! (Reminds me of the children's question - why do Scottish people go red?) I quickly recovered and asked if we could rent 3 bikes from him for Fiona, Louise and Murray on Sunday. He said he would get us bikes. The traffic lights changed and he zoomed off!60 seconds and a whole gamut of emotions - worry, delight, anxiety, embarrassment and pride at accomplishing a deal! That should satisfy the most emotionally literate of you! Creating Confident Cyclists! (An Edinburgh school joke, sorry to the rest of you.)
PS No photos of this encounter allowed!
1 comment:
At last found a hotel with decent internet connection and can read about all your interesting escapades! Had a good laugh at this one remembering that first cycle in mad Mae Sot traffic and seeing you as I whizzed by ,on your first solo ride chatting to a local at the traffic lights! What a hoot!
Mary
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