ママチャリ – a new bicycle
Today I got home at a decent time (well, not too late) and was able to walk to the semi-local bicycle store and order my new bicycle. It is cool! I think I’m gonna make people jealous, but I’ve gotten some strange reactions. Here’s a cool picture of my new Bridgestone ブリッド bicycle. Lights, fenders, baskets … isn’t it cool?!?
These bikes are ubiquitous. Very convenient with a basket in the front. I may order a rack for the back and really trick it out. Seriously, some people just can’t imagine why I actually want this bike. It’s no Litespeed but what the heck. I’m looking forward to rolling around the neighborhood and checking it out.
The bikes are called ママチャリ (mamachari) because it is typical of a Japanese mother to ride – a mother’s chariot. The ads are geared towards women. But as I said, they are ubiquitous. It is my way of living the high school student life I never had in Japan!
I got the bike at ズノウ チューブ (Zunow Tube) where I’ve already started to develop that personalized service that will pay off in the end.
This is my living-in-Japan-as-an-expat blog. No, I am not a teacher over here. I am working with a Japanese company on a big project. That's enough said. Why the blog? Simply it is to capture my life and observations for friends and family so the separation doesn't seem so great. And if others enjoy it, all the better.
That’s pretty much the same bike I have in Japan that I leave at my friends house. Mine is black though. Now then, the trick is can you ride, text message, smoke, and eat all at the same time while riding! I’ve seen many people doing a combo of the above.
John