I Got Wheels

HOT PINK wheels! Yes, I have finally joined the masses and bought a bike. And I luurrrve it!

Bicycles are a common method of transportation here in Padova. Most everyone who does not own a car owns a bike. It is not uncommen to see little old men and ladies who can barely walk traipsing around on a bike, or men dressed in business suites and women in their Sunday best riding along. Young, old, dressy, casual, rich, poor, a bike is the way to go.

Several of the teachers, including Gigi, have a bike and have been on me to get one. I was going to wait until we got paid, but decided what the hell, and started checking around for one. Saturday I went walking around trying to find a bike, but to no avail. I checked Bike Store A, where I had seen a hot pink bike that I really liked days earlier, and Bike Store B near the train station, but both were closed.

So on Monday after school Gigi and I went back to Bike Store A: no bikes for sale, and Bike Store B: only one bike that was too expensive. Then we tried Bike Store C near our house: only men's bikes. By that point I was really tired since we had been walking around for about 3 hours, so we went grocery shopping and then home.

Tuesday I tried Bike Store D near the school: only small bikes and men's bikes. When I was leaving school that day, my principal told me about another bike store to try. So I went to Bike Store E: nothing out front that I liked. Too bad. But the guy told me to hold on a second while he went to talk to his boss. When he came back out, he told me to come in the shop. And that is when I saw My Little Pink Bike!

She was in rough shape: no seat, no pedals, but the guy told me they would put on a seat, pedals, new tires, new brakes, and a new light for me. The price was 10 Euro more than I wanted to spend, but I figured 'What the hell? Two-thirds of the bike will be new, AND it is HOT PINK (which is the colour I wanted all along)!!!'

So I went to pick her up from the bike shop today. My Little Pink Bike. Now I can join the Teacher Train that leaves the school every day.