The Bike Ride

Life is what you make it, or so the saying goes.

By the time I reached fifty, every day that I woke up alive was a bonus!

I realised that every day the Universe gave me endless choices. I would have a choice for a moment, a choice for the day. a choice for the future.

Depending what choices I made, my life progressed at a steady rate down the paths I chose.

Some of the choices were simple. Did I frown when I woke up or did I smile?

Others were more challenging. My chosen reaction to adverse circumstances were as important as my chosen reaction to the good things life offered me. There were never any good or bad choices as such, simply choices that would then become my life.

During my time in Singapore I have had so many examples where choice played an important role.

During the Great Walk' I could at any time, justifiably, become upset at the heat, the distance, the fact I had no idea where I was. 

At any point I could have chosen to quit and turn around but I chose to continue and discovered through that choice it was possible for me to walk 10 k.

When I walked the Southern Ridges the second time and met the group of cyclists, again I was given a multitude of choices. 

Did I walk past saying nothing, 

Did I offer to take the photos so the guy with them could be part of it? 

I chose option 2 and stopped.

When they told me the guy taking the photo was a random stranger but would I join them to be part of their photo again I was offered choices. I could decline gracefully and walked on or I could join them. Again to took option two.

When I wrote the Blog 'The Walk' I chose to tag Florence. Reminded through the story of the fun half hour we had shared she messaged me asking if I would like to join her cycle friends for an outing that weekend.

Again I was given choices. 

Logic said to decline. 

I had not been on a bicycle properly since I left Moorea in 2011 and these guys went out every week! 

Various scenarios went through my head. I would hold them up, embarrass myself at my inability to cycle up a hill. I would fall off, wake up stiff and sore, my remaining week in Singapore ruined because of a crazy choice ….. or I could say Yes!

To be fair I did ask Florence how far they were planning to go and when the answer came back 'Not Far!' ..........

I smiled broadly, I made a choice and said 'Yes Please!'

Florence messaged me directions, arranged a spare bike for me plus a helmet. She told her friends I was coming and the morning of New Years Eve I put on my new Yoga pants (bought ready for India) and caught the MRT to Pasir Pangjang!

My instructions were to cross the road and to the bus stop and catch either the No. 30, 143 or 51 to West Coast Drive. 

Simple! 

Having exited the MRT, climbed the 50 plus steps of the overpass plus climbed down the 50 steps on the other side, I walked the 200m to the bus stop to find my bus. All three buses did indeed stop here but not one of them mentioned West Coast Drive.

I asked a passing stranger for confirmation I was on the right track....... I wasn't!!

Back to the overpass. Back up and then down the steps, a further 200m walk to the bus stop near the MRT (where I had started) and I asked another random stranger if I was now heading in the right direction. Not only did he confirm I was going in the right direction he also gave me the bus No.s, a few landmarks to look for and then as his bus arrived he announced that actually he too could catch one of the buses I needed and said he would wait with me!!!

While we waited a further ten minutes for the next bus we talked about his family, how I came to be in Singapore and where we both were going on New Years Eve. Once on the bus he pointed out the landmarks he had mentioned and as we reached his stop he told me mine would be the next one by the garage!

The choice made by this person to stay with me and help made a huge difference to my day. I arrived with Florence having chosen to be happy and grateful rather that confused and upset by my mornings adventure.

Florence had prepared her fold up bike for me, raising the seat and making sure everything worked.

The helmet was strapped to my head and after a quick practice up and down the pavement we were off!!

With my bright coloured yoga pants and my sensible foot wear (flip flops) I may not have quite looked the part but the enthusiasm was there and I was ready!!

At the meeting place about twenty people had gathered with bicycles of various sizes and styles.

I was introduced and a lot of photos were taken not only because I was there but also because this was their final ride out together for 2017!

The person leading the group checked my helmet and finding it slightly loose for his liking, proceeded to tighten it into death choke mode. 

As he turned his back I loosened it slightly but just before we left he tightened it again!!!

Cycling in Singapore is a wee bit strange as you legally have the right to cycle between all the pedestrians on the pavements. 

In some places there are designated cycle paths to the left of the walkways but as pedestrians tend to use these in the same way cyclists use their pavements, one still has to weave in and out of children, pushchairs and joggers as you go.

At road crossings everyone dismounted, waited for the green man to light and then would push the bicycles across the road before mounting once more.

By the time we reached the base of the park we were heading for we must have dismounted at least two dozen times!!

The clouds that had gathered during our ride chose that moment to empty so instead of heading up the hill into the park with the others and despite my protests, Florence and Kevin led me off to the nearest food court for breakfast.

As we dripped our way to a table I apologised for ruining their ride to which both of them laughed and informed me that I had saved them!!

Neither of them wanted to ride in the rain and the route that had been chosen that day had involved more walking than riding so they were more than happy to stop.

The rest of the team, they said, would join us soon as they had reached the top and finished their drinks in the cafe there. 

As they always came down to the food court for a snack anyway, we would join up with the group again once they arrived but in the mean time what did I want to eat?

I smiled and relaxed as Florence explained the various foods available and then ordered for me in Chinese.

Food was wonderful and we were just finishing as the first cyclists arrived, chairs and tables were re-arranged to accommodate us all and a second round of food was consumed.

As the rain abated, the group leader got up to leave but about a dozen people said they would probably give the rest of the ride a miss. 

Florence and Kevin made the decision to stay at the food court longer so I stayed too but once the group leader was gone it was quickly decided we would continue the ride but on a different route that didn't involve all the dismounting stuff!!

We wove our way along the canal path as the storm clouds gathered again but for now the rain stayed away.

We cycled into Jurong West and then into Jurong East and on some hidden signal everyone stopped outside a dessert shop.

Bikes were dismounted and stacked together and food was ordered!!

My misgivings about joining, who at the time I believed to be, hard core cyclists were totally unfounded. 

They were basically a great bunch of people who met up to have breakfast together once a week on Bikes!!

Florence again insisted on getting me a dessert but again I had no idea what to order. I played safe and ordered Mango and Lychees but as I joined the table all these bowls of hot desserts started to arrive.

When I asked what they were people insisted I have a taste and fresh spoons were found.

Although I love and eat a lot of beans, I never realised how much you can actually do with them until this point!

Sweet beans in dark juice, light juice, with added bits, with other shaped and colored beans, the list was endless ….. OK it went to about fifty something in this particular place. 

By the time I had tasted everything I had eaten the equivalent of an entire bowl and I still had my own cold dessert to eat.

By now the rain was pouring once more and despite our lengthened dessert stop it showed no signs of abating.

Rain coats appeared from the shop next door, my bag was adjusted, my rain coat was fitted and with a final photo, we headed out into the rain.

I have no further photos of the ride as we simply raced through town heading back to Florence's so I could catch a bus home.

When the green man was red we rode on the road, when the green man flashed we rode on the pavement. 

Not once did we dismount, not once did we stop as we peddled through deepening puddles and heavy warm rain. This was tropical humidity at its finest and I loved it!

Suddenly we stopped in the shelter of a bus stop and when I asked why, Florence announced we were home!!

No more than 15 minutes had past since we had left the food place all the way on the other side of town. I dismounted, planning on taking Florence's bike back to her apartment for her, but as I stepped to the floor someone announced my bus was here!!

I was spun three times as I tried to say goodbye to everyone and pushed aboard the bus. My purse with my transport card was still in my bag which was wrapped beneath my rain coat forcing me to hoist my entire tummy area to the scanner until it bleeped me on.

As the bus pulled away water dripped steadily to the floor as I realised what a mess I must look to all the people on the bus!

My dress was tucked in my knickers, my leggings held more water than the average water bottle and was slowly releasing this moisture to the floor around me, my bag which looked like a very large baby was trapped to my belly by the rain coat which was also dripping water into the growing puddle around my feet and as I reached up my hand to smooth my dripping hair I discovered I still had the cycle helmet on!!

For the next two stops I rearranged my attire, removing the dripping rain coat and helmet as I went. When I felt I looked presentable, I escaped to the animosity of the upper deck where no one had witnessed my dishevelled arrival and took a seat.

For over an hour I sat at the front as my leggings dried in the powerful aircon, passing through streets that ranged from vaguely familiar, to 'Hey, I've been here!' to 'Oh I must come here sometime!'

As tour buses go, the 143 from Jurong East to Toa Payoh has to be the best.

For a grand total of 1 dollar 78 cents you can spend over an hour on a rainy day going through Marina Bay, China Town, Orchard Road and various other cool locations until you reach Toa Payoh.

From there I caught a second bus to the condo by which time I was totally dry and the rain had stopped.

I messaged Florence about the helmet.

Perfect, she replied, now we have to meet again before you leave!'

I smiled.

From a simple moment choice in the park, had stemmed an entire field of possibilities.

I not only had been on a great cycle ride, I had also made some amazing friends plus was going to see them again before I left for India in a week!!