Howdy Pardners,
For several decades the Flying Pigeon ruled the roads of China.  I refer of course to the Flying Pigeon bicycle, a stark, basic, one speed unit that was once treasured by the common Chinese, as much as a fine automobile, by us decadent Westerners.  For it was the only vehicle a common Chinese person could afford.  My how times have changed.  Now China's roads are clogged with cars as the common Chinese can now afford to buy a vehicle.  And the demand for high end foreign jobs is sky high here in the Middle Kingdom.  The Mercedes Benz people rub their hands in glee when they converse about the Chinese market.

Still one can see the odd Flying Pigeon here and there.  It will be sad day when they are eventually eliminated from the roads of China.  It is sad that bikes on Chinese roads are becoming a thing of the past.  China could have created a fantastic bike culture, like the Dutch, if someone had been forward thinking enough.

So in honor of a great bike I dedicate this blog to the Flying Pigeon, the once great transporter of the Chinese.

A three wheeler!

Moving day!

A bit of cardboard.

An egg hauler.

The Flying Pigeon is a great bike.

Please note dear people that I will be in Qatar next weekend.  As a result I will be probably be a bit late with my next blog.  I plead your forgiveness.

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk

Picasso

My Dear Great Ones,
This week I cultured myself by going to the Heritage Museum in Shatin to check out the Picasso's that they had borrowed from the Picasso museum in Paris.  Whoa whoa.  I know.  Pretty impressive.  Now I had seem some Picasso's in New York when we went to visit Eli so I had an idea what to expect.  Namely weird.  Maybe Picasso is a good artist since he evokes emotion out of me.  Except my emotion is basically disgust.  I think he was rather demented and depressed.  Nevertheless I have included some samples of his paintings from a brochure that I got at the entrance to the art show.  I was not allowed to take pictures at the actual showing.  So without further ado I will let you decide on whether the following is great or just trash.

Not bad if you are a 10 year old grade 5 art student.

Ok not bad.  Face is a little fat and the nose is out of proportion, but not bad for a 17 year old Art 20 student.

This is called,  "woman in an armchair."  Yeah?  It should be called,  "a dog's breakfast."  Not bad if you are a 5 year old Kindergarten student needing special ed.

 
This is called, "Man with a Moustache."  Don't get it.  A  PE teacher with no care or interest or aptitude in art could do this in 5 minutes.  No make it three.  The PE teacher would call it, "rubbish."

Art is in the eye of the beholder.  My eye when I see Picasso says  TRASH.

I think I would make a great art critic.  God bless you all.  Have a great week and Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there.

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk 

Riding with Ryan

Helloooo Splendid Ones,
As I have mentioned 1000 times before I love biking.  I don't consider myself a great technical biker, like skiing I love cruising on the blue runs and occasionally I will tackle a black diamond.  Using the ski analogy further, here in Hong Kong the biking is either green, easy with a million novice, jittery bikers all over the trails, or black diamond, serious rough, with hardly anyone.  Nice blue trails are few and far between.  My friend and colleague Ryan Barnstable is definitely a black diamond mountain bike rider.  He has led me on some of the toughest, most savage, most excruciating, most ridiculously difficult, most amazing, most scenic… well you get it, bike trips ever.   Helga always says I should not over do it, but with Ryan, "over doing it," riding in the rain, going up and down impossibly steep hills,  riding through narrow jungle trails, biking over rocks, tree roots, having wipe outs, flats, and five hours of continuous really tough biking/hiking, is normal.  I love it!  Yesterday we had our last bike ride together, for alas, he is heading back home to Saskatchewan, where he will teach in a small town.  He wants his kids to have some wide open spaces, raising little boys is tough in Hong Kong, yet I have a sneaking suspicion that once January rolls around he may be having some second thoughts.  Nevertheless I will certainly miss Ryan and the great biking trips we have had.   Yesterday was great as we biked near Tai Ma Shan country park.  We were way up in the jungle covered mountains that overlook Kowloon.  Awesome!  Thanks for the adventures Ryan!

 
Before the epic adventure.  Ryan and bike look neat and clean here, but believe me after five hours and the usual flat tire, which after much experience Ryan can fix in 10 minutes, both bike and rider were muddy, wet, exhausted, but happy.  As was friend (me).

Biking with Ryan is in reality a bike/hike.  Lots of carrying bikes up and down steep inclines.  Good for the upper body.  Thanks Ryan… yeah thanks alot...

Biking in the clouds.  We are so high up in the mountains that sometimes we are biking in the clouds.  This is a relatively easy stretch.  A blue run.

Off road.  Through the jungle.  There were also plenty of rocks to get through and around and over.

Down some slippery orange mud.  Great views.

About to ride over a dam.  "Keep of the dam face." read a sign nearby.

Awesome view. The island of Lantau, where Disneyland and the airport is in the background, underneath the cloud.

Another awesome view.  Behind Ryan is Kowloon and Hong Kong.

Wildlife.  A crab in the middle of the jungle.  Huh?  Isn't he supposed to be by the ocean?

Sopping wet from rain and sweat, exhausted, and sore, totally happy.  High up in the hills of Kowloon. Thank God for jungles and hills and good health. And friends and bikes.  I am very grateful.

It Is A Little Different Here

Hello My Dear Great Ones,

I feel rather uninspired today.  Getting a little tired and worn down from school.  So today I well let the pictures do the talking.  Enjoy!

These green bugs were everywhere at a camp I took some junior high kids too.  They were even in the toilet.  Great!

These poor critters are at a seafood place waiting to be chosen for consumption.  Starfish with Morey EEL?  Anyone?  Anyone?

So the seafood above does not whet your appetite?  How about rooster heads and legs?  Anyone?  Anyone?

Shaved Sheltie.  With temps getting up to plus 30 and 90% humidity it is merciful to shave long haired dogs for the summer.

The weirdest bus stop in the world.  Sofas and Buddhist shrines.  This, believe me, is not common. I am surprised that the authorities here, who like everything just so, have not been notified to clear it up.  Weird is interesting at times.

  

A long hedge filled with yellow blossoms.  Lovely.

Monkey Hill.  You are not supposed to feed the monkeys, but this guy did and it was a crazy free for all as dozens of monkeys in all shapes and sizes grabbed as many peanuts as they could as quickly as they could.  This included mothers with babies clinging on to their chest.  Interesting.

Well that is it for today.  God bless you all.  Have a great week.  See you next time.

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk