bike problemz

I originally wrote this relatively lengthy post on resolutions and what not but realized it was pointless. I don't like setting long-term goals (yes a year is a long time) and I am always just sorely disappointed because I never get them done. So instead, I'm going to write a bit of a rant, unrelated to the new year.

Bicyclist problems!

So the summer before last (2010) I bought a bicycle. I needed it to get to work at 4am and to get home after work at 11:30pm. It was the only form of transportation, since I don't have my license (side note: i'm workin' on it!). I didn't ride much more outside of that; still caught the bus to school and what not. But I started to like being outside and active. And apart of me just wanted to get into shape. So I got into the habit of riding my bike everywhere, forcibly at first, but after a while my body sort of craved it. If I don't go out and bike after some extended period of time, my legs become restless. So now I just feel like I have to ride around nearly every single day. On average, I bike roughly 15 miles a day, mostly uphill. And lately I've been biking even more than that in an attempt to get into even better shape.

But biking has totally made me aware of how dangerous it is to be a cyclist on the road. I can't tell you how many times I've almost been killed, how many times I've been knocked off my bike because of negligent drivers, and how many pedestrians I've nearly hit because they're too busy doing something other than paying attention to where they're walking. I mean, I wear my lights. I signal when changing lanes. I ride in the shoulder if I know I'm going too slow. I stop at stop lights. I slow down at crosswalks. I do everything I can to be as courteous to the bigger, faster machines around me. But even with all that I still feel like I'm going to die 90% of the time I'm biking on the road.

Here are things I've noticed:
-Drivers don't check for oncoming traffic before opening their doors while parked on the side.
-Drivers don't use turning signals when changing lanes or making turns.
-Drivers will speed up and slam on brakes (which is really really awful because I can't brake as fast as a car can, especially when going downhill).
-The need to honk or yell when I'm not going the speed limit (I'm in the shoulder for a reason).
-People who suddenly pull out without checking for people in the bike lane.
-People who decide to run, skateboard, or just walk in the bike lane.
-Drivers forget there is a bike lane and swerve into it while driving.

The weird thing is that most drivers that are incredibly aggressive will yell at me to get on the sidewalk. But do you realize how dangerous that can be, not to mention difficult. Pedestrians feel they have the right of way all the time. They refuse to move to one side of the sidewalk, most times walking directly in the middle. They also don't even pay attention while they're walking. Most people are listening to music way too loud, or are on their phones texting or browsing the web, so really it's like a bad obstacle course with moving targets. Plus, I have to ride far slower on a sidewalk because people will just walk in front of you at any time! No one watches or looks around or is aware of their surroundings, especially in Waikiki. So I'm on constant alert and it's always so tense.

Anyway, I'm reflecting because today I was riding down Ala Moana Boulevard, right around the Ihilani. Every car in the farthest right hand lane (headed towards Diamond Head) is making a right turn, into the hotel parking area/yacht area. So I have to get into the lane just to the left to ride past all these turning cars. I ride up, signal to get back into the right hand lane, but realize there is a bus parked up ahead. So I continued riding in the lane I was in, past the bus, then I signaled again and got into the right. Now I'm at the stop light right across from Wailana. And there is a cab driver to my left. And he's yelling at me. I can't hear him because of all the traffic around us, so I raise my hands up and shrug and shout "I can't hear you!" So he crawls over to the passenger seat, sticks his head out the window and shouts, "You shouldn't be riding on the road! Get off the road! You too slow! You make danger for me!" Mind you, he had clients in the back seat who looked at me with confusion. I don't understand why he felt the necessity to yell that at me, as I didn't do anything to disrupt traffic (and I should also mention, that I was going just under 20mph because I was able to keep up with the cars around me). But then he continued to yell at me until the light turned about how I am putting everyone else in danger by biking so slow. I just don't get the aggression. It just seems so unnecessary.

Anyway. Ultimately, I think people should have a biking license, that people need to be trained on how to properly ride on the road. And I kind of wish that everyone that drives also had a chance to ride a bike during mid-afternoon traffic in Waikiki, then maybe they'd understand how shitty it already is.

akemashite omedetou!

FIRST. I want to say. I have maintained this blog (with some infrequency) for TWO YEARS as of TODAY-ish! Congrats to me! And to those of you that read this, well, I'm sorry that the content has varied and has sometimes been pretty awful or just confusing, but I guess that's what diaries are supposed to be, right? Thanks for reading, though. I hope it's mildly entertaining.


SECOND! I have never written a post about oshogatsu (お正月) or hatsumode (初詣). Which is really weird, because it's kind of a big deal around this time of year. I've participated in this tradition for as long as I can remember! (This is me in front of the shrine on Rivers St. in Honolulu, called Izumo Taisha Mission (出雲大社) making my first visit for the year!)

While almost anyone that is Japanese would have at least a faint inkling of what I'm talking about, New Years (we call it shogatsu) is a really big deal. Hatsumode is the first temple visit of the year, which you're supposed to do at midnight but any time during the first day of the year is acceptable.

But let's back it up! New Years traditions are pretty Shinto centered; that is, the things we do aren't really associated with Buddhism, like most people think. My family doesn't do any Buddhist rituals, like the New Years Eve visit to the temple, we just stick to the jinja (神社) or Shinto shrine.

There are a few in Hawaii but this one is my favorite. The wait is always really long on the first day of the year, but it's always worth it! First you go in, wash your hands and your mouth at the washing area. Then when you get to the top of the steps, you make your donation, ring the bell as loud as possible, bow twice, clap twice, make a wish/prayer/whateva! and then bow again! Then the priest says a little chant and you're off on your merry way!

Then you buy your good luck charms. While I'm sure that my year was filled with a mix of good and bad luck, I can honestly say that the years I wore around my omamori (御守) or charm have been far better than the years I didn't go out and get one! This year I got one for myself, the purple one, and one for Dan. I haven't decided where to attach mine, can't get it onto my cell phone so I might have to put it on my wallet.

In addition to the New Years shrine visit, there's just tons of eating. Osechi ryori (お節料理) is the traditional meal. My mom makes a super simple version of it, mostly because she doesn't know how to make a lot of the things and because we can't ever seem to finish it all in time. Traditionally, you eat osechi for about two to three days-- eating the same thing three times a day for two to three days can get a bit boring, so I don't really blame her.



So she makes chikuzen ni (or nishime, as many in Hawaii call it), which is like a root and vegetable stew. Then there's kuri kinton, which is sweet potatos and sweet chestnuts, and it's gold in color so it's supposed to bring you fortune! Then there's kazunoko, which is a salted herring roe, which is supposed to make you more fertile. Kuromame, which are black sweet soy beans, which are for good health. Then there's nishiki tamago, which is just a sweet egg dish. She usually makes tazukuri, which are sweet sardines and are supposed to symbolize great harvest, and konbu, which is just a hard seaweed that's supposed to symbolize joy. I think she just opted to not do those this year.

In addition! There is ozoni. Which everyone knows/loves. Most people in Hawaii call it mochi soup. Depending on what part of Japan your family originates alters the taste of the soup. Eastern Japanese use a clear broth, like my mom does, which is made with chicken and usually simple vegetables, like mizuna, komatsuna, or shiitake. Western Japanese use miso, which I think is where most people in Hawaii are from because they usually talk about it tasting like a fancy miso soup.



Also, and I know this order of food is a little backwards, but the day BEFORE the new year you eat toshikoshi soba! It literally means end the old and begin the new soba. But basically it's symbolism is that the next year will be filled with luck and strength and bring long life!



THIRD: Another New Years tradition is to watch Kohaku or the Red and White Song Festival. It's this long television special that happens on New Year Eve, and basically the top singers for that year are invited to compete in teams. It's usually men vs women, and I think the audience and some judges vote. But basically it's just a super long television program where people perform in crazy outfits. This year Lady Gaga got invited, which I think is weird, because not too often do people from other cultures get invited, but whatever.

Anyway, this post ended up being a lot longer than I had intended but I'm sure it's incredibly informative for those of you that are a little more curious about Japanese New Years culture!