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| In many ways cycling to work is like any other sort of commuting, car, public transport, etc. Sometimes things just make you upset for no reason. On Thursday I was going pretty well, I sure wasn't breaking any speed records but I wasn't cycling like an 80 year old grandma on a grandma style bike. Then on a flat(ish), almost slightly downhill faux plat, I overtook an older gentleman who seemed to be on a sturdy city bike, complete with a lamp that could blind a man. A minute later I hit the hill close to the campus and I could see the guy, or rather his lamp, gaining ground on me like there is no tomorrow. Of course I'm closer being Mark Cavendish than a mountain goat on hills but usually peeps on city bikes do not overtake me! I was quite alarmed up until I took a closer look at his bike as we were side by side and it was one of those electric bikes with a huge box on the frame, etc. No wonder it looked like a sturdy city bike from the back, those things are usually built quite well. Still, I had a case of almost commuter-rage. I call it "commuter-rage" because there is nothing rational behind the deep contempt I developed for the guy and his bike, he had every right to be cycling there as I had... and yet sometimes the rational part of my brain goes to sleep and the dark thoughts creep in... I mean, who the hell comes to Otaniemi at 6:30am on an electric bike? And why the hell did I pass him/he passed me right at the moment when he clearly had an advantage (from what I gather a road bike can go faster downhill/on flat surfaces but electric bikes have extra watts on hills)?  Still, some peeps at work do have cool bike stuff. Alas the trees are mostly bare now, they did look cool full of yellow leaves, didn't they? |
Allons enfants...
Jul. 14th, 2010 07:05 am Elle est pas belle ma baguette? |
I did actually bake that. I didn't make the dough but I did bake it! If you've ever bought this kind bread that you just have to put in the oven at 200C for 15 minutes, you know that if you just put it in, you'll never get this kind of colour. Of course you can break out an egg or milk but there is a simple trick I learnt from one of my old housemates, all you have to do is run the unbaked bread under the tap, shake off the excess water and bake! Easy peasy and that's how you get a baked bread with a nice colour. Perhaps one of the worst things about living abroad is that you don't get days off when everyone else back "home" does. Like today. This morning there would be the parade, with those awesome lumberjacks being the only ones in the formation walking at a different tempo, it would be shown on the telly for a while afterwards. It's true that is opposite also applies, I get days off here that are not days off in France. I can't explain it but the feeling is not the same. I suppose I could actually go to the reception at the French embassy. I could but I won't. I might rewatch RRRrrrr!!! though, I think that's the film with the most useful quotes in it. I think only my sister would get most of them... "poulemoutte", "un sandwich à quoi? A la fraise!", "vous connaissez ma femme? oui chef! elle est belle, hein? oui chef!", "un biche volley!", etc. |
