A day that unfolds as smoothly as it ought to. No surprises, obstacles or friction. Only this comes to mind. You’re in the back row of seats on the bus coming down the hill in the afternoon. At the other end of the row a Taiwanese man of around fifty, burly build, close-cropped hair, weather-beaten features, no neck to speak of. A working man. Looks like he could be loud and hearty at one moment, loud and aggressive at another.
Someone’s mobile phone is ringing. An electronic plinkety-plonk melody you’ve heard many times over the years thanks to S and the DVD player. It’s the Sex and the City theme tune, coming from his pocket. He digs out the phone and barks an acknowledgement in Taiwanese, his face creasing into an expression of gruff courtesy.
If it’s not raining tomorrow you’ve got the bike ready for a slog over the Pingxi hump. Enough apples, nuts and raisins, chewy mango to get you through a day on the road. Rice triangles, coffees and water to be picked up along the way. A pair of swimming togs in case you make it to the Pacific.
Reading Basho:
Fleeting beauty, constant
Loneliness
Don Cropper says... 