(excerpts from my journal)

May 29, 2009

What a team! I think that we'll have a great time together this summer looking out for one another on the road, and getting to know one another after riding. The team seems quite diverse, and very passionate. Crazy too? Perhaps. But in a good way.

Orientation has been for the last two days at times grueling and monotonous, at times fun and informative. Having scoured over the rider manual multiple times, I didn't find it particularly helpful to read all fifteen pages of it out loud. I did find it entertaining, however, to listen to people stumble because of all the typos and grammatical errors in the manual. The bike maintenance workshop, however, was extremely helpful for me. I might even be able to use some of the tidbits I picked up. :)

Two days ago, after our introductory meeting, Graham took Anna and I to lunch at a restaurant with an uninhibited view of the beach, the city, the mountains, and the Pacific Ocean. It was stunning. So stunning that I didn't take any pictures...again. Not a view that we hadn't seen before, as it was near Graham's house, but certainly a new perspective. After lunch, we decided to go for a stroll along the beach. Since it was low tide, we were able to walk quite far into the "ocean" without getting our feet wet (not to say that they weren't covered in mud!). The sandbar extended a few hundred feet, and we explored it all the way until we met the water. It didn't seem too cold, but then again, we weren't even up to our knees. I continually pointed out what I thought were stranded jellyfish, but each and every one turned out to be a dead crab.
Yesterday, in addition to picking up my bike and the usual orientation activities, we went to what is known as Critical Mass, a gathering of thousands of Vancouver bikers who literally take over the streets of Vancouver the last Friday of each month. In the half hour of gathering at the Public Library before we took to the streets, the Agents of Change, in uniform, took the opportunity to hand out fliers for our upcoming Pledge Ride on Sunday that kicks off the tour. During the actual riding through the streets, I wanted to take pictures of the masses, but was afraid that I would lose my balance--mainly because we were going very slow--and hit another cyclist. But let me just say it was incredible. And what a powerful message it sends to the community: if nothing else, that the cycling community in Vancouver is alive and well. I heard various rumors about wanting to convert a six-lane bridge to downtown into a five lane bridge with an entire lane dedicated for bikers (can't remember exactly what they said). But it shows you how much of a cycling community it is. I should also mention that we did not obey all the traffic laws while riding in the Critical Mass. In fact, we did not stop for a single red light, but proceeded slowly through them all, watching the cars back up on each and every street. Sheer numbers were on our side. The beeps and angry shouting were not as prevalent as you might think.

Midway through the ride, the green-shirted Agents veered off to head to a kickoff barbecue at Carly's place. Good location, good food...can't beat it! It was especially nice to meet a few of the riders for the European tour, some of last year's riders, as well as some of the higher-ups for Global Agents for Change. Not to mention the employees of Bikes on the Drive, a great bike shop in town that also happens to be our official sponsoring bike shop.

Anna and I were planning to bike back home to Graham's place all along, and even came prepared with our fancy bike lights. It was suggested by many that we try to catch the sunset at one of the bridges or at Stanley Park, but we opted to try to do that the next day (today). Hopefully it happens--I hear it's one of the things you MUST see in Vancouver. And by the size of it on a map, it looks incredible. The only problem I foresee is that it is incredibly popular, so may be difficult to navigate around all the pedestrians. Anyhow, we ended up leaving a bit before sunset. I got directions, but somehow we managed to get off from them. Before we knew it, we were on an express road to downtown, without any way of getting off it or turning back. It wasn't a huge issue as traffic was sparse and there were multiple lanes. We took our time, never taking the most direct route, and pausing at times for a few pictures at selected places. I must say that I could definitely see myself living in Vancouver at some point, or at least vacationing. And yes, there will be a bike involved (perhaps rented) if I have anything to say about it. It's literally the best way to get anywhere--there are bike lanes EVERYWHERE in this city! It's already somewhat hard to keep track of the days, but the big day draws near!!

I will add a quick note that starting on Sunday, I am not sure how often I will be able to keep my personal blog, as internet access may be limited at best from now until July. I will do my best to seize every opportunity to post something from my journal, but I encourage anyone who is interested to follow our group blog as well, which will be updated daily, and written by a new rider each day. You may find it (with a little searching) at globalafc.org. Sorry and thanks!