Not quite the right image, but for some reason, that image is the only one that comes to mind. I’ve finally conquered cycling! To call it a conquest implies a level of skill and competence that is probably still some time (and plenty of practice) away, but it feels so gooooooooood to finally know how to cycle. It took a great deal of bruises that came in all shapes and sizes, a lot of weird, condescending stares from strangers (though I did get some helpful advice from some), and some three consecutive Saturdays of cycling, but I can at last cycle somewhat competently for an extended distance (rather than, say, 10 metres).

My friend and I weren’t keeping track, but my friend had us cycling for at least 2 kilometres on Saturday. 2 km. TWO! That was significantly better than the half-assed effort the previous Saturday. We did go all the way to Bedok Jetty, which had never looked prettier. We went a little further after that, then circled back, stopped for sugarcane juice before returning to the bicycle kiosk. It had been my little personal ambition since I started learning to be able to stop, out of volition not desperation, for drinks at the hawker centre, so imagine my elation when we did! Ha!

Well, it isn’t really a great deal to know how to cycle, I suppose (and this has been reinforced repeatedly by one of my brothers), but I’ve been teased quite a fair bit and I’ve been imagining cycling in the Japanese countryside, watching clouds glide by, seagulls flying overhead, exploring places too far to access on foot etc etc. Common sense tells me I still need a decent amount of practice before that bit of imagination becomes reality, but I reckon I’m now more than a few kilometres closer to that than I was a few weeks ago.