the chengdu commute

A lot of us commute. We start at Point A and we move to Point B, and at the end of the day we head back. But there are lots of ways to get there from here -- some methods requiring more balance than others. And here in Chengdu a lot of commuters need a whole lot of balance.

Most grandparents tote their grandkids to school on the backs of bicycles. My personal faves are the self-contained caravans that ferry their passenger around in a protective mini-tent.

There are motor scooter cabbies who share their seats with paying strangers and friends balancing a buddy on their bike racks. The bike rack method is way harder than it looks – we've tried.

Commuters also embrace a very functional approach to fashion. By now I'm used to seeing moped riders wearing an extra coat (on backwards), but the first time one of these whizzed past it was fairly disorienting. When they're going at a good clip it's hard to tell which is facing the wrong way – the coat or the driver.

As for the kid balled up in winter gear on the back of Dad’s scooter… it could be that it's still cold here  or it might be a way to help keep the pollution out. But the most unusual aspect of her outfit isn't the multiple coats, it's the helmet – a flat-out rarity here.

When it’s especially frigid, drivers wrap themselves in so many scarves and hats that all you can see is a narrow slice of face. These wrappings also include the most popular facial accessory of all: the face mask.

Chengdu is also teeming with pedestrians. Some are walking with a purpose, others are dawdling through their grey mornings. 

Some are trying to hail a cab and a good many are downing a steamed bun and warm soymilk for breakfast.

Lots of people are waiting for buses and still others are waiting for the market to open so they can get first crack at the vegetables.

I’m usually out there too.

I’m the one thumbing through Chinese flashcards, trying to find a way to remember the tones of Chinese characters without losing my mind. This is a different kind of balance – one that makes riding a bike, even with multiple passengers, seem easy.