I woke up 2:30a.m. and fixed flat tire. Maybe, and I hope, this flat tire will be the last flat tire in this trip. I have learned many things about bike, one is this, how to fix flat tire. Before this trip, I could not know even how to fix flat tire, but now I can fix it fast. While fixing flat tire, I found the other 2 problems, one was that my right toe clip was broken, the another was that rear durailleur's wire was cut off. Though I thought not to change rear gear would let the remaining trip be much tough for us, I did not feel any negative image, I felt "unexplained confidence" that I could pedal tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, I did not why. So I decided not to go bike shop, keep going at this condition.
"I was sorry for bamboo bike, I have no time to fix you, but you could endure, and overcome this situation, we already have passed 4,000miles together in a rain day, windy day, uphill, gravel road, windy day, at night, at early morning, you could do it" I said to bamboo bike2. Bamboo bike2 seemed to nod slowly for me.
I cooked big breakfast, 9 packs of Oat meals, and some cups of coffee. This was the last cooking in this trip. Thank you Oatmeal, thank you farmer who made these oat. I made this morning, the last morning to New York, kept to be an usual morning, so I packed in an usual way, I pasted moisture cream on my face in an usual way, I wore perfume GIO as usual. But in natural, I was getting excited, "unexplained joy" occurred in my heart. Before the start, we took a photo on this memorial day, "OK, let's go, bamboo bike2!".
We started 6:40a.m. it was dark around, but it was no problem, we have already experienced such this darkness of morning. We passed Elizabeth, Newark, Hackensack, and Fort Lee. Today was Sunday, so at early morning and morning traffic around Elizabeth and Newark was not so heavy, I felt my lucky. Around Hackensack I saw the montain on my right side, not Rocky, not Appalachians, the New York mountain, made from buildings, not trees, not red rocks. When I saw the New York mountain, I felt strong unexplained emotions, I stopped for a while, enjoyed many flash backs of this trip. Good feeling! New York was there!
Around Fort Lee I lost way once but asked a policeman about the direction and found the right way. And in this area, some hills there were, also we could not change the gear, so I poured my all energy into the pedals of bamboo bike2. Bamboo bike2 gradually climbed hills at very slow speed. "Hey, good work!" we talked each other while climbing some hills. Over the hills....I saw the bridge, big bridge, beautiful bridge, George Washington Bridge. On the road there were already lots of cars. Though I could not find the entrance to G.W.Bridge, 2 kind pedestrian showed me the direction.
Crossing the bridge, seeing the New York mountain on the right side, I stopped many times. I struck a victory pose many times on the bridge. Unexpected two drops of tears came out of my eyes. But Samurai does not cry for a long time. "We did it" Unexplained Joy I felt. I felt gratitude to people whom I met, who supported us. The shape of this unexplained emotion was big, like a big air balloon covered over the whole sky of United States. I took many photos on the bridge.
After crossing the G.W.Bridge, I headed to north aim to Dobbs Ferry, today's destination. Because there were some hills from South Broadway to Dobbs Ferry, it was tough for my legs, sometimes stopped and took rest, sometimes stopped and ate remaining energy bar, I poured my remaining energy into pedals. We arrived at Helena and Mansheng's home at 1:30p.m. In thier garden we saw bamboo plant, and "Susuki", I felt happy to feel Japan. Mansheng cooked Chinese noodle for us. On the dining table there were many bamboo products, bamboo dining paper, bamboo chopsticks, bamboo tea pots, cups. I was surprised, and felt happy to meet many bamboo products here in New York. And in their home, I heard that they made efforts not to use air conditioner, fighting against global warming. When I heard that I was inspired so much, In Philadelphia, I remembered that Warren also fought against global warming in his own way, he said to me that he wanted to buy hybrid car, first 40miles use bio fuel, after that use gasoline. I was inspired so much by the people with such high green conscious like Warren, Helena, Mansheng and also I think it is great thing that individuals fight against any social problems in their own ways, They have their own good story. One of the most impressive things I have learned in this trip is that "It is very precious to build "own story!" ".
After eating noodle, we went to Hanukkah dinner party, today was 5th celebrated day. I met many people there and talked. One of them was Jazz musician, I have known for the first time Jazz market in Japan was huge and Japanese Jazz lovers were very passionate. Well, I met new bottle in tonight dinner, name was "Xingu" ,from Brazil, Though I expected the sense of Samba with this beer, I could not get such sense.
"Beer blog"
Xingu: Labeled as a "Black Beer" from Brazil. I felt "light taste", but contained a littke bit more bitter than Coors, Bud. So I prefer this beer to Coors, or Bud. The taste does not change both drinking and after drinking, So it was not bad. But this beer does not contain some enthusiastic sense such like "Brazil Samba" has I expected.
After coming back to home, Mansheng showed me his works in his gallary, he is a painter. he paints landscape, Chinese poem, Buddha, Scripture, Calligraphy. I love his works, I was inspired by his works much. I originally love poems, western poems, Japanese poems, and of course also loves Chinese poems, because Chinese poems let me feel grandeur, nostalgia, stream of long long history like the Yangtze. When I saw his works, the poetic emotion occurred in my heart in natural one after another. If Edgar Poe, Baudelaire, Ryunosuke Akutagawa lived now in the present age and saw Mansheng's works, thy will sure to write some poems. His works have subtle sense, such like "Japanese morning glory" will bloom only when it respond to subtle morning sunlight, these are not powerful, but are filled with something static, peaceful, silent, such like the silence when a deer come close to the creek and take water with no sound, such like the morning haze shined by sunlight through the branches of trees in the Appalachians, the breath of Nature.
Hello, everyone. You may check his works, you will sure to feel a kind of strong impression from his works. This is my recommendation. And also he uses natural resources for paintings, he uses rice paper, bamboo paper as canvas, walnuts ink, bamboo brushes. He gave me much inspirations, also his thought for Nature, Sustainability. Very inspired person, works.
Wang Mansheng: painter
http://manshengwang.com/
The exhibition will be held at Queens college from next February to May
At night I checked e-mail, replied some response. On the bookshelf of my room at their house an Chinese doll stood. I looked outside window and came close to window, across the window the coldness passed into inside a little, "The beauty of shape"... I thought about the "Beauty", artistic night, I I thought also about the design of bamboo bike's frame with looking outside...Good night.
Takashi 2010/12/5 @Dobbs Ferry
Four Seasons Painting & Home Improvement offers the finest interior and exterior paint work.
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