I studied abroad for one semester in Amsterdam. I lived in the Jordaan district, which is just north west of Centraal Station and biking or long walking distance from the world famous Anne Frank House.
I abandoned this bike near Centraal Station because I was late for a flight and forgot my lock (good thing it was cheap)!
It must have been the second or third day. Everyone had settled in to their living situations and bought a bike by now. So it was time to explore the city. One of the very first things I noticed was that we all kept bumping in to each other. Not literally crossing bars or anything, but we couldn’t stop seeing people we had just met. Alright, you might be thinking, “what does this have to do with LA? Amsterdam has 1 million, maybe 2 million people, and a small city center, so of course you would see your buddies all the time.”
That’s Me! LOL, Do I look different these days or what?
Well believe it or not, this same type of thing happens in LA too. When I ride my bike I feel connected to Los Angeles and the people that make up the city. I can stop outside playgrounds when kids lose a ball over the fence and help. I can yell to my friends and we can stop and talk, even for a few seconds, to see what’s going on. And I can meet people I don’t know.
This phenomenon is something you can’t do in a car. In a car you might recognize your friend’s car, but it might not even be theirs because you can’t always tell who is driving anyway. Let alone if you wanted to shout out to them and stop for a quick conversation it would be impossible.
Los Angeles is a long way from Amsterdam (literally!), but it feels good that we still have a piece.
Gift someone a bike this holiday season and give them the opportunity to reconnect with Los Angeles.
Anthony, aka Tony the Pizza, aka The Passionate One, in front of me on our way to who knows where?
2 Comments
that bike you left with the patterns is soooo beautiful =))))
i know huh? a new zealander who lived a few floors below me stickered it that way. i think i spent 15 euros. it was worth making my train and flight though.