rolling while healing...

back in the day my family used to drive a vista all around. the car, which we still own but is on its last days, was a ride that defied generations, technology and even lives. often people get attached to a ride, but the vista is and shall i say, was special.

in my travels as a young lad, i saw the vista throughout the world. and for me, the sightings of the vista brought a smile to my face, the names bestowed worldwide offered an added intrigue to the car. in vietnam there it was in blue, called the chariot. here in new zealand, the first time i visited to study in early 2001, i saw a white vista rumbling up a hill in auckland, except it was the space wagon! what a name for a car i remember thinking...

in this surreal shortened week, due to time zones and new hemispheres, it's summer! didn't you know... i bought a bicycle. my roommate (well, sort of), joshua, a phd student at waikato from florida, who lives in a small tin shed in the garden of my crib, offered to drive to a used cycle shoppe here in hamilton, nz. it took some time to test ride a few bikes, different styles and in the end i picked the one that seemed right. it was made in new zealand back in the day which made it even better.

sadly, i'd guess there are more car names on this planet than bicycle names. and i wonder, do you think there are more bicycles or cars on this globe? anyway, i've seen some interesting cycle names, like the road king, representing out of t.o. but joshua, before leaving the store smiled at me and said, "dude, healing! that's a beautiful name for a bike!"

and truth it is. i'd like to think that when i'm rolling i'm healing and it feels that way. bikes are like that for me, any kind for that matter.

alas, i live in a small regional city called hamilton new zealand. it is, if i may say, in the middle of nowhere. 1st and foremost the country and secondly, the city. new zealand is a small country and to access the natural beauty, the mountains and rivers and oceans, requires exploration and preferably a car too. it's day 4 since i arrived on wednesday and this bike makes everything seem better and closer.

so there you have it. writing this blog post, i've been sipping on my first cup of chai. which makes me happy too, like a bicycle. new zealand is an interesting country. and along with somalians, cambodians, folks from thailand and taiwan, indians and fijian indians, pakistanis and omanis, not to mention americans and kiwis, this town and country, less than a week in, though quiet and laid back like no other, seems to have a lot to offer. only time will tell...

this is the used bicycle shoppe which is right next to a new indian sweet shoppe. and of course, a close up of healing.

love and health to all...