My Little Metal Horse（小鐵馬）
When I tell people I cycle, this is the bike I cycle on. It is not some fancy thousand-dollar road or off-road hobby bike, it is a RM 400 foldable bike that is used for transportation. I've learned how to ride a bike since I was 5 years old. I distinctly remember the first time I was cycling on my own two wheels. It was my old Filipino maid, Che Che Odette who pushed me forward with words of encouragement, and off I went - whhrrrrilll for about 20 meters in a semi-circle - before crashing into the railings of a longkang. I don't remember crying but that memory ends there. 30 years later, bicycles have been a huge part of my life. When I planned on what property to buy when I could finally afford one, I chose a place where I could cycle to my future workplace - and now I am living my minimal carbon emission life. "What if it rains?" "Malaysian roads so dangerous ler!" These are some of the common things I'd hear when I tell people I cycle to work. Lit...