For some stupid reason, I accepted to race against a scooter with my cute little bike. However, if you have seen this scooter you will then believe that I might not be that stupid. A serious sports woman I am, I took my bike for a pre-race morning training. To test endurance and flexibility of my bike, I put some heavy load in the front basket. Right there in the middle of traffic, it broke completely: the basket, the front light, the break, everything. Terrible!
Midday, I walked into a bike shop in the 7th, nice shop keeper, chatty and eager. I realized a very strong and familiar accent, “so where are you from?” asked Ana. “Ah, Napolie!!! Italie, you know?” All of sudden I just see this image of my dear little bike getting a serious surgery, all parts removed and replaced with plastic body parts shipped directly from China. So much for my trust in Italians and especially Neapolitans. I felt bad, “Sir, I think I might just come back later tonight, because I have to go back to work now”. I pushed my bike quickly out of the store, not even daring looking back.
Later in the evening, I walked into a bike shop in my hood, run by some honest French guy, who once pumped my tires for free. I like this shop, because it is full of gadgets for serious bikers. I don’t even know how to explain their functionalities.
Shop keeper: It looks pretty bad, but we will get it fixed.
Ana felt so relieved.
Shop keeper: Are you riding around Paris with no Helmet? That is not a good idea.
Ana: It is okay, I go slow.
Shop keeper: You go slow, but the buses and motorcycles don’t.
Ana: You are right.
Shop keeper: I have some simple stuff, if you want to try while waiting for your bike
Ana: ok, yeah I guess!
Next thing I knew, I was trying on this Pink Helmet for professional races, it costs 130 euros! My entire bike doesn’t even cost that much. But I have to say it looked really good on me and felt even better.
“I will think about it, thank you for fixing the bike…”
I managed to leave the shop without the helmet, but the whole night I have been longing for this Pink Helmet. Should I have trusted the Neapolitan? What is the catch with the French? Now I am lying in bed going through all potential reasons to justify this purchase… Helmet? Not?
About Me
- SHEN Yi Elsie
- (b. 1974, Jiangxi, China) received a BA in liberal arts from Wesleyan University in Illinois, and furthered her technical knowledge in photography at Columbia College in Chicago. Selected solo exhibitions include Expired Landscape Solo Exhibition, French Cultural Center, Beijing, (2008-2009) and The Blue Book, Pingyao International Photo Festival, Shanxi, China (2008). Selected exhibitions include DongXi-Things Contemporary Chinese Art Show, Kunstverein Baden Art Center, Austria (2010); Share and Remixed- Creative Commons Art Exhibition, Ying Gallery, 798 Art Zone, Beijing, China (2009); Revealing Common Territories, Palacio Consistorial, Cartegena, Spain, (2008); and Dreamscape, Ofoto Gallery, Shanghai, (2008). Her work involves photography, video and sound installations. SHEN Yi Elsie lives and works in Beijing.