Rode my motorbike: yes, a return to the past. I kickstarted it for a couple of minutes before it took and suddenly, I was free again. The problem-solution cycle that I love and hate in Malaysia was beautifully demonstrated in two hours: the motorbike's front tyre was low on air, so I went in search of an open bike shop. The Indian store, guarded by Ganesha, was the only one open and they fixed the flat for RM10. I rode then to Tesco to shop, but when I came out, the tyre was flat again. I returned to the shop and Ganesha, and a new attendant was there. I tried to explain that the tyre had been fixed already, but had gone flat — he didn't seem to understand, but pulled it apart and fixed it and sent me on my way without asking for more money.
I rode to work this morning, feeling the same tension of freedom and fear: how good it feels right before you die.
Reading Yoko's blog, you get a sense of optimism about the future. All these pictures of the girls rejoicing in Japan: the world that time forgot. I feel the tension of this life we've created for ourselves, but I want to believe that Ganesha, on this side of the world, keeps us all safe in his many arms. We can't see it, of course, but somewhere, in all of these universes, convergence emerges.
