Lady Riders

Pigs might fly, but not hopping on motorbikes with lady riders–never from back home–not even once. And yet riding cars with girls was another story. It wasn’t about sexism at all. I just didn’t see a lot of women rode motorcycles growing up especially in long hours ride.

Aside from my ego in protest, I thought it was always unnerving to have an opposite sex speed or crawl the two-wheeled vehicle. It’s an initial reaction of a guy perhaps. But this was many years ago. Now I don’t really mind.

I had my first in Saigon when a female friend chauffeured me around town and back home–awkward–but not the second until the countless times. I got used to it all those nine years.

When I moved in Cambodia this scenario was not atypical. Although my adopted sons and male friends were my regular riders, my adopted daughters and female co-teachers had me hopped on going to villages and remote places so many instances. It was an inseparable life-experience for seven years. I was fine.   

The same story when I lived in Laos. And for few times, my female Frisbee team mates were so kind enough to give me rides to the field and back to my guesthouse. To explain, I did not own a motorbike there and did not know the way to the arena. Again–it didn’t bother me.

Just a few days ago, I found myself in a seemingly stewing picture with a lady rider–my adopted daughter. She had to pick me up in Phnom Penh and rode through the dangerous streets to get to her village to join the ceremony with the rest of my adopted children who had been waiting for me.

“We’re almost there” I overheard she told her brother on the phone. I thought so, but it was actually just at half the distance–hitting the road was like forever. We survived the night safe and sound anyway. Thank God!

Two days after that special get together, I had to trust another lady rider (another adopted daughter of mine) to bring me back to the city–when grace was needed like never before. Riding with her was the only mean at the moment. And so we woke up early morning and took off with hopes to get away from dangers. It was another day to thank God for.

After all she was a rider.

Above all, I knew God’s grace will follow us through.

For seventeen years, riding motorbikes with lady riders have taught me significant things–gender equality and supporting women’s capability–an experience I would not have had encountered just staying back home. Thankful to these lady riders of my life! 

Like Sign

More than just catching a glimpse, the perfect location to spot hypocrites is on Facebook aside from unwanted peers and community. I got a lot of them in my friend’s list whose hypocrisy, indifference, and greed blown me away, unexplained. 

I’m not going to talk about this social network itself. For sure it is not the problem at all. And I don’t find any reason to distort the image of this supposedly wonderful way to catch up with family and friends. 

Few years ago I started blocking and unfriending people. I still do until today and will still do in the future. I had no other reason for doing so, but for their overwhelming selfishness–such character which gives me a bolt from the blue endlessly.

“How come those people don’t even know how to rejoice or mourn or at least appreciate others' circumstance by simply clicking the ‘like sign’ if writing a comment was truly a hassle,” I wondered like a million times. And I’d still ask the same thing if I forgot I really had an answer to that.

If “non-likers” is an existing compound word, then I’ll describe these people this–whose thinking and feeling are defined by dry affection towards others. They are worse than boring person and even worst like living dead. So indifferent!

They say they hate this social network, but you see them online the whole day or many times. The truth is they just don’t want to be part of someone’s life because it is another burden to carry. After all they are tired of understanding their own mystery and attitude problem. So get out of Facebook–two faced!

See those morons know how to post on their timelines too or they actually do as often as every day more than you can imagine. And there you found yourself clicking the “like sign” or left some comments. But they never care about yours–not even a second thought. What a greedy pigs!

I gave these people the benefits of the doubts like countless times and also second chances by unblocking and friending again. But then I got tired. So I blocked them again forever. 

Of course, it is always a choice. I know. And I shouldn’t be mad about this simple thing. I am not mad in fact. I’m just dumbfounded how people define “like sign” only for their own selfish interest. They really do.

Honestly, I don’t mind anyone getting hundred or thousand likes, it makes me happy. But I do mind when these greedy ones get theirs–they don’t deserve even just a single like. They should know that. Or perhaps they don’t know what this sign is for.  

It is trending now how reaction or more contemporary like signs are added to help you when words are just too long to express, but it don’t really matter to these non-likers. Please remember that it may be a nonsense gesture to click that “like sign” to someone who is greedy, but not to somebody. Keep clicking!