Back on the bike again

I had a phone call with the US at 9 this morning, and so after I finished the call on the way back from school, I got on my bike and rode to the office.

Well, I got my bike out, went down to the ground floor in the lift, then realised I’d left my phone in the apartment, went back upstairs, searched for my phone, realised it was in the bottom of my backpack, went downstairs again, and rode to the office.

My bike is a single speed with XC tyres, so not the perfect machine for riding around Singapore, but it’s a light steel frame and the seat post is long enough for my legs to stretch to the right length. Traffic isn’t so fast in Singapore (or my legs are strong from pushing super heavy hire bikes everywhere) so I can usually get away from traffic lights without being crushed under a taxi.

I got to work and tried to take my bike in. The security guard told me off and said I had to go to the service lift. I went outside and couldn’t find the service lift, until another security guard came along and tutted at me before letting me into a secret doorway, and then down a corridor to the mystical service lift.

The service lift is a metal box full of men who smell of cigarettes and don’t speak, and it took me up to the floor I wanted to go to, where I then discovered that my access pass won’t let me in to the office from the door to the service lift corridor. I didn’t know what to do and worried I’d be stuck in the hinterland between service lift and office all day.

Thankfully there was an auntie there who does facilities work, and by showing her my security card and trying to avoid sweating on her, I got into the office. Hooray for office showers.

Tonight I rode home, and exhausted, I ate a bowl of stew, a pie and two chocolate rabbits and almost passed out. Well, that was after a total of 25 minutes exercise, so it’s clear I needed a rest.