The Dutch icon - bicycle

I want to ride my bicycle...

I began interested in long distance cycling the summer before last, when I realized my years old dream to attend DALMAC, a five day long bike tour across Michigan. (By the way, it was yet another of my ex-tempore things to do. I had not previously ridden a road bike, nor cycled more than 25km on one go. I trained for a few weeks and, with spaghetti legs and aching back, managed to cycle across those 500km to see stunning landscapes, meet friendly people and live in tent camps.)

Fellow cyclists fixed my broken tire

When I got a job in the Netherlands, I saw the opportunity to further pursue my newly found cycling hobby in this land where a bike is a national icon. Dutch cycling has roots back in the 1930s; During the great depression its government boosted employment by building an extensive cycling path network all over the country. Nowadays there are 18 million bikes in the Netherlands, which is more than one bike per person. Over 70% of all journeys shorter than 7,5km are made on bikes. Many companies offer their employees bike plans. For example, my employer pays a fifth of a new bicycle and also supports in purchasing rain gear, as here crappy weather is no excuse to use public transport.

My cycling had quite an ironic start. While I had sold almost everything I owned, I had decided to hold onto my expensive bike, which I stored in Finland. Firstly I had it shipped over here and payed to get it assembled back into one piece. Then I had accessories, such as a bottle holder and a front pack, installed onto it. Then I had it repaired after a car crushed it at a parking lot. Then it got stolen it front of my home. "Now you must feel truly integrated into the Dutch society, as everyone gets their bikes stolen here", my friends said. "But yeah it sucks. Have a beer." (I am starting to feel that having a beer is a common quick solution around here. No matter if it is a touch day at work, a delayed train or a sucky climbing practice, beer fixes it.)

In addition to taking my bike everywhere (I now have a new one), I enjoy recreational cycling very much. There is a country-wide system that numbers cycling path crossings, called knots. I bought a booklet with 30 designated cycling loops around my area. By following sings for the knots I can cycle through sand dunes, posh neighborhoods, historic villages, farmlands, colorful forests and royal castle yards. Going for those 20-50km long bike rides has been my main tourist activity here in the Netherlands. Nicely the guide also points out sightseeing landmarks and cosy cafes, where I can taste local cuisine and practice my Dutch language skills.

In the Netherlands cycling has an established status as a way of transportation. Each road has spacious bike lines and intersections, and due to high number of bicyclists there are specific traffic rules, which by the way can be somewhat confusing to new-comers. To make already polite car drivers even more careful, in a case of an accident the car is always guilty, no matter how badly the bike has screwed up. It is compulsory by law to have lights at dark, but on the contrary no one wears helmets.

Knot point directions

Even though the Netherlands is probably already the world's number one cycling country, it keeps leading new innovations. Bike highways are similar to car highways; they are straight, fast connections between major cities without connections to every small neighborhood. Technology is enabling to improve biking in bad weather. Censors identify rain and make traffic lights stay green longer for cyclists to prevent them from getting wet in red lights.

So to put my theft tragedy in perspective, around five percent of all bikes here get stolen yearly. They must circulate around so much that my friends have a point in their saying "There are no one's own bikes here. There are just bikes around." Anyhow as an expat I feel it is my responsibility to keep up the foreigner image, so also my replacement bike is a nice one and I wear a helmet when I go touring.

...I want to ride my biiike!

Summary style update

I have been thinking about writing for a while, but have not quite figured out the right approach.

On one hand I feel greatly nostalgic and longing for the past year. I keep getting random flashbacks: returning to my Chiang Mai guest house so drunk I giggle all by myself, running through our Hong Kong neighborhood park filled with elderly morning exercisers, repeating the crux move on an Yangshou project route... I have a countless amount of priceless memories! On the other hand I now enjoy having an established life with set schedules, steady income and ability to plan ahead. I have a cute home on the top of an old building, with wooden floor, leaning ceiling beams and old-style shaped windows.

The Hague

I feel that I have not got any new intakes about what life means for me. Instead, I agree to a lot of what I have already written before. So I thought to reflect with some of my previous posts...

25/03/2013: Intro
"After dying, one of my biggest fears is to get stuck with current routines and neglect the feeling of boredom - I have seen this, so what next? ... I doubt that I will ever find one single thing that makes me satisfied for the rest of my life. There are way too many things to experience to keep doing any of them for too long." - Nothing to add. Not to praise myself, but I could not have said this better!

Tried a new thing (ice), chose to stick to the old (rock)... 

09/06/2013: New winds are blowing
"We must have faith in ... guiding us to where we need to go. I do not mean passively waiting for things to happen but actively seeking for opportunities and staying open-minded to alternative options, confident that sooner or later they will appear ... I stream around for any seemingly interesting things that might provide me with good experiences, and try to hold enough courage to go for them!" - Towards the end of my last journey I was getting desperate at not getting a job. Yet still I would not have chosen to not to leave my old position. When my current work contract ends next year, I might be on the job search again. But that time I will have experience, knowledge and contacts, and I know I will for sure make it!

04/07/2013: Journey with music
"I decide to attempt to recognize special moments already when they are present, not just when they are past. Yet I should not desperately stick to those moments but let them pass, trusting that other ones will follow even if I have to wait for a while." - This promise is easier to fulfill when one's life is changing rapidly. Often experiencing special moments requires new situations, places and people. To be honest, I no longer want to be patient for long periods of nothing exciting happening. Life is just too short. I want to shape mine to be as special as possible, all the time!

18/04/2013: Brainstorming on decision making
"Should I end this stage of discovering development work and go back to IT business? Or should I pursue into finding more inspiring but risky career opportunities? ... What to value more, settling for achieved good or risking for potential great? For me, when is the right time to end the stage of discovery life? Ever?" - I think already back two and half years ago I knew what the final answer would be. I am happy I did it; I am now in the discovery mode and will most likely stick to it for times to come!

Packing yet for another trip...

09/09/2013: Pre-departure reflections
"I can be happy doing nothing. False. After relaxing for a while I want to start doing something productive to earn my living. Free time truly becomes valuable when it is balanced with scheduled responsibility." - Sure, let's take for example climbing. During my timely-free Asia journey I wasted many days near amazing crags by being too tired/scared/unmotivated to climb properly. Now that outdoors climbing is scarce for me, I appreciate every single route I get to try!

The weekend destination, Berdorf

27/05/2014: Unbeaten stress
"But what is THE path? Is it destined by some higher power and made accessible to those who dare to try? Or do we entirely by ourselves make our paths, shaped just by pure luck?" - We tend to think our lives are destined because we happened to be in certain positions or met certain people, to get us to where we are now. But we fail to acknowledge that also other random happenings would have brought cool things into our lives. They may have been different but equally meaningful.

25/11/2014: Nam Pha Pay Ai 
"But that is traveling; you see places and meet people for a while, and then say goodbye in order to go for yet new experiences ... I know that I will never meet again with most of these people, but I will have learnt different life lessons from them ... Then in the end, the most significant path-crossings will stay in my memories for a long time." - At the time of writing that, I could not even guess how right I was. Thinking about all the amazing people I met along the journey makes me feel incredibly blessed!

Reunion in Switzerland

Reunion in Italy

22/12/2014: Traveling and/or/versus working
" ... what kinds of career profiles exist that might interest me. So far my list of key words is the following: impact sector, developing countries, climate change, economic development, consulting, project management." - My current job has all that. I still cannot believe I eventually managed to get exactly what I wanted!

08/04/2015: Why I quit my job
"I must keep trusting on myself. As long as I believe that I am determined, smart and lucky enough, I will be alright ... Now I must stick through it until I find myself in a new, exciting and fulfilling job ... So when I eventually wake up one morning happily thinking about going to work, I know this struggle has paid off!" - Indeed, nowadays when my alarm goes off at 6am, I get up satisfied with the thought of quality coffee and biking to work. For the first time ever I am truly interested and motivated with what I am doing. Previously I did not even know what a difference it would make!

I have some vague plans for the future. But in today, (even though I still cannot climb even 7A, my bike got stolen and it's raining all the time), I am living my life just as I want it to be!

A year later

Almost exactly a year ago I wrote in Italy: "Dear adventures, bring it on! I am ready to go where ever you take me!" Now I am in Italy again, sort of closing the circle. I am sitting on a rooftop overlooking narrow canals and colorful houses of Venice; enjoying the darkening summer night. It seems almost like yesterday when I was dining in the small, sympathetic restaurant in Belluno; dreaming about upcoming adventures.

View from my hostel toilet

Back then I had no idea what the following year would be like. I was just excited about going for long travels to explore faraway countries and create myself a new career. What made the journey unique was not having a return date or place. I just promised myself to try my best to find something that would make me happy. From a job searching point of view, now looking back in time, I lacked clear strategy. I could have targeted better by choosing smarter destinations and doing more local connecting. However, I did not know better, so the decisions I made along the way shaped the year to be what it was - awesome, touch, teaching.

Now I am three weeks away from starting my new job. It is hard to believe I finally got what I wanted. After months of struggling and desperation, but also persistence and belief, I have landed a job that is exactly what I looked for. I had actually set myself a deal line: after July climbing in Kalymnos I would no longer go anywhere without working. I had some vague plan Bs, like a coffee shop in Australia or a climbing gym in Germany. Instead I am moving to the Netherlands to work among carbon finance for a reputable development organization.

My preliminary plan was to stay in Kalymnos for a month. However, just after a week there I did well on a Skype interview and got invited to final testing. I had just gotten used to the rock and was ready to start pushing my grades. Not climbing any records was secondary, though, as I quickly booked half a dozen flights and shifted my mind towards prospective employment. I left Kalymnos with the best possible compliment from a fellow climber: "Compared to other girls of your level, you are brave at leading. You climb until you fall. Now take that attitude to try harder on higher grades." He did not know it, but I had worked on that mental strength for the whole past year. So I did accomplish what I wanted, and eventually I will climb that first 7A, too!

Traveling around the world for a year is just a dream for most people. I was lucky to make it happen for myself. I am still living the dream - sometimes light and fun, sometimes sad and frustrating. I am glad I had the courage to choose change and uncertainly, for it can bring much happiness to me. I truly hope new adventures will keep coming!

About smart phones

There is a thing I find overly annoying. It is people (including myself) being glued to smart phones. There are couples on romantic dates, groups of friends among fun activities, business people at meetings, you name it – all looking at those small screens. It seems that people are either not mentally present at where they are or they are living through social media. Having constant access to everyone you know and do not know is addictive.

Let's say I go for a coffee with a friend. While she is telling me about what she has been up to, I half-heartedly listen to her. Every now and then I pick up my phone to check my e-mails. I am dying to know if I got this job I applied for. After a while my friend looks annoyed, as it is obvious I am not giving her my full attention. I am being rude, and she wonders why I invited her to hang out in the first place, since I am not really interested in hearing what she has got to say. This is not necessarily true. I do want to see her, but at the same time I am curious about an important thing that is about to shape my life. Since I have the opportunity to get the news at the very minute they arrive, I cannot resist to keep checking on it.

Then I go on a hike by myself. I take several pictures of the pristine landscape, and in my head I already form a catchy Facebook status to accompany them. As I walk the paths, I register and process my surroundings through mentally sharing them on social media. It is like, I want to show off to everyone what cool things I am doing, to gather many likes as acceptance and admiration. But on the other hand, I would not send every update to all my friends individually. Through larger distribution I allow those who what to, to follow my doings. Similarly I have many friends all over the world, with whom I am not close enough to stay in constant personal touch, but I enjoy seeing their updates to keep some track of their lives.

In Finland I have got an internet plan on my smart phone and I check it too much. Often it is actually a sort of disappointment: no new messages, invitations or likes. Nothing and no one interesting has appeared. Abroad I only have access to internet at wifi areas, which makes me more relaxed. It is easier to concentrate on people and experiences, who are presently there, when my smart phone is at the hostel. It is enough to check it just a couple of times a day, and I am actually happy when I am forced to do so. Otherwise I no longer have the willpower to stay away from my smart phone.

PS. I like instant messaging, especially receiving personal photos taken by friends far away. It is neat knowing those messages are meant specifically for me. Seeing what a friend is doing and knowing that he wants to share a moment of his life with me, puts a smile on my face. 

Notes about China

I spent six weeks in China. Culturally it is the strangest country I have visited so far. Here are some of my random observations:
- Chinese people in faraway areas look different from each other.
- Drug stores play loud party music.
- People speak to you in Chinese even though you understand nothing.
- Taxi drivers do not like picking up foreigners.
- Leaving food is polite. It signals you got enough to get full.
- English translations are absolutely hilarious.
- People photograph you like you were some rare species.
- When you are alone, people are very friendly and helpful.
- Spitting and coughing is common activity.
- The word meaning a white person is "hello".
- People make their babies pee (and even poop) on streets.
- Schedules and opening times are surprisingly accurate.
- Chinese climbers reserve routes for ages to project on them,
- People hold onto traditions and superstitions.
- Local beer is week (< 3,3).
- Airport personnel do not mind overweight luggage.
- Pointing and acting is the best way to become understood.
- Traffic lines are unorganized but functioning.

Market day

Giving autographs at Kailas store ;)

I traveled in Guangxi and Yunnan provinces. I enjoying experiencing varying landscapes, foods and styles in the different places, that reminds me what a huge country China is indeed.

My first destination was Yangshou, one of Asia's must-visit climbing spots. The crazy city is full of Chinese tourists, making it busy and noisy especially during public holidays. I stayed at Climbers Inn, which is run by Lily, who means well but keeps missing things. Every morning climbers decide what crag they want to go to and share a taxi to get there. To get most out of one's climbing, it is quite important to pick crags with adequate grades and styles. I liked long, technical face routes the best. Unfortunately my climbing performance got a bit distracted by late mornings and wine drinking, and I ended up leaving before I had sent any of my projects.

Moon Hill

Two flights and two bus trips (of which one was 12 torturous hours on bumpy unpaved mountain roads) took me to Dao Cheng. It is a small town at the Tibetan border, surrounded by snow capped mountains and influenced by its neighbor's culture. New bouldering areas are being discovered at high altitudes of 3600m - 4400m. We rode our bikes to the rocky hills and walked around them searching for potential boulder problems. Although the general rock quality was not great, we had fun identifying, naming and grading new routes. I missed making myself a route setter, though, since all my problems were too difficult for us to send.

Check out this video of Dao Cheng bouldering

Tibetan food

I ended my trip in Liming, which is one of the most beautiful places I have seen. The village, that is basically just one street, is in the middle of majestic big walls. It is China's major trad climbing area with potential for hundreds of high class routes. Walk-ups to the crags were long and strenuous, and crack climbing was a whole new thing for me. I was happy to be with experienced climbers, who set up ropes and taught me jamming techniques. I definitely got motivated to learn how to place gear, to someday add trad climbing to my skills! To top up the experience, we did a via ferrata going up the mountains and inside a large cave.

The transfer spot was Lijiang, where I visited altogether three times. For me, it was a city of annoyances (running around to arrange my visa extension), chill-out times (wandering in the idyllic, maze-like old town and staying in boutique hostels) and cries (leaving behind my only true travel romance). From there I flew to Finland.