Friday, March 14, 2008

Skirt vs Bike

This is Foster standing on a termite hill. These things are all over Ghana. Sometimes they take over whole trees. This has nothing to do with my next story, but I like the picture.
Today Christy #2 and I wanted to quickly go to market on our lunch break. The Failes had generously let us borrow their bikes to speed up the process. We are supposed to wear skirts to go to market. So I change into my skirt, and I'm already thinking can you ride a bike in a skirt? I should have known better.....

I get on the bike with my skirt on to head to the house. I feel like it's going to get caught, but I get there fine. On the way back to the hospital though, the skirt got completely tangled in the chain. So I get off the bike, but I am unable to free up the skirt. I'm yanking on it and it's doing nothing. No one is at the house, so I decide I will just have to try to walk up towards the hospital with the bike attached to my skirt. The pedals wouldn't work with my skirt stuck in there. It was kind of an akward walk, the skirt now caught how it was, didn't leave me alot of room to take steps. Christy Lee sees me from afar, giving me the what's up look? Then she realizes how stuck I am, and breaks out laughing. So she tries to free me, unsuccessfully. Let me add, she wanted me to take my skirt off at some point, she's yanking on it. I'm trying to hold the skirt up, citing immodesty. We are close to the Faile's house, and I suggest, let's just get Dr. Faile. But Christy is like NO, there's some Ghanian boys coming, they can help. I'm mortified, and she's trying to get their attention, she's like it'll be even more funny if they help. Amused they come over to assist the helpless white girl. They FREE me!!! So off I go again, after Christy tucked my skirt under me so it wouldn't get stuck.

Christy #2 and I make it to market, get what we came for, and head home. Of course, my skirt gets stuck again. I really really don't want to repeat the earlier scene, especially being in town. As white people, we attract plenty of attention without having my skirt caught in the bike. I'm imploring Christy #2 to rip the skirt, so she obliges. It wasn't torn badly. We finally make it home, laughing hysterically.

Be warned: Long flowing skirts and bikes do NOT mix!!!!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

i would have loved to seen the picture of that one. love from branchville, diane

cathygopacers said...

Your bike story is hilarious, but I also love the termite hill picture. I have seen them in books, but now you get to see them up close and personal. How cool!

Thank you for updating your blog so often. I go on nearly every day and love to read all the new escapades.