Biking in Beijing: LING LING!

Ling Ling!

Ling Ling!

One day in Beijing I cut a twenty-five-mile swath with my bicycle, through tiny lanes and monstrous boulevards, to meet a friend at the university. I didn’t have a bell, so instead I just cried out, “Ling Ling! Ling Ling!”

With all the people and bikes, cycling in China is a challenge and I “Ling Linged!” steadily for 5 hours. I chose Ling Ling! from the other options—beep beep, honk honk, toot toot—because Ling Ling! sounded like a more Chinese way than the others to clear the path ahead of me.

The following night at dinner, I told some Chinese friends about the bike ride and said I wished I’d had a bell so I didn’t have to “Ling Ling!” so much.

I didn’t see why that was so funny, until they caught their breath and explained that I had been shouting “Vagina! Vagina!” clear across the city.

Read more of my adventures cycling in Beijing.

LOTS ABOUT MARRIAGE, RELATIONSHIPS, BIKING AND MORE IN MY NEW MEMOIR . . .

Confessions of a Worrywart: Husbands, Lovers, Mothers, and Others                                                  Check it out on Amazon.com, Kindle, and Smashwords

“Readers of all ages will relate to this deeply personal story, told with comical sensibility by a quirky, startlingly honest mother, daughter, ex-wife, and dog lover, who—à la Nora Ephron—will feel like a dear friend. Confessions of a Worrywart: Husbands, Lovers, Mothers, and Others will stay with you long after you finish reading it.” (adapted from Amazon description and culled from Amazon reviews)

The perfect book for worrywarts or anyone who enjoys a “neurotic, hilarious, poignant,” deeply personal story.

 

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