It's raining frogs and bicycles

I've finally embraced the idea using a bicycle as my form of transport. Unfortunately, I made this decision right before our biggest rain storm of the year. So I'm a bit soggy in the shorts currently but happily so, as at least it's a welcome change from unrelenting heat.

The way I see it, having commuted via bicycle in Lao, I can do it anywhere. Don't get me wrong, the ride  isn't at all physically taxing, it's almost entirely flat and aside from the heat, you'd hardly break a sweat. Alas, its the rest of the people on the road in Lao that make biking a daily adventure.

I feel like I need to be decked out in combat gear every time I head down my driveway on my cute little  mountain bike. When I pull up a stop light surrounded by motorbikes, I can't help but feel a little like I should be revving my own engine. Instead I take a big inhale of exhaust fumes and try my best to stay out of every one's way.

However, Lao drivers haven't yet discovered the rear view mirror, with a mentality that only that which is in front of them matters. So I'm adopting a defensive biking method than entails holding on and praying I don't get rear ended.

I went to the gym today after work to go for a run. I went to the locker room and changed into my workout clothes and tennis shoes. I noticed one tennis shoe seemed to have a bit of a wrinkle in the foot orthotic. So I went and used the toilet and when the foot orthotic was still not right, I took of my shoe to readjust. I slipped my hand inside to smooth out the insole and felt a squishy, slippery little body. I screamed, jumped and tried to convince myself I wasn't hallucinating.

I peaked into the shoe and peaking back at me, looking a little dazed and smooshed was a substantial little frog. Poor little guy looked just as upset as I was, and I can only imagine how his poor little squishy body was feeling. So I took my little buddy outside and dumped in the rain. He didn't hop off to quickly but was gone when I left the gym an hour later.....so I hope he's tucked away in some little hiddyhole, somewhere recovering.

This little froggy was not so lucky as the one I encountered. Not a good substitute for padding in a prosthetic socket.