And I was happy to be without a car...

I had this huge list of "looking forward to"s when I came here, including:
--the whole Pacific island thing
--tropical fruit
--getting away from American politics
--living somewhere else entirely random in the world
--living by myself
--not having a car
--learning a new language
--etc, etc.

Until recently, I've had this whole theory on not ever owning a car EVER again. I am not meant for a car. I keep the inside decent, except the important inside parts, like the engine, the breaks, carburetor, etc. I often either ignore or don't hear random warning noises because I space out or listen to my CDs way too loud, and with my last vehicle, poor Fiona, warning lights came on so often I decided to just ignore those, too.
So, new theory: no more owning a car! Yay!
Theoretically, it works, since I want to move to a city (ish) for school and (gasp) jobs and such, so public transportation will be available, and of course, I'm always up for trekking or biking it.

So I bought a bike here, used it rarely in 'Eua (beautiful hills, but stupid for biking), but since I've become a townie, my bike is my lifeline. I bike to work, to the PC office, to friends' houses, to stores, yada yada yada.
But. Remember. Most days I dress like a puritan, and no skirt is shorter than the knee.
Try biking in THAT. If I don't wear shorts underneath, I usually have to bend over, grab both sides of the skirt below the crotch, hold/hike it up, swing a leg over the bike like a horse, adjust the skirt to avoid drive-by-flash-age, and pray to Sisu the skirt won't get caught in the chain, the spokes, or any other random part of a bicycle that threatens my life.
Bikes also don't have gears here. Or handlebars appropriate for more intense riding other than beach-cruising. (Notice my efficiently-sketched handlebars.) Tires often go flat due to pot holes and gravely, rough terrain, and more than once has my seat (literally) fallen apart.

Anyway, enjoy this anatomy of a bicycle and thank the heavens you have access to legit transportation!