Pedestrian Peril

For the first few weeks, I was afraid to cross the road - I just couldn't remember which way to look first. At least when I was in London, they had "LOOK RIGHT" posted at each crossing. After about a week, I had finally trained myself to look right first and I'd get so excited that I'd forget to look left too. This was quite embarrassing since the roosters and chickens seem to have it figured out.

The streets are also quite narrow and there are few sidewalks, so walking places proves to be a harrowing experience. Feeling adventurous, I walked home from work one evening. A friend set out a route for me that has sidewalks most of the way. The section of road closest to the Big Brother House has a few sidewalks that just start and stop randomly. As I was walking along this part of the Road, cars kept honking at me, which made me extremely nervous. I thought they were warning honks - "Hey you, look out! You're too close to the road". Afterwards I found out that people were just trying to find out if I needed a ride somewhere. How nice! Since it's difficult to get around the island without a car and the transit system is... well... unreliable, hitchhiking is very common. No need to panic, Mom - it's NOT something I will do, common or not.

Anxious to explore the neighbourhood, I set out for an evening walk a couple of weeks ago. With happy memories of walking through High Park running through my mind, I set out along Ella Ray Gardens (only after dousing myself with OFF!). It turns out that Ella Ray Gardens is a very short street. One that ends at Crewe Road Bypass, which is a very major street. I walked along the Bypass for a little while, facing traffic the entire time. It was far from a relaxing, enjoyable stroll. So, I cut off the Bypass back into the residential area. "Ah, much better", I thought to myself. I continued on my way, admiring the beautiful, colourful homes along the street. As I turned a corner, I came across this nice green house with a great big backyard. The backyard was surrounded with trees and bushes. All of a sudden, I heard barking and saw two dogs racing toward the bushes. They were not giving me "Welcome to our neighbourhood" barks. Instead, I was hearing the "Get the *&%# out of our 'hood" barks. What I failed to notice was whether there was a fence beyond the bushes. How I hoped there was a fence. Whew... there was. Bye bye doggies.

Relieved that I had escaped becoming Puppy Chow, I walked pass a house where a family was just returning from a day at the beach. The family had two little cute yappy dogs. Next thing I knew, the ankle biters were running at me!! Although I remembered to protect against mosquitoes (or, "moquitos", as I like to call them), I hadn't even thought about bringing dog repellent!! It's a miracle I'm still alive.