A city where distance behaves differently
Walking through Kaohsiung, my sense of distance shifts.
The roads are wide.
The blocks are large.
An MRT station and a market, or a station and a restaurant, sit just far enough apart.
Fifteen minutes on foot.
On paper, it is nothing.
But in the morning, when humid air drifts up from the south, those fifteen minutes quietly drain the body.
It is not far enough to take a taxi.
But it is far enough to hesitate.
Between those two choices stands a row of yellow bicycles in front of the station.
YouBike.
Many people stop there, however.
The reason is simple.
There are too many scooters.
The misunderstanding created by sound
The fear comes from sound.
Short horns, frequent, close.
From behind. From the side.
In Japan, that sound feels like a warning or an insult.
Move. You are in the way.
In Kaohsiung, it means something else.
There is little emotion in it.
The horn as position data
Here, the horn is not speech.
It is a notification.
I am here.
I am passing now.
It resembles how bats move in the dark.
Sound is used to announce presence, not intention.
Because of this, the correct response is not to react.
Do not brake suddenly.
Do not wobble toward the edge.
Hold your line.
Keep your speed.
Others calculate based on that assumption and pass naturally.
Hand signals as a shared language
On Kaohsiung’s roads, one signal works better than any other.
The hand.
An arm communicates more clearly than a turn signal.
When turning left, extend the left arm. That is enough.
Rules may be flexible here, but movement is closely watched.
The moment a hand goes up, the stream of scooters sometimes parts.
No words are exchanged.
Understanding still happens.
Once this sense is grasped, fear fades quickly.
What mobility changes
After getting used to cycling, Kaohsiung’s map shrinks.
The Liuhe Night Market, away from the station, is only minutes away.
Small alleys that taxis avoid open up without effort.
The front basket on a YouBike is practical.
Fruit from the market. Drinks. A plastic bag. Then onward.
When movement stops feeling heavy, range expands.
Unplanned detours appear on their own.
Entering the flow
At first, the road looks like a battlefield.
After a while, it looks different.
It is not disorder.
There is a current, and everyone adjusts within it.
Do not resist.
Do not stop.
Show intention.
That is all.
Behind glass, smells do not reach you.
While pedaling, heat, exhaust, and morning humidity arrive directly.
Riding a YouBike is a way to step slightly closer
to the speed at which Kaohsiung lives.
