Sometimes a meaningful gift is worth more than an expensive one. That is exactly how Hui-Ling Chen feels about her bike. It was a gift from her boyfriend when she moved from Taiwan to the Netherlands a few months ago.
Name: Hui-Ling Chen (Taiwan, Industrial Ecology, Master’s Student)
Price: Free
Brand: Lugano
The bike was totally free and was acquired in a very creative way. Chen’s boyfriend sent an e-mail to all of his friends and asked if anyone had a spare bike or accessories. Luckily, one friend offered him a free bike and another gave him a bike bag. “In this over-consumption world, many people have extra resources while other people might need some,” says Chen. “Instead of purchasing more stuff, why don’t we try to utilize the resources?”
Chen says her boyfriend believes that setting up an active social network can lessen environmental impact and she clearly agrees. According to Chen, sharing resources like the bike means fewer goods are produced and also “brings vitality into the community”. She said her boyfriend often shares things with others like food grown in his garden. “When he needs anything he can get lots of help in return,” says Chen. “This bike is a nice story from this beautiful social network.”
Chen describes her cycle as “a simple bike with six gears” and says the bag is very useful for shopping. She mainly uses it for getting around Den Haag, where she currently lives. In Taiwan, she commuted to work by bike but explains that the cycling environment is much less friendly than in the Netherlands. “Sometimes we have to compete with hundreds of motorbikes and buses on a small road,” she says.
“I love the biking culture here, “states Chen about life in the Netherlands.”And the bikers feel very safe and protected, with the well-designed roads and parking facilities. In my country, biking is getting popular now, but it’s mostly for leisure, not a main transportation and a part of daily life.”
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