Week 15: Fostering Social Connection is #BetterByBicycle

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My first recreational ride in 2025. I don’t really do this kind of rides since I am more focused on using bicycle for transportation. Recreational rides didn’t appeal to me because I dread the hilly roads and I don’t trust my stamina. But one of my resolutions this year is to intensify my campaign to embrace cycling culture, at least in my community. So I decided I should also embrace new things - outside my comfort zone. I invited my students to join me for a ride in Jalajala Rizal. Four of my fourth year students joined, two of them were first timers in doing a long ride. It was a 40 km ride (round trip) with moderate climbs. To a seasoned cyclist, it’s nothing, but for noobs and neophytes, it’s a big deal. I’m so proud of my students


Over breakfast at Bikes & Breakfast, I learned a bit more about them and they learned a bit more about me. Life stuff that we don’t talk about in class since our lecture time can only accommodate discourse on theories. It feels good to talk about our human side and understand one another better, going beyond the teacher and student roles that we play in the campus. It’s an alternative learning experience.



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