Who Needs A Pickup?

One of the most charming and amusing facets of life in Southeast Asia is the use of motorbikes and regular bikes as the equivalent of a large SUV. When we would rent a Uhaul to move a lamp, the South East Asians manage to pile what seems like an entire living room on the back of a motorbike—along with their entire family. We saw: water jugs; coffee tables; huge mirrors; cages with a dozen live chickens; a large pig (still alive, but tied up and ready for roasting on the spit); huge baskets of flowers, fruit and all manner of food to be sold to passers-by; mattresses; several cases of beer; gas tanks(?!); building supplies—and these are just examples. We also saw families of four (and even one of five); mothers nursing their babies; grade schoolers doing homework; teenagers reading; mothers preparing and feeding snacks to their kids; and even kids napping. Anyway, we were not always able to get the pictures as they sped by, but here are a few examples.