Today the opposition party has called a hartal (political strike). There will be demonstrations in parts of the city, probably accompanied by violence, but otherwise the city is quiet and peaceful. There are very few motorized vehicles of any sort and virtually no cars on the streets. I ask a colleague to go with me on a bike ride; we ride to and around Dhaka University, stop for fresh coconut water from a bicycle cart, and ride back to the office; I take a detour for the pure pleasure of racing up and down the main road. The traffic usually keeps me at home; it is too unpleasant to go about the city. On a bicycle the city is smaller, and today, without the motorized vehicles, riding under the shade of trees among cycle rickshaws, bicycles, and pedestrians, the city is eminently liveable. At 6 pm the strike will be over and things will return to normal, but someday I hope that people will realize that our everyday state is what is abnormal, and that they will join us in efforts to create liveable cities for our ordinary everyday life.