Also glad to hear you're OK! Definitely wear a helmet!! The dangers are real on the roads, but as you note, the practicality and punctuality win out, and biking can't be beat. If this were any other China expat board besides a motorcycle site, you'd have people all over you saying don't ride motorcycles, not worth the risk, etc. etc.

The risks are real, and so the onus is on you to be a survival rider. In other words, honing motorcycle skills are of the utmost importance here, regardless of what the other guys in vehicles are doing.

The laws of traffic courtesy don't work here. Instead, we rely on the laws of physics.

The first tip is go at a slow and steady pace where possible, and don't make any sudden moves. Newton's 1st Law is applicable here, where objects move in a straight line at a constant speed. So keep a straight line where possible, avoid sudden swerves, quick turns, or other kinds of unpredictable accelerations. Also, the heavier trucks and buses have the right of way, by way of momentum principle.

Related to this, Newton's 2nd Law tells us it takes considerably less force and less time to stop the bike's momentum, as opposed to stopping a taxi or a bus. So the onus is on the motorcycle rider to react quickly and stop the bike if there are hazards. A quick stop is best done by looking at the mirrors first, and since you're not going all that fast to begin with, should have plenty of room.