hits since February 14, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
This is something I can only say here, in this little private virtual space, safe from the ears of my boyfriend. For if he were to hear me say this, I would have to endure hours and hours of lecture and a whole week of subtle hinting and silent chastising.
I still want a car!
That's right. While my boyfriend quietly thinks I've gotten over wanting a car, I still think about it every day. I know I'm not to "covet my neighbour's goods" but still I can't help but sigh with envy when I see my friends with their vivas and myvis and kenaris and vios' that their parents got for them. Not that I expect my parents to buy a car for me. No, that is unthinkable. My parents are not young and I want them to have a comfortable retirement. But still, I wish things were easier...
I was driving my friend's Kenari for a while when I didn't have the Kelisa. She didn't have an extra carpark so she needed some place to leave it since her mom was getting her a brand new Vios. Imagine that. Here I am, glad for any car I can drive, and there she is, refusing to drive a perfectly fine two-year old Kenari because her sister got a brand new car. And not only does she want a new car, she wants a VIOS. Sigh. I felt like slapping her across her spoiled face. But I thought twice, since the Kenari would definitely make getting around easier.
I'm grateful for the Kelisa that a friend is presently lending me. He has another more glamorous car that he uses. Unfortunately he had to take the Kelisa back for a long while when his Rover broke down. And when finally Rover was well again, Kelisa came back to me in a very sick state. Step on the brakes, and you hear the sound of a plane taking off. I'm not kidding. So off she went to the foreman. He was shocked to see how thin the brake discs had gone due to an untreated pair of brake pads. Poor car. She was screaming for help all this while and no one had heeded her cries. "Even F1 drivers don't end up with brake discs like these!" foreman said. I just laughed sheepishly.
Kelisa is four years old, with a very low mileage of 47k. And yet I've seen 20-year old cars in better shape than she. The bill came up to RM340. And that was just to repair the brakes. I only had RM400 on me. I couldn't afford to fix alarm system, the exhaust pipe that had broken in half (causing an underpowered engine and faster fuel consumption. Not good news since the petrol price hike)or the cracked windshield. I'll not mention how the very next day the sound system just crapped out, costing another RM25 to fix the wiring. It was just a temporary solution. I couldn't afford to pay another RM400++ to replace the broken amplifiers.
I can't imagine how this happened since I've really done my best to help poor Kelisa. I had her serviced 3 times during the few months she was with me previously. Changed her tyres. Washed her once a week in the parking lot of my apartment. Removed bird poo the minute it fell on her.
This is what caused me to burst into tears the other day. My bf looked surprised, but he was very understanding. Some of it has to do with the fact that my period was drawing near. But a large part was frustration with work and insufficient funds. The rent that I have to settle by myself every month since my housemate is facing some difficulties. The car, which seemed at first to be a convenience, became another financial burden.
Hence, I try to not drive since driving equals spending money I don't have. But there are instances where driving is unavoidable. It is just that much more convenient. It's really torturous to try calling for a cab, never knowing if there will be one willing to come to my place. I'm really glad that I don't really have to worry about transportation for work since there is someone to pick me up. (This is where my bf makes his point.)
Anyway, I really enjoy driving myself around. I do not have to work my schedule around anyone. I can go whenever and wherever I want. Sadly this is a very expensive comfort. And buying a secondhand, while practical since the value of a brand new car drops 20% the minute you drive it out, is tricky. You have no idea how the previous owner handled it. I don't want to be purchasing a 1994 Wira for 7k and end up paying more in repairs. There's so much I could be doing with that 7k.
Having said all this, I do realize I'm so much more better off than that indian man selling lottery tickets in the by day and washing cars by night. The teenage boy who replaced the gas cylinder. And the countless other people I saw in Thailand the other day, whether they were playing the violin for tips, waiting by the roadside to clean your windshield or dancing on tables. So thank you Lord, for everything you have given me. I do realize a car is a liability. Please let someone give me a car out of the kindness of their hearts. Or at least help me win one of those scratch-and-win things.
I still want a car!
That's right. While my boyfriend quietly thinks I've gotten over wanting a car, I still think about it every day. I know I'm not to "covet my neighbour's goods" but still I can't help but sigh with envy when I see my friends with their vivas and myvis and kenaris and vios' that their parents got for them. Not that I expect my parents to buy a car for me. No, that is unthinkable. My parents are not young and I want them to have a comfortable retirement. But still, I wish things were easier...
I was driving my friend's Kenari for a while when I didn't have the Kelisa. She didn't have an extra carpark so she needed some place to leave it since her mom was getting her a brand new Vios. Imagine that. Here I am, glad for any car I can drive, and there she is, refusing to drive a perfectly fine two-year old Kenari because her sister got a brand new car. And not only does she want a new car, she wants a VIOS. Sigh. I felt like slapping her across her spoiled face. But I thought twice, since the Kenari would definitely make getting around easier.
I'm grateful for the Kelisa that a friend is presently lending me. He has another more glamorous car that he uses. Unfortunately he had to take the Kelisa back for a long while when his Rover broke down. And when finally Rover was well again, Kelisa came back to me in a very sick state. Step on the brakes, and you hear the sound of a plane taking off. I'm not kidding. So off she went to the foreman. He was shocked to see how thin the brake discs had gone due to an untreated pair of brake pads. Poor car. She was screaming for help all this while and no one had heeded her cries. "Even F1 drivers don't end up with brake discs like these!" foreman said. I just laughed sheepishly.
Kelisa is four years old, with a very low mileage of 47k. And yet I've seen 20-year old cars in better shape than she. The bill came up to RM340. And that was just to repair the brakes. I only had RM400 on me. I couldn't afford to fix alarm system, the exhaust pipe that had broken in half (causing an underpowered engine and faster fuel consumption. Not good news since the petrol price hike)or the cracked windshield. I'll not mention how the very next day the sound system just crapped out, costing another RM25 to fix the wiring. It was just a temporary solution. I couldn't afford to pay another RM400++ to replace the broken amplifiers.
I can't imagine how this happened since I've really done my best to help poor Kelisa. I had her serviced 3 times during the few months she was with me previously. Changed her tyres. Washed her once a week in the parking lot of my apartment. Removed bird poo the minute it fell on her.
This is what caused me to burst into tears the other day. My bf looked surprised, but he was very understanding. Some of it has to do with the fact that my period was drawing near. But a large part was frustration with work and insufficient funds. The rent that I have to settle by myself every month since my housemate is facing some difficulties. The car, which seemed at first to be a convenience, became another financial burden.
Hence, I try to not drive since driving equals spending money I don't have. But there are instances where driving is unavoidable. It is just that much more convenient. It's really torturous to try calling for a cab, never knowing if there will be one willing to come to my place. I'm really glad that I don't really have to worry about transportation for work since there is someone to pick me up. (This is where my bf makes his point.)
Anyway, I really enjoy driving myself around. I do not have to work my schedule around anyone. I can go whenever and wherever I want. Sadly this is a very expensive comfort. And buying a secondhand, while practical since the value of a brand new car drops 20% the minute you drive it out, is tricky. You have no idea how the previous owner handled it. I don't want to be purchasing a 1994 Wira for 7k and end up paying more in repairs. There's so much I could be doing with that 7k.
Having said all this, I do realize I'm so much more better off than that indian man selling lottery tickets in the by day and washing cars by night. The teenage boy who replaced the gas cylinder. And the countless other people I saw in Thailand the other day, whether they were playing the violin for tips, waiting by the roadside to clean your windshield or dancing on tables. So thank you Lord, for everything you have given me. I do realize a car is a liability. Please let someone give me a car out of the kindness of their hearts. Or at least help me win one of those scratch-and-win things.
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