Vol 8 Car Shopping, Part 2

No car yet. I’m afraid after Firas and I went car shopping I went into a doubt paralysis. Should I get the Daihatsu? Automatic or manual? What color? Is pink silly? New car or hold out for used? Daihatsu or Mitsubishi or Toyota? I felt really bad because we hadn’t even gone to the Toyota dealership.

I kept remembering that 20 years ago I called my parents all excited that I was buying a new car. “What kind?” they asked. “A Hyundai Pony” I replied. Hyundai was quite a new company back then. “Why a Hyundai?” my Dad asked. “Because they’re having a promo; if you bring in anything to trade-in, even a coffee cup, they’ll give you $1000 to use as a down payment. I don’t have a down payment so it’s the only car I can afford.” My Dad called the next day and said “I did a little research. I’ll give you $1000 to buy a Toyota.” He was right. When I sold my Tercel 5 years later I got a really good price. Pony’s were going for nothing. Thanks Dad.

I don’t have access to the internet to research the Daihatsu. And I’ve been looking for a decent, affordable used car since I got here. They are impossible to find, (which means no matter what I buy, it will sell). And I need a car- I’m living out in the boonies. The fun, and the internet, are in the city.


Tonight I asked Firas to take me to the Toyota dealership after work. This is the largest Toyota dealership in the world, (Arabs are crazy for Toyotas). And I sat in the Yaris. And that was that. My legs don’t fit. Even with the seat all the way back and the steering wheel tilted all the way up my knees hit the steering wheel. And I was wearing flats. It was actually quite funny.

So I’m getting the Daihatsu. Pink. Automatic. I’ve never had an automatic, I like to shift, but there are traffic jams here and I don’t want my foot stuck on the clutch. And it’s got oodles of room for my stupid long legs. We’re supposed to get it tomorrow. I guess I’ll find out in a year if it was a mistake.

By the way, Eric and Val’s son is all better now. Lab tests confirmed salmonella. Not sure where he got it from. All he seems to eat is McDonalds French fries and juice. Their daughter only eats rice and chicken nuggets. Oh yeah, they also eat dry sugary junk cereal. When we go to the grocery store together they buy everything from the center aisles and I buy everything from the edges. All of my food goes in the crisper, which used to be empty- they don’t eat fresh anything. I think they’re strange and they think I’m strange! I keep bringing home weird vegetables to try. I’ll devote a posting to food as soon as I remember to take my camera to the grocery store.