Today is "coding" for the big red car (as Ikai calls it). On normal coding days, the big red car doesn't move a budge from where it is parked (it often does not even move at all for days and days even!) but today it had to move before 7am because later today we have a walk (lakad) with the kids. And given the incredible (or incredulous) system of our public taxi transport, the big red car becomes a necessity.
So, after dropping off my wife at her office, the big red car went to its designated parking space (thank goodness for free parking!) where it will wait for the next ten hours or so for us to embark upon it and take us home.
* * * *
They say that the first ever car any new driver possesses will be the "practice" car -- the car that gets all the bumps and bruises as its driver learns and masters the deadly art of metropolitan driving.
The big red car is no exception, I guess, no matter how hard I try to be careful. But I am quite thankful that up until now (since I got the big red car last summer), it has received nothing more than two small bumps on the rear bumper.
The first bump is hardly discernible -- a slight bump of a concrete post along a street down Chrysanthemum Village in San Pedro, Laguna. I was backing, trying to maneuver my way out of a dead-end and very tight street (that I knew from first-hand biking experience in youth was not a dead-end) when I miscalculated the pedal and brake and very, very slight bumped the concrete post. My wife, who was acting as my back-up assistant swore she saw the rear bumper buckle when I hit the post but that it sprang back to shape when the big red car trudged a bit forward.
The second bump was a result of a parking miscue. I have yet to really master the suave art of parking and in this one instance when I was parking in my designated parking space I was trying to avoid three obstacles -- a Pajero on my left front, another SUV on my right front, and thirdly the circular building post on my rear right. As it was a tight squeeze, I was looking on my front and at the right side-mirror and was neglecting my left side-mirror when I suddenly heard a crunch (I was backing up inch by inch as I was trying to avoid hitting the sides of the SUVs) -- I had hit a building column on my left side.I nudged the big red car forward a bit, got down and to my my dismay -- scratches on the left bumper. Worse, the bump had misaligned the bumper a bit. Despite this, at least it's still a minor damage and didn't affect the vehicle in any way (and not really bothered as the front bumper were also a bit loose when the vehicle was first bought second-hand -- like it didn't fit properly, this assembly car being like one big jigsaw puzzle).
Despite these two incidents, I still don't like to think about the big red car as one "practice" car. It's going to stay with me and my family for the next five years so I really need to take good care of it.
It's the one and only so it's the only option I have.
* * * *
The big red car was not brand new when I got it.
It's a second-hand 2007 Innova J (manual transmission, gasoline-powered) that I got through the Desk's car plan for officers. I got it from an employee of a media outfit who sold it at a reasonable price because he had to avail of their company's car plan policy.
The big red car was well-kept and CASA-maintained but had the inevitable scratches and marks (more now than then since it's usually parked outside on the street subject to all forms of torture such as falling twigs and leafs, bird droppings, dust and dirt, mud (when it rains and water rises a bit), and kids). I'd like to make sure it retains its shiny coat though so it has to undergo detailing one of these days.
Since I got it, the only improvement I've made was to put an alarm system to it (for security as, like I said, it is parked outside) and a sign tacked at the back window that says "Kids Onboard". But someday, I do hope to add bells and whistles to it -- a DVD system probably, chrome accessories probably, buy a car cover for it, a better sound system with four speakers (it only has two, up front), and maybe accessorize it with a top rack. I've seen newer Innovas sporting custom-fenders and body sculpting but I'm ok with the big red car's body as it is.
Probably just fix up the bumpers a bit to make them fit snugly and new paint.
* * * *
So, now you probably know why I refer to it as the big red car. Ikai's point of comparison is her Lolo's car, a '97 Mazda 323 Familia converted (metallic gray, lowered, custom front and rear bumpers, spoiler, noisy noisy muffler) which she call's "Lolo's car yung gray".
The Mazda was my first "practice" car. When my folks went to the US for a vacation around March this year, I took home to Makati the Mazda to use it rather than allow the car to be "stuck-up" in Laguna and gather rust and corrosives. The car, not leaving the home, would also be a telltale sign that no one's home and both it and the house could be the target of akyat-bahays.
For about two months, I basically drove the Mazda -- practicing my newly-acquired driving skills with it. I got my first two traffic violation tickets with it. While it wasn't used everyday, I did manage to drive it to Los Baños, Laguna and in the process learn how to effectively stop-and-go on an incline; wheeled it around the Metro while I looked at potential Innovas I would be buying (ended up buying the big red car in Sampaloc), and experienced my first night-driving and night-driving-with-accompanying-storm with it.
So, it was with fond memories when I finally brought the Mazda back to its parking home in my folk's home's driveway where it patiently awaited its true driver.
* * * *
The first time that I ever drove the big red car was when I went to Libis to pick it up from the seller.
Of all the places, Libis was unfamiliar territory and it was a last minute call by the seller and rather than delay it, I went to the meeting place in Libis (McDo along C5) and was handed the keys and given the general tour of the vehicle.
Problem was I wasn't wearing the proper footwear. I was wearing a heeled pair and being a newbie driver, that posed problems (until now I prefer to use flat soled shoes for driving and when I drive to the office, I carry with me my office shoes). As I was driving out of the McDo parking onto C5, I immediately knew my footing would be a prob so I turned on the hazards and turtled my way through the traffic hoping to find the u-turn slot that'll take me back to Makati.
Second problem was that the configuration of an AUV is different from a typical sedan. I had to deal with the bigness of the Innova from the inside and having been used to the dimensions of the Mazda, the Innova's seemingly bigger and bulkier form was intimidating. Plus, the sitting orientation is different -- in a sedan, you tended to be laid back a bit while in the Innova, you were sitting up. Totally different environ that built up the panic a bit.
To top it all up, the gas meter showed that it was nearly empty! Nice one. I was in unfamiliar territory, driving an unfamiliar vehicle, and I had no idea where the nearest gas station was. Fortunately, enroute to the u-turn slot, I espied a gas station on the other side so I quickened the pace a bit (panicking I might end up pushing the Innova when it runs out of gas, or worse, getting it towed) and managed to reach the gas station and had the big red car filled up.
Then I ditched my shoes, turned on the radio for some AM talkies, and lowered the airconditioning. Then I drove home with nothing but my socks on and started enjoying the ride.
It was with a breathe of relief that I finally arrived an hour or so later (drove around 30-40kph and missed a flyover) and texted my wife that I'm just outside the gate.
