Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Car dilemma

I have a bit of a dilemma and need some advice and thoughts on it.
Every weekday morning JiXiang and I head out to her daycare. We walk there. She rides in her stroller, I park the stroller at the daycare, then I pick up my bike and go to work. This system has worked very well for a little over two months now and has created a relaxing routine.
Well, the daycare is moving.
Not overly far but a little bit farther, and on to the other side of the train tracks.
As a plus, it is moving in the general direction of my work place but as a negative, farther away from the station. This means no bicycle parking areas.
Now it takes 10 minutes to briskly walk to daycare, as of Monday it will take a little over 15, probably closer to 20.
My dilemma is a car.
NO I AM NOT BUYING ONE HERE IN JAPAN!
But our dear friend Kouru has offered to give us one. Kouru is a long time friend who really means well. He is a used-car dealer and has offered to give us a car until we leave. He says totally free, but in my head nothing is totally free. He says it is because no one want to buy the car, so in my mind this means a shit car. Now I know that Kouru would never screw us but I just dont want the car.
Every bone in my body is screaming dont take the car.
Li thinks I am stupid for saying no and that we should just take it, but I really dont want it. I am having trouble explaining my reasons as they are pretty flimsy. Here I am trying to convince him to let me buy a new car when we go to Canada, and here we are offered a free one and I say no.
Reasons for:
1. overall convenience
2. getting JiXiang to daycare RAIN or shine
3. easier shopping
4. mom is coming in a few weeks

My reasons against:
1. I hate driving in Japan. Drivers here have been taught defensive driving, not offensive and tend to drive scared and on their brakes. Freaks me out.
2. the rules are different regarding accidents and fender benders. Here the bigger vehicle is the looser even if the other guy was the idiot. I find this unnerving.
3. gas is more expensive here
4. Li cant drive so that makes me the main person in charge of the damn car
5. no exercise. This is a big one for me and my fat ass.
6. nothing is ever really free
7. we have only one parking space so if I put our car in there where will my private students park? There is NO parking around our area.
8. I really want to buy a new bike with a child seat on it.

I really do want to buy the bike but Li thinks that this is the stupidest idea because a new bike with a baby child seat will cost between three to five hundred dollars and we cant bring it back to Canada with us. We can sell it at the used store after but we will loose money.
I know he is right but we can not bring back the sofa either and we spent 800bucks on that damn thing. We love it but will have to sell it the recycle shop as well.
His answer to that pissed me right off.
-Who would want this piece of shit?
-When did it suddenly become a piece of shit?! Today to justify your reasoning?!?!?!
Needless to say the conversation stopped around there.
He is going to phone the day care people today and talk to them about bike and stroller parking at the new place. If he forgets I freak on his ass.
Today I think I convinced myself that walking the entire way to daycare and then to work will do my ass and stomach wonders just that I will have to wake up much earlier and leave much earlier. This I really dont like.
I just dont want the car.
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Posted by (Top)Andrea::7/27/2005 :: 6 Comments:

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