Driving again!

One of the topics that my expat girlfriends and I often talked about in Singapore was the type of car we would get upon repatriation!

We were a mix of ladies - some of us actually took the driving test in Singapore (see earlier post) and some of us did not.  Singapore has great public transportation.  You really didn't have to drive.  You could always walk (remember your umbrella), take the bus or MRT and then there were taxis (as long as it wasn't raining).  However, I certainly missed the freedom of getting in the car and driving myself wherever I was going, when I wanted to go and not have to plan and consult traffic or bus schedules.  

Anyway - in Texas, especially out here on the edge of Suburbia, a car is a must have!  There are no taxis or buses!  You could walk, but it is 5 miles to the nearest store of any kind from my house.

Size of car is the other factor we would discuss as expats.  A Toyota Camry was considered a BIG car in Singapore.  That is quite laughable to my Texan neighbours.  They all drive SUVs or trucks.

Cost of cars is another factor.  A Toyota Camry in Singapore costs over $100,000 dollars because of their tax, tag & license laws.  Ridiculous!  However, Singapore is a tiny island nation and they are trying to limit the amount of cars - that is why they provide good public transportation. 

One of the things that amused the Engineer the most was that there were many very wealthy people who could afford any car they wanted even with the exorbitant tax,tag, & license fee.  These wealthy people would buy and drive lamborghinis, ferraris, maserattis … cars all designed for speed.  The top legal speed in Singapore on any road was 90km per hour.  That is roughly about 55 mph!!!!!  It was ALL for show!

Anyway - It was in Singapore that I discovered my dream car and fell in love with it.
I found a website that lets you design your own personal style for the car.  For kicks, I designed mine:

This is the Audi R8!  This is my version of what I designed and it only comes to $156,000 US dollars - who knows what it would cost in Singapore.  I could NEVER justify paying that much for a car no matter how luxurious it is - I'm just too practical.  It is fun to dream though.
REALITY & PRACTICALITY smack you in the face upon repatriation though - to keep you grounded!

I've mentioned before that I'm pretty simple and practical, but I am also married to the THE VERY FRUGAL, PRACTICAL Engineer!!!!!!   This might be totally unique to me, but I'll share anyway.  Buying a car in our family is a very painful, weary process for me!  I'm pretty simple. A car just needs to be reliable and have air-conditioning to please me.  Amenities are nice, but not necessary.  I don't live in the car it just has to get me (and sometimes the kids) around town. This is why the R8 is only a dream - it can only transport one kid at a time - yeah - that's the reason why I'm not getting the R8!
Anyway, with the FRUGAL Engineer - buying a car involves numerous spreadsheets comparing car reliability, fuel efficiency, price, resale value, insurance, etc. etc. etc.!!!!!!  I refused to go "shopping" with the Engineer until he needed my signature to actually purchase a car!  We arrived back in the States in June - we did not actually purchase a car until September!!!!!!
To his credit, these are the parameters that we had to work with.  The Engineer is a manly man.  He plays ALL sports!  He loves to camp and I don't mean glam camp - He is in the back country having packed it all in!  He fishes. He hunts - anything and everything.  He gardens.  He builds things.  He can take any kind of machinery apart and put it back together.  This is why I call him the Engineer Extraordinaire!  The manly man needs a truck! Oh and not just any kind of truck, but a BIG truck!  One that can handle all the demands the manly-man, Engineer Extraordinaire would require!  The PROBLEM came in when the spreadsheets didn't match up with the wants!
The COMPANY has the Engineer working at another location 70 miles from our house and 50 miles from where he will eventually be located!  The Engineer HAD to have a fuel efficient car!  A BIG truck is NOT fuel efficient by any means.  The Engineer still wanted a truck so he could engage in ALL the activities mentioned above that were NOT possible in Singapore.  In order to "Have his cake and eat it, too", the Engineer had to ask his wonderful, understanding wife if she would consider driving a BIG truck as her vehicle.  Since his most gracious and loving wife still didn't have a vehicle after 3 months of living back in the States and since the truck had Air-conditioning and could transport both kids, she agreed to drive the BIG truck!  

After 7 months of driving the BIG truck, I might be getting the hang of it.  It isn't too bad out here on the edge of Suburbia.  I fit right in with the cowboys (although, I don't wear a hat or cowboy boots).  I like being up high above everyone else.  I see other women driving BIG trucks - BIGGER than mine - you have to take two steps just to get in them!  I still am having trouble parking it.  We should get a back-up camera for the truck! I prefer angled parking spots!  I usually just park way out in the parking lot - it is part of my keep fit plan to never park close!

HERE'S HOPING YOU GET THE CAR YOU WANT UPON REPATRIATION, BUT IF NOT, YOU HAVE A COMRADE IN SPIRIT!

HAPPY DRIVING!