Car ownership

I've gotten my car for 1 week already. Wow... what an experience!

The initial feeling was of course exhilaration! My very own car!! My beautiful shiny black corolla altis! I thought about all the fun things i can do with it and how convenient life would be from now on. i sat in the driver's seat and dreamed about driving this wonderful thing everywhere around singapore.

Then next, come frustration! Car ownership is suddenly plagued with a new set of rules and more paperwork to handle. Insurance, road tax, season parking tickets, where to find petrol kiosks near my house, applying for the Shell card, apply for parking in my workplace, etc. Lots of things to learn from my frens too... which multistorey car parks to avoid, which highway and roads to take, which grade petrol to use, how often should i wash my car. It's just been 1 week and i feel that my life has taken a 180 degrees turn.

Started driving around my block, then my neighbourhood and slowly progressed to driving via AYE to work under my dad's supervision. Finally i became daring enough to go on short trips on my own, amidst all the heart palpitations and heightened alertness.

Alas! yesterday was possibly the lowest day of my life in many months! I scratched my car!! No thanks to the crazee designers/engineers of the carpark at Jurong Entertainment Centre! I felt totally lousy and incompetent... felt i didn't deserve to own a car... felt really stupid... replayed "why din i see that?" ten million times in my head. Well, i've gone through the stages of anger, self-reproachment, acceptance and finally enlightenment. and now i just console myself that the scratch can be repaired, the pain in the heart will always be remembered and the lesson is learnt.
Only saving grace is I'm glad that it is MY car i'm talking abt. I would've been slaughtered and banned from using the car ever again if it were my dad's car. phew!

Still learning and getting used to it... one day i'll be a confident and safe enough driver.