I Miss My Car...

When I made the decision to move half way around the world, I figured that the hardest part would be that I am, in fact, half way around the world from my friends and family and my cat.  And yes, it has been hard...I've been here for 8 months and this month has been most difficult for me in terms of home sickness.  But the one constant ache, the one thing I really didn't expect, was the loss of my car.

In my previous life I was fortunate enough to be provided with a company car so I didn't really have a chance to develop an emotional attachment to any of the hundreds that I drove over the years...but when I left, I bought a little sports car from a friend and colleague who was taking advantage of the same company car program and I immediately formed a bond on my first test drive...she's not fancy, she's not luxurious, (she's definitely not quiet!!!) but she's mine.  I drove her for exactly 4 months before moving away and now she's parked in my dad's driveway.  Alone.  Without me.  And I miss her.  At the beginning I missed her more than my family (sorry family!).  I keep a photo of my car on my desktop - that's how much I miss her...

When I talk to my dad, I always ask about my car.  How she's doing, if he's cleared the snow off of her, if she's parked in the sun (she has a little car cozy that is supposed to protect the paint and such but you can't be too careful), if he's been driving her, etc.  My dad says that since I've been gone, she's been acting up a little.  For example, lately, the battery won't hold a charge.  So whenever he goes out to start her up, he has to give her a little boost.  I think she misses me too...

I have driven a car exactly once since I've been here - a tiny 4 cyl Hyundai Eos or something (a model we don't have in Canada but that seemed smaller than the Accent)...but it was exhilirating!  I felt so free and powerful!  Because, you see, here I walk or take the bus everywhere.  It sucks.  And it's dangerous.  Anyone ever played Frogger??  That's what being a pedestrian in Turkey is like.  You take your life in your hands every time you step off the sidewalk!  Pedestrians walk across the busy roads dodging between moving vehicles like they are pesky flies impeding their progress across the road. It's amazing to watch.  And after a few months of doing it, I am just as blasé about the whole thing as the natives are.  Who'd have thought??  

However, as dangerous as walking is, it's safer than driving here.  There seems to be an inherent disregard for any traffic related rule across the board in this country.  Cars squeeze together 4 abreast on a 2 lane street...red light? Doesn't mean anything.  One way street?  Doesn't apply to me...No stop signs at intersections, no pedestrian rights!  Paint is scraped, mirrors are lost, bumpers pulled off, doors dented and feet are run over on a daily basis...makes me glad that my little baby is safe at home under her car cozy waiting for my return...

** Safety warning:  For those of you not familiar with Frogger and who plan to come to Turkey, please click on this link:
http://www.frogger.net/