We bought a car yesterday. A Proton Saga. What an ordeal, trying to get money out of our savings account to Malaysia was really something. We tried wire, credit cards, debit cards, money transfers and several other things. Nothing worked. Finally we just got cash from the ATM Machine at $500 a day until we got the $5000 one cost. Title, registration, insurance, what a joke. I hope the car holds up and that we can sell it when we leave. If we just walk away, that is still less expensive than leasing. A whole new learning curve with the steering and driving on the left side. All controls are exactly backwards. At least we won't have to walk in the dark, (subject to hold-ups) and in the rain.
At the dinner at Uki's on Thursday night, when we were sliding the bowls of food around to each other, I tipped over the bowl of lizard meat. Right upside down on the tile floor. Everyone laughed. No big deal, we just tipped it back over and scooped in the food and ate right on. I assume the floor was clean. It should be, we all walk on it with bare feet, not dirty shoes. Today we are having American food (ha), rice, red beans, onion, weird sausage, (brats)and tomatoes all fried up together. ok but not steak.
We had two baptisms today after church. A lady in her early twenties named Melauti and her mother in law. Melauti has a little girl about 2 years old. Her husband is working in China off shore. He could not believe his mother was interested because she has not attended a church in her whole life. We hope that he will be interested when he comes home in a couple of months. Different than America where we have had to get permission from the husband for his wife to participate in church ordinances.
3 comments:
So you bought a car. I hope that works out good or you. Safe is good! I can't imagine driving on the other side of the road! I can't imagine doing all the things or eating all the things you are! Love to hear about it all. Take care. Rena and Dave
Glad that you got a car! That will be a help. It took me about three months in Australia to feel like driving on the left was second nature and I didn't have to think about it every second. One thing that really helped me was remembering to keep myself (the driver) in the middle of the road (in two-way traffic)and also, remembering that the turn indicator is the lever closest to your side window - same as in the US, but just on the other side of the car. And the gas and brake pedals are in the same position - thank goodness! I could drive competently before 3 months - so will you - but I couldn't drive and even think about anything else. Good luck! You will be great! And then you'll get home and find out you can't drive on the right side of the road anymore!!
ha ha ha ! wait until you get home and feel TOTALLY confused about which side of the road to drive on. You drill yourself over and over there, and then get home, and sometimes have to wait for a car to drive by to remember which side is right here! So funny.
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