Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

For most people, a car is a vehicle to take you from point A to point B. But there are quite a few who worship the the grounds their cars run over.

My significant other is one of those in the latter group. Alex is mad about cars. Just a few months before he got the call to move over to Melbourne for a job, he bought a brand new Honda Accord back in Kuala Lumpur. On the day he decided to make the purchase, he called me at my office and asked me to go for a test drive with him during lunch. I knew about his fixation with the Honda Accord and since the Honda showroom was near my office, I agreed to go with him. After all, it was just a test drive. No commitment whatsoever.

Boy, was I wrong!

The test drive was great and I could see Alex drooling over the car. But before I had the chance to say "let's talk about this new car thing", he and the car salesmen started talking numbers and within minutes, we, or rather I, became the new owner of a Honda Accord. Well, nice of Alex to buy the car in my name but you see, in those days, I didn't drive. I had a driver's license but was just too nervous to drive around the city! So the car was legally mine in name only. The one behind the wheel would be Alex.

Gosh, he glowed with pride and happiness on the day we went to collect the car. I wasn't over the moon like him. The reason? We could barely afford it and my job contract was about to end. How were we going to maintain the car if I couldn't find a high-paying job after that?

But fear not, the man would do anything to keep the car. He ended up paying for the monthly repayment all by himself!

Then, we made the big move to Australia. Ah, the cars here are much cheaper. What are considered terribly expensive in Malaysia are actually quite affordable here. And I suspect one of the reasons dear hubby is so keen on migrating here is the fact that luxury cars is within his grasp here, unlike back home in Malaysia.

With too many choices here, Alex couldn't decide which flashy car to get when he first arrived. He changed his mind quite a few times and in the end settled for a really flashy and sporty, and not to mention HUGE Mazda CX-7.

I was horrified. I would be the one driving the car. And being a not-so-great driver, that really stressed me out. I could just imagine the kind of fate that would await me if I accidentally scratch, dent or bang his new expensive toy. And did I mention that despirte being "affordable", this car is truly high maintenance?

How I wished he'd got me a much smaller, not to mention much cheaper and lower maintenance Honda Civic! I wouldn't even have minded a used car. At least I wouldn't have to worry about scratching it.

To make matters worse, I had to sit for a series of driving tests to get my Victorian license. Gosh, having Alex as my instructor wasn't a drive in the park. He'd chastise me for the slightest thing, making me more nervous and anxious whenever we're on the road. Not surprisingly, I failed my practical driving test FOUR times before finally passing.

I've got used to the car now. It's still big to me and parking it is quite a challenge. But I have to admit that it's a fantastic and easy to drive car. And that Alex has great taste in cars, high maintenance or not.

I just hope me and kids won't starve soon ...