Is Auto Financing Math or English?

One of the benefits of killing time – that is, for me, blogging – is that I get sit in front of my PC, stare blankly at the glowing CRT and instinctively placing both my hands on the keyboard’s home keys. That may sound a bit lame for a killing, but lately, that is what it is. This is also one of the times when I dream I have my own tread mill and gym set which would be a healthier way to pass time away. So while I’m not there yet, I’ll let my typing fingers do the walking for now.

Just a few weeks ago while unconsciously surfing the net like a “career zombie” trying to find a plan B after the inevitable pull out of our company, I chanced upon a sticky thread in one of my favorite automotive hangout. The thread is titled: …is looking for new talent . That intrigued me. I was then thinking: I can drive, I can do two-point reverse maneuver, I can blindly pass through Daang Hari at night & I can grab the hand brakes while my wife does an 80 kph turn. Well, what could be better than that? So I clicked to read on.

To my disappointment they’re not looking for dummy drivers. Pun intended? They’re looking for someone who can do Auto journalism. Come to think of it, they’re looking for some dummy of sort. Yes? While I haven’t seen my plan B yet, I might as well make this my plan C. I sent a private message to one of the administrators.

Unfortunately, I received no acknowledgment since then. I actually returned back to the thread to check if my foolish mind failed to see when it was posted. It was just recently. Damn.

Today however, while I absentmindedly check my emails after a graveyard duty, I saw an email from the car forum. My mind woke up in an instance. I’m once again fantasizing of being inside a brand new Toyota Camry for me to do a review; inhaling deeply and sucking all the new car scent it could offer; fiddling nervously with its keys while contemplating on what it could offer as it zoom past Cavite’s potholed highway to test its wide wheelbase and torture its suspension. Reality though sets in just as soon as it left me. Part of the email reply said, “Can you do an article on Auto Financing? Make an outline first, then [sic] we’ll start from there”. He must be kidding.

The reply just confused me. It appeared to me as two separate things. Auto Financing is an oxymoron. Know I’m wondering if Auto Financing is either Math or English.

Yahoo! power came in handy. I tried to check what the blog word has to offer regarding Auto Financing. Surprisingly, I didn’t fully expect what I’d find.  The search yield tags made me cringe. It was after all where I’m currently at right now – in debt, financing needed, bad credit, etc. Did someone say before, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you?” It was too late for me to undo. I’ve read it already.

Doing an article about Auto Financing is like doing an autopsy to myself. I would be writing like:

 “…The best time to purchase a car is right after a job promotion. Is your company’s inventory piling up? Is your company getting less attention? And Did the CEOs just recently focus their investments in Vietnam? Is your stock price in a plateau state? Screw it all. You still really need a car. The best financing deals are up for grabs.

Don’t let this chance go to drain. The local dailies motoring section are flooding with irresistible offers. Most dealers are now competing for market share and deals range from 5% off, all-in offers, 3 years + 1 warranty. The list is almost endless (read: You really need a car).

Worry no more. Banks will not only check your credit history, proof of availability…but (a pause and drum rolls is highly recommended at this point) of course also your severance package…”

Ouch. I’d die even before the editor is done proofreading my article. Wait, did I mention what my plan A is? Bum around for months while looking for plan B to Z. Ti abi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My First Blog, Actually

(I was browsing my multiply.com site and saw this one hidden. Then I remember, this is my first shot at doing a blog. Since I’ve also posted this in our company’s internal site, I deleted its name here. (hint: Only the paranoid survive)Some of the practices in this blog though may not be true anymore. Rest assured, I still respect the Pedestrian lanes.)

I like walking around our company’s campus a lot. Why? Because it is here where most, if not all drivers would abide by the speed limits placed on designated lanes. It is also where drivers and commuters wear seat belts too; motorists would patiently wait for the pedestrians to safely cross the street before they proceed driving. In today’s world, this is almost too ideal.

Day in, day out this commendable practice goes on inside this pedestrian-friendly campus. Lately though, I’ve observed that the entrance gates seems to look like pit lane entrances and the exit gates like pit lane exits. The former is where speeding employees would brake to follow minimum speed & the latter, is where outgoing employees would rev their engines & hit the gas and dash to their destinations just like F1 racers do. I always wonder if these gates are warp zones where every driver is zapped into a different world from where they’re currently are.

Frankly, I was guilty of this act too. I’ve been driving back and forth for almost one and a half-year already. I admit I drove like hell outside the campus during the first year. It was a very good thing (company name) had this on-line Defensive Driving course & it got me enlightened somehow. Still, I would still drive aggressively but would be cautious, up to the extent of counting thousand 1, thousand 2, thousand 3…to estimate my distance from the car in front of mine. At least.

Then this time came for my wife to learn how to drive. Eventually, I came to be her “boot-camp” coach whenever she would drive to and from work. I was wondering every time though that despite my conscious effort to lecture her on the proper and safe way to drive, we would end the driving sessions in frustration and disappointment.

What went wrong then? Well, I’m a firm believer that “a good teacher, makes a good student”…in this case, teacher – me, student – wife…bad teacher, bad student. It was this driving encounter that made me realize that I could be a big factor indeed. How can I expect her to follow what I’m teaching if she doesn’t see me doing it. And so the saying goes “Practice what you preach”.

It’s almost two weeks already since I’ve been driving defensively & coolly. Now, there’s lesser mad honking, lesser unnecessary overtaking, more consideration, and more courtesy. And for those who don’t know, it feels good all the time.

And guess what, just this weekend my wife was on the wheel from our home to our favorite hang-out, almost 20kilometers away & she did perfectly well, almost perfect until it was time to park…but then again, nobody’s perfect. She’s currently grounded. Just kidding.

So please if you value safe driving inside _____ (company deleted), I encourage you as well to do it on your way to and from home. Someone’s waiting for the pedestrians to come home. And so does yours – your family.