The Road is Long...

Hello, yes it is me Suzanne.  No I haven’t fallen of the face of the earth I have just been busy with life in a new country.

Not a lot has happened really – work, sleep and then you guessed it – work again!

The story/adventure this week is my one to do with car buying.  Back home I remember buying my last car – walk into the dealer, pick the car I like, trade in my old one, fill in the paper work and it is all yours.  Well I wish it was that simple over here for me – I say for me because I am sure any normal American could simply buy a car as I have just described, but this was not the case for me.

On Monday of last week I decided that I would fork out my money and purchase a used car – I had thought that I might get finance for the car but that worked out to be more trouble than I could handle at this time. 

So on Tuesday I head off to the local car dealer (it is just across the road and took me 2 hours on the Internet to find), and I look for a car in my price range – I had talked to my local VIF advisor and she offered her husbands services to check out the car.  I gladly accepted and walked around the car yard making my final choices before they were to join me on this little adventure.  I know I have said before, but I thought this was going to be a trouble free exercise but as usual I was WRONG – again!

I think at this point there are a few things you need to know – my advisor is a VIF teacher like myself, she is from the Philippines and she has been in this country for 4 years now – so she knows this town and the way it works so any help she offers I gladly accept. 

We arrive at the car yard and proceed to look and talk about the different cars they have. After about 20mins they chose a car that was the better of the 2 I had picked out.  Finally, the dealing begins.  At this time I need to let you know that I am not good at the whole haggling thing – I noticed that the price on the windscreen was higher than the one on the doors so asked the dealer and he said he would honour the lower prices – yes that was $400 off – my haggling was done.  To say that’s where it ends would be a lie – my lovely advisor then stepped up and proceded to get the price reduced by $1000, along with 2 new tyres, a new battery, a new spare tyre and a 3month warranty.  I stared at her in astonishment as she truly haggled with guy, then she turned and said, “I am Asian, its what we do!”  Needless to say if I need anything else she is coming with me.

So the saga of the Social Security continues in this story because in order to buy the car I need a NC Drivers Licence and in order to get a drivers licence I need to sit a written test and driving test and oh yes, and I also need my social security number. 

When the number finally came it was the weekend and as per nearly every country in the world everything shuts down so I have to wait.  So I sit the test with my new special number and then am told I need insurance, which I couldn’t get any earlier because I needed that number again.  I am telling you it is a vicious cycle that all comes back to the almighty Social Security number.

So to cut a very long and probably boring to most story short – I am now the owner of a white 2005 Chevrolet Malibu (and as a friend constantly reminds me it is the same type of car Barbie drives – although it doesn’t at all).  It is a bit rough around the edges but it will get me from A to B so I am happy.

Well, its late and there is a thunderstorm raging outside and it is so hot inside - to say that I am truly baffled at the contrast of the weather in this state is an understatement – I will get used to it but I am telling you it is really strange.  Will post photos when it stops raining and I can get outside to take them.  So until then…