Genesis

I really wanted to have my own car when I was younger. I felt like it's a necessity for men to have one. Probably I was influenced by my father's passion for cars. And also because of the joy that I felt when I was just a kid and my father asked me to start the engine or step on the gas while he examined under the hood.

I was in 2nd year college when my mom decided to buy a second-hand car from my brother-in-law's friend. It was a 5-door hatchback Kia Pride with a manual transmission. Back then, I still don't know how to drive.

Using that car, my sister taught me how to drive. Months later, my maternal grandfather enrolled me in a driving school. My family is really supportive with the thought of me driving a car.

My mom was never comfortable with how I drive that she even had to get a family driver. As far as I can remember, there were only two instances that I drove the car with her. I admit though that I am a very terrible driver back then. However, she was very supportive and lets me use the car whenever I wanted. She even asked our driver to accompany me when I'm driving in case something goes wrong.

Fast forward to 2012, my mom went to the US and left the car to me. It was very old at that time and in a bad condition. I was already working during that time, but I didn't have enough money to have it fixed. Although I spent a little to revive it, later on, I gave up and sold it and used the money to pay my mom's credit card bills.

Two years later, our manager was selling a manual stepper at a very low price. It's a gym equipment, but I had to use a car to bring it home. Luckily, my girlfriend was looking for a gym equipment, so that she won't have to go to a gym or jog somewhere to burn calories.

Thanks for the stepper, Manager! It was a great deal!

So I decided to ask my father to borrow his 1995 Toyota Corolla so I can bring the stepper home. I was actually hesitant, even though I've been driving that car for several times already. That's because for almost a year, I never had a chance to drive. The last time was during the wake of my paternal grandfather, which was August last year. Thanks to my girlfriend for pushing me to borrow the car. I owe it to you big time!

Fortunately, my dad allowed me to borrow his car. And he was so funny to include this note along with the keys:

The sweetest way to tell someone to take care of something you lent them.

I am still keeping it in my wallet that's why it already looks bad.

Anyway, after I brought home the stepper, I kept the car with me for a while. I used it to go to work every day, and to go to my basketball games during weekends. I did this for a month. And I can say, I really enjoyed driving! I missed it so badly and loved it so much that I often find myself daydreaming that I was driving.

Then one day, the husband of my girlfriend's boss offered to sell his car to us. It's because he'll be going abroad. They wanted to sell it to someone they know because they are already attached to it. They even named it Blackie. They wanted to ensure that the car will be taken cared of. The price was good, and the terms were really great. So I've decided to check it out. I've asked my brother-in-law to accompany me in checking the car, as I really do not know what to check and that his car know-hows are far better than anybody I know.

One Sunday afternoon, we decided to check the car. And it turned out to be a very rare family day. We had dinner and watched a very nice movie afterwards. What's more memorable was that, I was assigned to drive them to the meeting place. It started out as a joke, and my sister and my girlfriend were just teasing me to drive. I guess my sister still thinks that I'm the same shitty driver that I was before, but I believe, or what I want to believe is that, my girlfriend believes now that I can do it already as she's been my regular passenger for the past month.

So I took the challenge. I thought I have already proven that I have improved my driving. It was just so weird because it was the very first time for me or probably for all of us to see my brother-in-law in the passenger seat. :))

_nicoleness photography

The family that takes a groufie together, stays together.

On August 13, 2014, we've finally agreed on a deal for the car. Blackie will now have a new home, a new family, and a new life. That's why my girlfriend and I decided to change the name and the gender of the car. Her new name is Getzy (Edit 20160216 Getzy Bear is her full name). She is a 2007 Hyundai Getz with a manual transmission. She is a dream come true for my girlfriend and I. We hope to post more of our adventures with Getzy soon.

Getzy 20140813