Being a country of cars and drivers, it
is almost “wrong” to be always traveling by public transport in Germany.
The thrill of joining the speeding brigade of the biggest brands of
cars, equipped with the latest technology available, whizzing on the
best laid-out roads - the german Autobahn, is an experience that can
hardly be aptly expressed. More so, when behind the wheel. Being a
german driving license holder since half a year, it was time to get me
an Auto (car in German) and hit the road!
The
task of deciding on the right car was hardly trivial, considering the
wide range of brands, classes, models and technical configurations on
offer. However, the “width” of this range narrowed down considerably,
once my beloved and I fixed our budget! Our search began with the
initial idea of a 3 year old second-hand BMW 1-series. But after several
weeks of comparing technical data and reviews of probable brands and
models in that segment, discussing with colleagues, searching online for
offers and renegotiating our budget, we finalized on a new snow-white
Opel Astra hatchback with a respectable 64 kilowatt 1.4 liter engine.
On
our way to the Opel dealership on the big day, we were both bubbling
with excitement, like kids being bought their first bicycle. The car
dealer named Blessing turned out to be indeed a blessing for us,
first-time car owners. In addition to patiently answering our never
ending questions regarding financing, insurance and servicing, he even
advised us about the car deal like a well-wisher, rather than a
salesman. Once we were done signing the papers, there was a little
handing-over-the-keys ceremony, where we proud owners took a picture
with our handsome new car, we decided to name Ashwa – the white horse.
Ashwa posed elegantly with us, showing off his special license plate
RA-1130, with our initials and wedding date. During our debut home-run
over the Autobahn A-81, I confined myself to “loser” speeds, well below
those usual on the Autobahn, letting trucks and “humbler” cars overtake
me, seemingly saying “Puppy shame to you!” as they passed by.
Ashwa
brought several positive changes in our daily routine. I climbed up the
professional ladder with my promotion from Her Majesty’s porter to Her
Majesty’s chauffeur! We were no longer bound to the fixed bus or train timings to
travel to or from work or elsewhere. We could jump in and drive off at
will. Traveling to any destination henceforth meant just entering the
address into the navigation system and driving as routed, rather than
checking the best connection, buying the cheapest ticket and changing
buses or trains along the way. Loading our weekly supplies from the
supermarket into the boot and driving home was way more convenient than
packing the supplies into a trolley bag and wheeling it home on foot.
Ashwa thus thoroughly pampered us with comfort and flexibility.
But
having neither driven nor owned a car in Germany before, we had our
share of first-times, some memorable, some forgettable. Our clumsy first
attempt to fill up at a petrol bunk, being stuck at the exit of a paid
parking lot not knowing how to pay, wondering if some behavior of an
in-vehicle system is a feature or a defect, the worm in the head teasingly asking
“Have you locked the car?!”, the guilt and fear after absentmindedly driving through a
red signal, the heart-in-the-mouth feeling after a close call due to a
wrong turn. Aaaaaand the winner is – the sickening pain in the stomach
after the first dent on the car while parking! All said and done, they
were all part of the experience and I am glad they happened.
Anyways,
it’s now high time I cut the words and let the actions do the talking.
As my better half and her “lesser full” mount Ashwa and saddle in, allow
me to offer you half a wave of my hand and a promise to be back soon,
before we ride away into oblivion.
