24 July 2001 - 14 July 2009

My family car is now reduced to a cube of metal. It got scrapped today. So long my beautiful Nissan Prairie who has let us drive it to death for 8 years.

The gearbox of the car broke down last month while my dad was on the PIE. Good thing he had driven to the road shoulder before it breathed its last. And there it went. It costs $18,000 to replace it. No way were we paying that much for an old car and that was the end of discussion.

"A car without a gearbox... wah, it's like a person without legs la!"

[I actually think its more like a person without a part of the brain leh...]

I miss that car already.

Coming to think about it, this car has done its fair share of charity.

When we first got it, it was used to ferry the elderly to and fro their homes and church so they could attend sunday services. Even recently my dad used it to ferry handicapped ones who wanted to attend church conferences. Not to mention various friends got to ride that car home too.

It blessed me for my production shoots when my dad would help me transport things too heavy for me to carry. And also for surprises like my special apple strudel delivery when Qin brought it back for the 2nd time but I was at NTU staying overnights. And also when I stay in school too late that I miss the last train AND bus. Or when I was sick and couldn't make it home from school on my own. Or when I stayed in hostel and got rides there on sunday nights with all my barang barang and laptop in tow.

The car could fit all of us to anywhere in Singapore we wanted. Taxis wouldn't agree to take my whole family in because it's against the rules. If we wanted to travel, we'd have to take 2 cabs. 

I will miss scolding my brother who hides at the last row and hogs his own personal aircon vent that makes him cough, and waking him up whenever he falls asleep behind.

I will miss getting squashed by my brothers whenever the car makes a turn. Or having singing/harmonising sessions with my brothers in the car. I will miss my mum exclaiming, "Oh MY 天" unintentionally (her way of saying 'oh my god').

I will miss all the times I get private conversations with my parents when they drove me. They were real bonding sessions for me.

Most of all, my dad can no longer say his one and only line whenever we're all moving out:

"I'll go get the car."

He says that ALL the time whenever everyone is rushing each other to get ready faster and get out. Well, nope, no car to get now.

So goodbye SDL 6691E.

We might not get another car anytime soon.