Friday, May 8, 2009

Second-handism...

SECOND HAND
adj. ~
used goods that are being purchased by or otherwise transferred to a second or later end user.

I've always been one of gazillion people on earth, to have had hand-me-downs all my life...from childhood stuffed toys, clothes, shoes, books, textbooks, and the list never stops...Of course, my most recent hand-me-downs are dear old trusty 1982 Toyata Corona 1.6 (3 generations already!!), and a Compact lap-top (which I have also passed down to my brother)...

Well, I can't complaint much, can I?...I would have to remember the fact that I am in the very least, more lucky than my youngest brother, who wore clothes that were passed on from my first brother, who got them from my mum's friend who didn't want them anymore!!...

Yeah, those times were really hard...I remember having outgrown Nancy Drews, Christopher Pikes and Agatha Christies by the tender age of 11...shifting my attention to more meaty ones such as Stephen Kings, and Jeffery Archer...but since nobody had books of that genre, I would sit my butt down for hours on end in the Popular bookstore till late in the evening when the last town bus arrives...

I am all grown up now...having the power to purchase, since I started working full time last year...I used to wonder at times, if I had a sun-stroke or something...for I would buy books that I love, till my pockets run dry...and yet not feel a pinch...in fact, I wanted to buy more!!...

*Note : Sadly, it only applies for books only...I wish I could have the same enthusiasm for clothing, fashion, make-up accessories and all those girly stuffs...yet, maybe not...*

You know that you've officially reached adulthood...when you are able to buy things at your own will, till your piggy suffers a gastric...but yet, that little piggy will never fill up....till your next salary, that is...no wonder so many young adults fall into the trap of over-charging their credit cards...believe it or not, I very NEARLY join those statistics as well!!!...well, luckily for me, it never was my habit to pull out my sub credit card so easily...I try to walk around the mall aimlessly, trying to shake off my itch...and when all fails, I empty my purse...

Recently, I had a chat with my dad, toying with the idea of purchasing a compact car...I have accepted more private students now, which means more travelling...

more travelling = more petrol consumption + car maintenance...

...one equation that my Toyata Corona isn't able to support nor help out...with a heavy heart, I have decided that I should probably start thinking of upgrading to a car with smaller engine...and does not have a big an appetite like my Big Boy in red...

My dad suggested that I could consider buying over my mother's metalic dark orange Perodua MyVi...to my surprise, my heart (and head) immediately thought...NO SALE...I pondered on my reaction a few days after that...I mean, I've driven my mom's car before...besides a careless bump on the driver's front side (courtesy of my mum's parking), the car was in perfectly good shape and condition...well, metalic dark orange would not be my best cup of tea, but it wasn't all that bad...

Well, I always liked the design of Honda's, which are more chic and stylish...Toyota and Perodua brands are quite dependable in terms of customer services and spare parts...though I must say that I am not all that excited about their designs...I thought it lacked art, and passion...*heys, I am a musician after all*...

But since most Honda and Toyotas are out of my financial reach, my mum's Perodua MyVi would be the most logical answer to my pocket and budget...but why am I so resistant about it??...

It took me a couple of days to figure that out...It suddenly hit me; as I was surfing through the Net for car brands, researching their specifications and purchase prices...while in my mind, I slowly formed an idea of which car I wanted to purchase that was also within my monthly budget...

I realized that in this 20 odd years of receiving hand-me-downs...I never really had a say to weather I loved the clothing that was passed on to me, or how I had wanted to look...I just took those second hand things (while mum reminds me to be grateful), and never complained...sometimes I found the courage to rebel and discard...things that were almost horrifyingly ugly...I couldn't even bring myself to wear it at home...

Now, finally with some money in my pocket, I feel a certain satisfaction that I am paying for something that I have decided...and something that I really like...

Don't get me wrong though...if someone were to have something that I would not mind having, or better yet, that I love...I would not mind paying big bucks to own it...books, for example...used books does give it...some attitude...a character...a soul...*I don't mind second hand books so much, since I found RM10 in one of the books I picked up from the store last time...heehee*...

Well, after a few days of thought...I decided that my mom's orange MyVi isn't a bad choice for purchase afterall...but I do wish at times, that she had choosen the colour black...or deep red for that matter...not silver metalic, though...its almost like asking a clown to dress in a tuxedo...

[ Latest news as of 13/5/09 : My mum decided to keep the Perodua MyVi afterall...so I'll be looking into a new one myself...with the colour of my choice...*winks*]

3 comments:

Philip said...

Nice post, Emily. FYI, I'm a musician, but I still own a metallic silver Perodua Viva (cheap, dependable, petrol consumption is extremely frugal) I used to drive an 850CC Kancil before this! I chose silver because it's easier to sell s/h, and for goodness' sake get an Auto (Manuals drop in price when you want to sell)

I maintain a concept where a car is strictly for getting you from A to B and back, nothing more. So bleh to all those SUVs, BMWs, Mercedes Benz, etc. If I had that kind of money I'd probably get a Steinway Model D grand piano. So there.

Lessajinomoto said...

Oops...I was actually had my heart set on buying a Manual car, until you said that!!...

Ah, this is when I wish that money grew on trees...so I could get a Steinway grand piano, a Stradivarius violin...AND a sexy Alfa Romeo 8C Spider!!!...

Lol...sorry for my over enthusiasm...It used to be that cars were merely a tool of transportation to me...but after watching some car videos, man...they could be a work of art too...like food!!...

Lessajinomoto said...

Btw, Perodua and Kancil does look good...does look good with metallic silver...

Those cars have contours that are not all that sharp, as BMWs, Volvos and high end Hondas...but it does give them a man-like character...so metallic silver does compliment them a lot...gives them a certain class...

Myvi, I feel...is a mix between a shapely figure of a woman, yet with some contours...It definitely doesn't look very classy, even in terms of the design itself...I think a firm colour like my mum's (crimson orange) would suit it better...

But if I were to choose Perodua Viva/Kancil, I would definitely go for metallic silver...or red...or black...