WHEELS
I don't come from a well-heeled family - in fact we were firmly rooted within the working-class.
However, despite what seems to be a large financial handicap, we've always managed to have a car in the family.
It all probably started with my grandfather (me Dad's dad).
From a modest beginning as a "bottle washer" in the F&N works in Brickfields, this humble guest worker from Java managed to land what was considered a pretty plum job those days, even among the locals - no work permit required.
He became the driver for the orang putih (white man).
Twas a Morris Minor with those dinky signal lights that pop-up at the side pillars (between the front and rear doors) when you want to make a turn.
His pleasure in performing his duties must have rubbed off on my dad because even as I was born, he was already the proud owner of his own car.
It was a Ford Hillman (so I was told) and I remember vaguely that it was bluish-purple in colour.
Just like in this picture.
What I remember most about that car was that it was a two-door sedan.
My brother and I used to pretend to be asleep when we arrived home after a trip - just so that me Dad would carry us inside instead of undergoing the hassle of pushing forward the front passenger seat and all.
You see, I would always bang my shin, painfully, when getting out.
It didn't quite work out for me most of the time though.
Since I was the elder boy, my parents would shake me awake and make me walk - hobble (painfully) actually - into bed.
Then one fine Sunday, I was browsing through the morning papers (I couldn't read but I could understand the pictures just fine) and my Dad was lounging nearby.
Then I saw an advertisement. I looked at him and piped up bravely (those days one would speak to one's Dad only when spoken to) - "Why don't you buy this car, Pak?"
He slouched over to peer at it and surprised me by asking, "Why do you want this car?"
I simply said - "Because it has four doors."
Did I mention I was a focking genius at five?
Anyway whaddaya know - he actually ended up buying that car.
It was a light-blue Fiat 1100.
There's a lot of memories tied up with that car.
Picnic trips to PD, jaunts to me granny in Kg Batu Belah in Kapar, Kelang - heck, it was this car that carried me into exile at the Aryan Borstal for Wayward Boys.
Believe it or not, that car was still running in 1982 - probably an all-time record for a Fiat sold in Malaysia.
Apparently most Fiats in Malaysia die in infancy.
Thus it was with clear reluctance that my Dad sold off that Fiat.
Incredibly there was an eager buyer, a mad Chinese fella in Pudu who actually begged my Dad to sell it to him.
Right after that my brother-in-law sold my Dad his car.
It was an extremely reliable Opel Kadett
He kept this one running for another 12 years - until the inside door handles came off actually - before finally foisting it off to my eldest brother.
After that he never bothered getting another car for himself but instead drove around my sister's Mazda 323.
It took me a while to figure it out that one.
Then I realised - me Dad was really just a snob for continental cars.
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Blackburn Bast*rds ... 0
Le Wengerboys ... 4
(der Pussie 8th, Ade 45th, 81st (pen), 90th)
The preceding week was all about young Theo's exploits at Zagreb - Croat Killer, Dream Teen and all sorts of monikers were thrown about carelessly by sports commentators who funnily enough were mostly negative for the majority of the game until Wooney scored England's third.
After which the gushing started over how the Three Pussycats have been transformed into rampant lions once more.
Anyway we were expecting another bruising battle at Ewood Park but it turned out Ince's men wanted to play the beautiful game instead.
We were up a goal in eight minutes - former bully-boys standing off as Theo went on a mazy run and teed up der Pussie superbly.
The rest of it was pretty much like a pre-season friendly and Adebayor made some headway to regain the goodwill of Gooners worldwide.
Then the Prof sent in Jack Wilshere - all of 16 years - and teased English fans already near-orgasmic over Theo's capabilities.
'I bring them out slowly, these English players,' smiled Wenger. 'He's another one who will soon play for you.'
As long as he's playing for Arsenal the rest of the time, that'll be fine with us.
9 comments:
my dad had an opel kadett. it was huge!!! i think it was the hugest car we've ever had. then he traded it for a very temperamental peugeot.
my dad had a ford. he had it for years. when it died he replaced it with a merc. yaa.. i think my dad's a conti snob too. heh.
adebayor's hattrick gave me team mucho points. gracias.
plag,
Yeah - that opel kadett feels like you can roll around in it, kan?
A perfect make-out machine - for that time la ...
des,
Lotsa conti snobs in our fathers' generation, meh.
Tak pandang japanese, uols ... :)
My tok wan had a green beetle and my uncle had an allegro (sp). were cars cheaper back then?
lils,
A green beetle? Kewl ... your atok was probably a pre-60s hippie ... :D
And it's an Austin Allegro - looks like a squatting toad; somewhat beautiful in a brutal manner, looks-wise.
Yeah - before Proton, cars were much cheaper.
The first Honda Civic retailed for only RM17,000 on-the-road. This was somewhere in 1982 pricing.
The Saga came out in 1987 and everything became crap. It retailed at RM24-25,000 and everything else went into the RM40,000 level.
In comparison, a used 5-yr old Ford Laser 1.3 cost RM19,500 those days ...
i was a wee toddler to know what making out is about. before the kadett, my dad drove a ruby red beetle.
after the experience with peugeot, he switched to japanese cars.
as for me, i'm still lusting for that smart4four.
plag,
The smart4four?
Owh ... I didn't know you like, er, small things.
:p
so long as i look good in them.
Bro
I think 4 out of 5 guys I know are Conti-snobs. But I have always prized reliability over uncertainty of temperament: which is why I think my Tredia was the best car I ever owned - until it died of old age (sigh).
Having said that, my first ever car was a Felda-Orange (it used to be red, I think, before the paint faded) '63 VW. And yes brother, I am still a throwback from the days of Woodstock.
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