The Wilful Sunflower

Today I learnt that every 1m² of bridge costs RM5,000 to build. No wonder bridges cost millions and billions of dollars.

***

It felt like the universe was trying to prevent me from getting to church this morning.

Okay, the first part was my own fault. I went to bed very late last night and as a result, overslept this morning. Then I went to my car and remembered I had to tape up one of the back windows -- the window mechanism has died and the glass pane keeps slipping down when I drive. So I went back up to the apartment to get tape and scissors.

After taping the window, I got into the car, all ready to go, and... the car wouldn't start. I figured a weak battery was the culprit; the car had been in the workshop for 11 days. So I went back up to the apartment to get jumpstart cables (they're not mine, which is why I didn't have them in the car).

Now, it is kinda ironic to be in a carpark, surrounded by cars, when you need help to jumpstart yours. I put my car bonnet up and stood in front of it, holding the cables, waiting to throw myself on the mercy of some passing car and beg for assistance.

Saw a Honda pull into a lot across the carpark and dashed over, giving the poor driver the fright of his life when I tapped on his car window. But he was willing to help, thank God, except he wasn't sure how to jumpstart a car. Aren't men born knowing these things? Anyway, that wasn't a problem -- I attached the cables and my car powered up on the first try. Phew!

By this time it was waaaay too late for me to go to church. I'd have turned up in time for the last 30mins or something. Plus, it dawned on me that if I were to drive to church, the car likely wouldn't start again when I wanted to leave -_-"

So I drove to Sunway and back, then to Parliament House and back, to let the alternator charge the battery. *shrugs*  I like driving, and it's especially nice to drive around on Sundays, when the roads are clear.

***

Yea I got my car back yesterday afternoon. The workshop owner personally delivered it to my place. He said he got his workers to stay till 1am on Friday night / Saturday morning to finish it. The story goes like this:

I sent my car to the mechanic, who sent it to this guy, since mechanics normally don't do bodywork stuff. So this guy told the mechanic, "What?! You quoted her RM1,500? Where can do so cheap one! Prices of materials all gone up already lah!"

The mechanic was therefore tasked with giving me the new quotation and getting my okay on it. He told the workshop guy he tried, but couldn't get hold of me. Apparently, according to him, I was out of town. To think there I was, holed up in my apartment, eating bread and sausages for lunch every day coz I was car-deprived!

Now, bear in mind that I called the mechanic on Wednesday to find out whether my car was ready, and he did not even HINT at a price increase. All he told me was, "Maybe by Saturday," and "I'll get them to hurry up".

Then I called him again on Friday to ask if my car would be ready the next day, and next thing I know, the workshop guy is calling me and saying, "Hah? You want it so soon ah?!"

Is this or is this not a WTF situation, you tell me???

So the car had apparently sat there growing mould for an entire week while the mechanic blissfully imagined me to be sunning myself in the Carribean or something. NO WONDER LAH TAKE SO LONG!!!! Good grief!!! I imagine the mechanic probably confused me with some other car owner. If he were a surgeon, I bet he'd be the type who accidentally operates on the right leg instead of the left...

Anyway, I've gotten my car back in time, thank God, and if it will start tomorrow morning, that's all really I ask for. *sigh*

***

Dad happened to be in town this weekend so I had lunch with him today. We talked about emigrating (please note: Migration is for the birds! Humans emigrate!!). I asked whether he wishes he'd stayed on in the UK after completing his postgraduate studies, but he said no, career-wise it would have been good but he'd hated the weather in England. He also revealed that he'd considered emigrating to Australia when I was very young, but Mom hadn't seemed keen, so he'd not pursued it further.

When you think about it, the choices my parents could have made, the choices I myself could have made, the places we could have gone, the things we could have done... it's a bit mind-boggling that I've ended up here, in this place, doing what I'm doing now. Somehow I have to believe that I'm not here by chance.

It was a good chat, I got to see the real person behind my dad, which he'd never let us see before. He has embraced the concept of "sharing". You know, like how Christians say, "Let me share this with you..." I can also ask him questions now! I even asked him whether he'd made a will -- that's the lawyer in me -- and if anything happens to him or Mom, should we have the funeral in Sabah or back here. And he didn't get upset!