I hit upon a significant milestone last week: I made my first car sale. I do not know if a man’s first car sale is as important as a man’s first shave, but it is certainly a noteworthy event in a man’s life. I sold my third car last Wednesday, a 1999 White Grand Vitara JX/JLX. It was actually my cousin’s car, who went out of the country years ago, and the car simply sat in his garage. Eventually when my second car broke down (ignition died), it was given to me in April last year, instead of simply rusting away at the garage.
There were numerous reasons I sold the 1999 Grand Vitara. One, SUVs are just not good looking at all. Two, its larger size makes it harder to maneuver. And thirdly, I rarely fully utilize the, well, utility of the SUV. So to pay the extra insurance and gas premium of owning a SUV does not make sense to me. Hence I decided to sell the car.
How did I sell it? Through Craigslist. I posted an ad for my car on Tuesday, and within minutes I got my first call. I was very surprised that there was so much interest in my car. I told the VIN to one of the potential buyer, and he looked up the history of the car, and to my disbelief he told me it has been in a major accident. As an honest seller I added that in the ad, and lowered the price accordingly. The calls kept coming throughout the day, interrupting my work. Eventually a lady wanted to see the car that night, and we met, along with two of her friends, after my work. After a thorough inspection and couple dozen questions, we went for a test drive. She loved the car, and offered a slightly lower price than what I wanted. I held firm, citing many others who wanted to see the car the next day. She gave in. I cancelled all other appointments, and the next day we did the paper work. And there you have it, I sold a car within twenty four hours. I have not received any calls from the buyer so far, and no news is good news.
So now I am carless, and being where I am, I cannot be for long. I am actively searching and researching my next car. I would very much like to get an E46 BMW, years 1999-2005, black, sedan. I absolutely love the E46 look, and of course, it is a bimmer too, and along with it, widely praised driving experience.
My First Private Car Sale – Goodbye 1999 Grand Vitara
Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru after episode 02 – First Impressions
I am only watching two shows in this season of anime so far: Iron Man, action packed show, and Psychic Detective Yakumo, a moody supernatural thriller. So to balance my palette of intake, I searched for an anime in this season that is more light-hearted and easy-going, perhaps a slice-of-life comedy. Thus I picked up Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru, as it fit that description quite well.
Initially I thought Hotori Arashiyama’s voice was refreshingly unusual, but soon it became increasingly whiny and grating as the show went on. Her voice sounds like it is on the verge of breaking, and when her volume increases, it actually does! It is becoming annoying…
Interesting to note that the animation sometimes has an excess of movement when movement really isn’t needed (for example, the chat between Hotori and Tatsuno). It looks very…awkward.
Anyways, the first two episodes of Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru was somewhat amusing, trivial, and laid-back, exactly what I was looking for: a tertiary show to fill the gaps between other animes.
Iron Man after episode 02 – First Impressions
Tony Stark…in anime style. I feels kind of weird watching Tony Stark speak fluent Japanese. I wonder where he picked up the language…anyways, everything else about him in the first two episodes does not stray too far from the movie personality (I never read the comics). Although the anime Tony Stark does not quite possess the same charisma that Robert Downey Jr. exudes on the films.
The first two episodes has been promising: plenty of booms, a car chase, saving a damsel in distress, a possible antagonist, and a budding love interest. Strongest anime of this season I have seen thus far.
Togainu no Chi after episode 01 – First & Final Thoughts
Like Psychic Detective Yakumo, Togainu no Chi is yet another dark and moody fight-prone anime (albeit censored gore), but with a lot more pretty boys. I liked its atmosphere and the potential of an interesting backstory, but I have an aversion to yaoi. I am not particularly fond of watching pretty boys, especially blushing ones, the entirety of an episode. The animation looks simplistic and choppy at times. And with Psychic Detective Yakumo already providing a similar experience, but without the BL, I am going to give this show a pass.
Psychic Detective Yakumo after episode 01 – First Impressions
I somewhat liked the first episode of Psychic Detective Yakumo. If the first episode is any indication, the show will be dark, violent, and tense. The main character has garnered a reputation for psychic powers and has already started his career as a detective. And as detective, his ability to see spirits is almost like cheating. No one saw the murderer? Oh that’s OK, the spirits will tell me who it is or what’s going on. It is extra source of information that, I’m assuming, no one else is able to obtain…yet. Which would make him the man to look for in particularly tough or bizarre cases. Of course not all ghosts are friendly, and it would be interesting to see when, or if, he encounters those that messes with him.
The first episode was fairly episodic, but near the end of the episode there are some malevolent looking people that seem to hint at an overarching plot…
