I've moved my blog to WP: idefiningi.wordpress.com
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
January 1, 2016
solution (n.)
[Originally published on my Life Actually blog, one day into 2016, GMT.]
In some ways, it doesn’t feel like the end of a year. One part of it may be because I feel like I cut a new chapter in November and so it doesn’t quite feel like something new is beginning.
Some part of it may have to do with the fact that despite all my efforts, I got sick on Dec 31st thanks to a string of big nights out (I’m talkin’ 10am returns home) around Christmas. I wound up mostly staying in (at least by the city’s standards), having the mellowest NYE to date. I woke up with a sore throat and wound up on the couch at my roomie Tara’s parents place, reading and drinking mulled wine under the Christmas lights, then falling asleep for three hours to the sounds of Ben Hur on the TV. I eventually made it home with Tara where we continued with the lounging and lemon tea drinking, and after a short ringing in of the new year with my dad and his friends down the road, I walked home, had a bath and went to bed. Somewhat disappointing given that I’m finally living in a city that really knows how to ring in the new year; but at the end of it all, it’s all the same; another arbitrary night in the calendar, marked there to remind us to reflect on a period of time and create some intentions about our future.
I feel I’ve been doing this kind of thing, this reviewing and reflecting, non-stop since I moved here, though, so no hard feelings in retrospect. It’s been an active process for me for the last, dare I say, year - and this is something I want to emphasize as I create my “resolutions” for 2016. And by resolutions, I mean re-solutions.
So much of our life is bound by habit. What we do repeatedly becomes our life. For this reason, I think the best resolutions we can make are those that make us question the things we do that take up a whole year’s time (and eventually a whole lifetime).
What is the substance of our year that forges our long-term outcomes? How do our repeated ways of behaving/reacting reflect our embedded ways of thinking? It should be about challenging ourselves to leave particular patterns behind so we can reinvent and solve our current discomforts, problems or tribulations.
Diminishing our philosophy of life to a “list of resolutions” is amiss; it’s an active evolution not a line-up of dead-end intents and attempts (and eventual surrenderings).
In light of this, I’m looking at last year’s resolutions to see what I can take from them, regardless of their ‘status’ or ‘expiry.’
(Of course there are 10.)
1. Travel to 5 new places. I realize now you can see new places every day without going anywhere. Really. (For example, even after 20 years of living there, I saw Vancouver for the first time this year in many ways.)
2. Get more of my work published. I realized all I really wanted was to write freely, maybe move someone with my words - even if it was just me.
3. Move to a new city to bring visible changes in my life. I realize now it wasn’t so much about learning to adapt to a new place as it was about seeing what parts of me wouldn’t change.
4. Keep running to stay healthy and fit. I’ve learned that fitness is not an end in and of itself, but rather a byproduct of and catalyst for emotional wellbeing. Excercise helps me stabilize my thoughts and emotions and I’m getting better at making the sound decision to exercise even when I’m not feeling mentally and/or physically up for it, which is a challenge.
5. Keep a gratitude journal - and I did. But I learned that showing gratitude is more essential.
6. Take professional development courses. I learned that you need to apply new knowledge to actually learn it though. One way I did this, when lacking the option at work, was by teaching it to others.
7. Save $7,000. This as an arbitrary number, but as far as arbitrary savings goals are concerned, any number is better than zero. You never know when you may need to cash in; what important time it’ll buy you later; what act of desperation it’ll quell, what peace it will give you (unfortunately, but realistically) that will help you make the better decision.
8. Read a minimum of 12 books. In the last six months, I’ve read only half of two. And these have made more difference than a fat pile of top 100 listers. (Infinite Jest, A Guide to the Good Life)
9. Get closer and more deeply connected to my parents and my closest friends. In the process, I made friends out of my parents, I fell in love with a friend, and I certain friends became like family.
10. Do something out of my comfort zone. I chose bellydancing, which culminated in a performance in front of 350 people. Suffice to say, trying something out of your comfort zone doesn’t bring it into your comfort zone. It just makes you see how well you handle discomfort.
For the first time, my new years resolutions aren’t top-of-mind or clear to me. Perhaps it’s because the plates have shifted so much below my state of being with this move to London that everything feels like a new habit to be formed. I am reconfiguring a lot of myself this year…so in a year’s time, all I ask of myself is that I do this mindfully, gently, thoughtfully. That’s all; and it’s a whole lot.
In some ways, it doesn’t feel like the end of a year. One part of it may be because I feel like I cut a new chapter in November and so it doesn’t quite feel like something new is beginning.
Some part of it may have to do with the fact that despite all my efforts, I got sick on Dec 31st thanks to a string of big nights out (I’m talkin’ 10am returns home) around Christmas. I wound up mostly staying in (at least by the city’s standards), having the mellowest NYE to date. I woke up with a sore throat and wound up on the couch at my roomie Tara’s parents place, reading and drinking mulled wine under the Christmas lights, then falling asleep for three hours to the sounds of Ben Hur on the TV. I eventually made it home with Tara where we continued with the lounging and lemon tea drinking, and after a short ringing in of the new year with my dad and his friends down the road, I walked home, had a bath and went to bed. Somewhat disappointing given that I’m finally living in a city that really knows how to ring in the new year; but at the end of it all, it’s all the same; another arbitrary night in the calendar, marked there to remind us to reflect on a period of time and create some intentions about our future.
I feel I’ve been doing this kind of thing, this reviewing and reflecting, non-stop since I moved here, though, so no hard feelings in retrospect. It’s been an active process for me for the last, dare I say, year - and this is something I want to emphasize as I create my “resolutions” for 2016. And by resolutions, I mean re-solutions.
solution (n.) from solvere "to loosen, dissolve; untie, release, detach; depart; unlock; scatter; explain; dismiss; accomplish; remove,“ from PIE *se-lu-, "to loosen, divide, cut apart” (see lose).
So much of our life is bound by habit. What we do repeatedly becomes our life. For this reason, I think the best resolutions we can make are those that make us question the things we do that take up a whole year’s time (and eventually a whole lifetime).
What is the substance of our year that forges our long-term outcomes? How do our repeated ways of behaving/reacting reflect our embedded ways of thinking? It should be about challenging ourselves to leave particular patterns behind so we can reinvent and solve our current discomforts, problems or tribulations.
“We’re creatures of habit and we’ll get used to anything. I want to make sure I get used to the right things in this life. And however fast or slow it moves, one day, we’ll all eventually agree that it went by too fast. [Year by year, day by day, but really, all gone in a single blink.]” - me, 2 months ago
 |
| The years melt into each other... |
Diminishing our philosophy of life to a “list of resolutions” is amiss; it’s an active evolution not a line-up of dead-end intents and attempts (and eventual surrenderings).
In light of this, I’m looking at last year’s resolutions to see what I can take from them, regardless of their ‘status’ or ‘expiry.’
(Of course there are 10.)
1. Travel to 5 new places. I realize now you can see new places every day without going anywhere. Really. (For example, even after 20 years of living there, I saw Vancouver for the first time this year in many ways.)
2. Get more of my work published. I realized all I really wanted was to write freely, maybe move someone with my words - even if it was just me.
3. Move to a new city to bring visible changes in my life. I realize now it wasn’t so much about learning to adapt to a new place as it was about seeing what parts of me wouldn’t change.
4. Keep running to stay healthy and fit. I’ve learned that fitness is not an end in and of itself, but rather a byproduct of and catalyst for emotional wellbeing. Excercise helps me stabilize my thoughts and emotions and I’m getting better at making the sound decision to exercise even when I’m not feeling mentally and/or physically up for it, which is a challenge.
5. Keep a gratitude journal - and I did. But I learned that showing gratitude is more essential.
6. Take professional development courses. I learned that you need to apply new knowledge to actually learn it though. One way I did this, when lacking the option at work, was by teaching it to others.
7. Save $7,000. This as an arbitrary number, but as far as arbitrary savings goals are concerned, any number is better than zero. You never know when you may need to cash in; what important time it’ll buy you later; what act of desperation it’ll quell, what peace it will give you (unfortunately, but realistically) that will help you make the better decision.
8. Read a minimum of 12 books. In the last six months, I’ve read only half of two. And these have made more difference than a fat pile of top 100 listers. (Infinite Jest, A Guide to the Good Life)
9. Get closer and more deeply connected to my parents and my closest friends. In the process, I made friends out of my parents, I fell in love with a friend, and I certain friends became like family.
10. Do something out of my comfort zone. I chose bellydancing, which culminated in a performance in front of 350 people. Suffice to say, trying something out of your comfort zone doesn’t bring it into your comfort zone. It just makes you see how well you handle discomfort.
For the first time, my new years resolutions aren’t top-of-mind or clear to me. Perhaps it’s because the plates have shifted so much below my state of being with this move to London that everything feels like a new habit to be formed. I am reconfiguring a lot of myself this year…so in a year’s time, all I ask of myself is that I do this mindfully, gently, thoughtfully. That’s all; and it’s a whole lot.
April 10, 2015
harvest (n., v.)
This coming Saturday marks an annual tradition of mine. April 14 is Vaisakhi, a harvest festival celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists to (most simply put) celebrate the start of the new (Solar) year (Vaisakh is the month of the Hindu calendar that corresponds to April/May in the Gregorian Calendar, when Sun is in Aries.)
Though I am not Sikh, Hindu, nor Buddhist, this will be my fourth year
attending the Sikh Vaisakhi festivities in Vancouver. I can't wait to
again join the lineups to share a meal with strangers in the car-free lanes of Fraser Street. Nodding to sari-clad women as I pop gulab jamun
in my mouth with sticky hands, I'll ask them about the holiday because
undoubtedly I forget some details each year. When the parade makes its
way by, I, too, will open my hands to the offerings being handed out by
the procession, taking care not to let the rice, raisins, and coriander
spill between my fingers - what I gather (no pun intended) is a sign of
being wasteful, as I remember seeing even the oldest of men get down on
their knees to pick up every dropped kernel.harvest (n.) from Proto-Germanic *harbitas (cognate: Old Saxon hervist), from PIE *kerp- "to gather, pluck, harvest" (cognates: Sanskrit krpana- "sword;" Greek karpos "fruit;" Latin carpere "to cut, divide, pluck").
 |
| With mama Iris in 2014. |
 |
| Vaisakhi festival, 2014. |
It also reminds me to do my taxes - another one of life's certainties that keeps things in balance.
So, in the spirit of plucking and harvesting, and of being reminded to be grateful for the nourishment we have from mama earth, let's also nod our heads to all those other powers-that-be that keep the world moving.
Which reminds me: Vote "yes" in the transit referendum, Vancouver!
March 7, 2013
saving (v.)
It's been exactly one week since I finally dredged up the mature will inside to bring myself to the bank, seek out an investment specialist, and open up my first RRSP account. I tied up my hard-earned money and dropped it into this ephemeral file where if all things go as planned, I won't be able to touch it until...
I'm 71 years old
or I buy a house.
It's made me feel really young all of a sudden - but also kind of old, because I'm officially "saving for retirement."
This really has got me thinking about saving - and not in the sense of putting money away for a rainy day (or for when you're old and dreary), but rather, the act of saving in general - the notion that we often "save it for later", postpone it, whether for good or for bad.
But there is reason to this madness. It makes sense to look onward into the horizon of our lives and prepare for times ahead. Saving pennies for when the clouds amass; saving the last bite to indulge in later; saving our special dishes for the perfect occasion. It's a way to "ensure" (or is it "insure") what the future will bring, feel a sense of control over our experience in the face of time. And there's nothing wrong with that.
And what can be said of saving things for the sake of keeping them around... to remind us the past?
And where do retirement savings fit in when it comes to all of this? Will I one day pull my gazillions of dollars of savings (optimistic) and thank myself, just as I hoped or planned? Or regret that I hadn't spent it on something already? When I'm grey-haired and wrinkly, will my savings make me sigh in relief because of the security they will bring, or will my savings carry baggage from the past, memories of saving up a small fortune for my future ungrateful self?
What is worth saving and what is it being saved for? An interesting consideration for mortal beings such as we.
Which reminds me of one of my favourite quotes:
I'm 71 years old
or I buy a house.
It's made me feel really young all of a sudden - but also kind of old, because I'm officially "saving for retirement."
This really has got me thinking about saving - and not in the sense of putting money away for a rainy day (or for when you're old and dreary), but rather, the act of saving in general - the notion that we often "save it for later", postpone it, whether for good or for bad.
But there is reason to this madness. It makes sense to look onward into the horizon of our lives and prepare for times ahead. Saving pennies for when the clouds amass; saving the last bite to indulge in later; saving our special dishes for the perfect occasion. It's a way to "ensure" (or is it "insure") what the future will bring, feel a sense of control over our experience in the face of time. And there's nothing wrong with that.
And what can be said of saving things for the sake of keeping them around... to remind us the past?
And where do retirement savings fit in when it comes to all of this? Will I one day pull my gazillions of dollars of savings (optimistic) and thank myself, just as I hoped or planned? Or regret that I hadn't spent it on something already? When I'm grey-haired and wrinkly, will my savings make me sigh in relief because of the security they will bring, or will my savings carry baggage from the past, memories of saving up a small fortune for my future ungrateful self?
What is worth saving and what is it being saved for? An interesting consideration for mortal beings such as we.
Which reminds me of one of my favourite quotes:
“For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love.”
― Carl Sagan
February 20, 2011
happy hour (n.)
This past week was the highly revered "Reading Break", a week during which Masters students like us, MPubbers, spend six or seven mornings (hopefully) sleeping-in, rest our eyes away from laptop screens, and indulge in a simple thing called "free time".
This year, Ben and I decided to head down to Portland for a few days to get away for a mini-vacay.
The 92 hours we spent there were 100% fantastic, filled with scrumptious food and beer and sights and sounds and tax-free shopping (who knew?! I didn't!)
Of those 92 hours, if we weren't sleeping, we were enjoying the famous Happy Hour, which I have only come to truly understand.
Portland is allll about their dandy discounts, and man, oh, man do they do happy hour justice.
It appears that every establishment has some kind of happy hour deal - and not only that, but a happy hour that spans across about 8 hours of the day, every day of the week. You can get amazing ravioli for $4 (remember, no tax), a cheap haircut, or $9 pitchers without even really trying to plan for it! Ben and I really got to appreciate our senses a bit more.
The lack of sales tax and the great prices just make for a really happy bunch of people. Every waiter we spoke to, every salesperson who rung us in, every person seated nearby, whipped out a napkin and a pen to jot down suggestions of where we should go next.
[the table blow the fold is not scary; it's just ugly - and a game!]
Here are some of the Portland Must-Dos (really, Portland Must-Dine At's)
(I've included some of my own, to pay it forward):
Mix and match, if you dare!
Answers below.
Thank you Portlandians! We like you a lot.
It was such a pleasant experience to be around people who don't seem to have road rage ("rush hour" is pretty happy), and who genuinely want to help out and be NICE. There's this really admirable lacking in cruel ambition; instead, there's a true sense of Zen-like grounded-ness.
Portland, in a nutshell, is a heavenly Vancouver circa the 1980s, before Yaletown high-rises, 778-, and expensive real estate: Before we all became kind of hoity-toity and vain because we live in "the #1 city on the planet."
My fellow Vancouverites, I think it's gone a little to our head; We need to come back down to reality and try to be a little more open, compassionate and conversant with the world around us. Even if we have to deal with HST, it'd be nice to find a little more happy in the hours of our days.
From this point forward, let's bring back the "happy hour" mentality. Let's bring it up in random conversations; let's genuinely smile and not just to be polite; and if we're going to honk at each other in traffic, let's do it to say hi; let's try to make every minute really count.
Cheers!
Answers (but not upside down because I don't know the HTML tag for it..ha!)
This year, Ben and I decided to head down to Portland for a few days to get away for a mini-vacay.
The 92 hours we spent there were 100% fantastic, filled with scrumptious food and beer and sights and sounds and tax-free shopping (who knew?! I didn't!)
Of those 92 hours, if we weren't sleeping, we were enjoying the famous Happy Hour, which I have only come to truly understand.
Portland is allll about their dandy discounts, and man, oh, man do they do happy hour justice.
It appears that every establishment has some kind of happy hour deal - and not only that, but a happy hour that spans across about 8 hours of the day, every day of the week. You can get amazing ravioli for $4 (remember, no tax), a cheap haircut, or $9 pitchers without even really trying to plan for it! Ben and I really got to appreciate our senses a bit more.
The lack of sales tax and the great prices just make for a really happy bunch of people. Every waiter we spoke to, every salesperson who rung us in, every person seated nearby, whipped out a napkin and a pen to jot down suggestions of where we should go next.
[the table blow the fold is not scary; it's just ugly - and a game!]
Here are some of the Portland Must-Dos (really, Portland Must-Dine At's)
(I've included some of my own, to pay it forward):
Mix and match, if you dare!
| A. VooDoo Donuts | B. Bunk Sand- wiches | C. Laurel- hurst Theatre | D. Deschutes Brewery | E. Shanghai Tunnel | F. Henry's Tavern | G. Via Delizia | H. 21st Ave. Grill | I. Elephant Deli | J. Powell's Books (duh!) | K. Rose Arena |
| 1. The Cuban | 2. Heavy Metal | 3. Pineapple brioche with a side of Oe | 4. Visa to China? or fresh-squeezed juice as a vodka chaser. | 5. Maple & Bacon | 6. Shuffle -board + ping pong what! | 7. Bitter Orange Cream Ale & a pretzel! | 8. Free Chalupa? | 9. Italian ambiance for cheap | 10. Super Steak | 11. Mama Leone's soup |
Thank you Portlandians! We like you a lot.
It was such a pleasant experience to be around people who don't seem to have road rage ("rush hour" is pretty happy), and who genuinely want to help out and be NICE. There's this really admirable lacking in cruel ambition; instead, there's a true sense of Zen-like grounded-ness.
Portland, in a nutshell, is a heavenly Vancouver circa the 1980s, before Yaletown high-rises, 778-, and expensive real estate: Before we all became kind of hoity-toity and vain because we live in "the #1 city on the planet."
My fellow Vancouverites, I think it's gone a little to our head; We need to come back down to reality and try to be a little more open, compassionate and conversant with the world around us. Even if we have to deal with HST, it'd be nice to find a little more happy in the hours of our days.From this point forward, let's bring back the "happy hour" mentality. Let's bring it up in random conversations; let's genuinely smile and not just to be polite; and if we're going to honk at each other in traffic, let's do it to say hi; let's try to make every minute really count.
Cheers!
Answers (but not upside down because I don't know the HTML tag for it..ha!)
A5, B1, C2, D7, E4, F10, G9, H6, I11, J3, K8
January 22, 2011
receipt (n.)
For one, I will begin with what about the word "receipt" inspired me to write earlier today.
You may be thinking that I'm talking about receipts in the spirit of Mitch Hedburg's complaint about not needing to get "ink and paper involved" because no one can really quite imagine "a scenario that I would have to prove that I bought a doughnut."
However, somewhere beyond the humour, the receipt still stands for something symbolic. It's a little snippet of your purchasing archives - which led me to think about how we spend our money in general.
The conversation came about when I was chatting with my boyfriend about the latest movie to hit the box office: Barney's Version.
You see, the brother of a friend of mine adapted the screenplay (which is kind of a big deal, yah know?). I feel that I want to somehow support it, (which in the movie biz is often by contributing to its revenue): I want to purchase a movie ticket.
However, I am presently on page 23 of Barney's Version (by Mordecai Richler).
I want to read the book first, but I fear the movie leaving theatres before I can show my $upport...
Then I had an enlightening thought (I think).
Get a receipt
and then reseat!
What I really mean is, swipe my debit card, walk away with my movie ticket for Barney's Version, and then relocate my bum to a different film playing at the same show time (I mean, I gotta get something from the theatre in return!)
In the meantime, I can get moving to page 24 and try to win the race - and hopefully show my financial support twice!
What do you think? Have I lost my mind? Are they gonna catch me? Is it immoral? Will Natalie Portman's producers get mad? Do I care?
[On another note: I didn't forget my remark about irony. I realized that I wish blogger had some kind of receipt to give me every time I published a post. Earlier today, I deleted "this" post (an older, better, pre-rewritten version) and had no way of getting it back. No cache; no nothin! I had to reseat myself on my couch and rewrite this goddamn thing because I have no archive of drafts and old versions- I have no receipt!]
Alright, I've paid double (time) to get this posted so I hope it was worth it. Enjoy! Comment. Let me know if you think I'm crazy and whether my old post deletion was really a sign that I should've just left my blog as is: with no transactions, un-cached.
October 14, 2010
www.life.com (n.)
- a true conundrum, after last night's Massey Lecture, which will be broadcast on CBC radio later this month.
Douglas Coupland made a fine point after a lovely reading of the first chapter of his 5 hour/5 chapter book Player One. We, as a live audience, even got the pleasure of watching the author himself sift through minefields of long sentences, chuckle under his breath after getting lost in punctuation - who put that comma there? Oh, I did! - and sip on his water before returning to a very witty narrative about five strangers meeting in an airport lounge during a world catastrophe (there will be blood).
This year's lecture was the first to date to be under the fiction category.
Topics of question included (without much expansion here, because I'll let you all use your imagination, as Coupland would probably appreciate):
split screens / player1 vs player 2 as Coupland's inspiration for telling a single story from the persepctive of at least 2 characters in many of his novels.
sequencing: When faced with a screen, we only have the attention span of the length of a Beatles song (2min45s)/i.e. we can't help but click, look elsewhere, open a new window within that time.
[I'm impressed I can even write this blog without checking Facebook].
In general, post-modern life is just a series of sequences (something that only humans can do), and with the digital age become more of a way of life than a mere phenomenon, we have less and less down time. And no down time can be bad - because our lives will slip by very quickly as we'll experience time as moving much faster. In a sense then, technology has partly lengthened our lives, but also shortened it...
fiction as timeless: it speeds up time. And it is great at taking us through ideas rather than preaching ideas to us (like lectures do!)
money as the physical form of our human desire to speed up time and somehow ultimately escape it.
[I also bought his book for $20.95, which really opens up a whole other realm of interesting philosophical conundrums].
pessimism is much more interesting than optimism. Realism is worst.
I also was introduced to Doug's Law:
"You can have information or you can have life, but you can't have both."
And with that I shall close my windo, let this informative internet world collapse away so I can go LIVE.
Toodles!
- Vish
Douglas Coupland made a fine point after a lovely reading of the first chapter of his 5 hour/5 chapter book Player One. We, as a live audience, even got the pleasure of watching the author himself sift through minefields of long sentences, chuckle under his breath after getting lost in punctuation - who put that comma there? Oh, I did! - and sip on his water before returning to a very witty narrative about five strangers meeting in an airport lounge during a world catastrophe (there will be blood).
This year's lecture was the first to date to be under the fiction category.
Topics of question included (without much expansion here, because I'll let you all use your imagination, as Coupland would probably appreciate):
split screens / player1 vs player 2 as Coupland's inspiration for telling a single story from the persepctive of at least 2 characters in many of his novels.
sequencing: When faced with a screen, we only have the attention span of the length of a Beatles song (2min45s)/i.e. we can't help but click, look elsewhere, open a new window within that time.
[I'm impressed I can even write this blog without checking Facebook].
In general, post-modern life is just a series of sequences (something that only humans can do), and with the digital age become more of a way of life than a mere phenomenon, we have less and less down time. And no down time can be bad - because our lives will slip by very quickly as we'll experience time as moving much faster. In a sense then, technology has partly lengthened our lives, but also shortened it...
fiction as timeless: it speeds up time. And it is great at taking us through ideas rather than preaching ideas to us (like lectures do!)
money as the physical form of our human desire to speed up time and somehow ultimately escape it.
[I also bought his book for $20.95, which really opens up a whole other realm of interesting philosophical conundrums].
pessimism is much more interesting than optimism. Realism is worst.
I also was introduced to Doug's Law:
"You can have information or you can have life, but you can't have both."
And with that I shall close my windo, let this informative internet world collapse away so I can go LIVE.
Toodles!
- Vish
August 20, 2010
used (adj.) I need to buy a used car from a good previous owner.
I decided that it's about time I introduced you to my love of old cars. While, it comes from necessity (as my student budget does not allow for a 2009 Honda Fit), I have for a long time driven this vehicle:
And this is me, about seven years ago, with my lovely lady lump on my favourite automobile trunk:
Dubbed "Moody Blue", mostly because of his lack of ability to not shake at 80km/h, (not because he wasn't reliable), he gave me a lot of things without asking much in return (apart from the odd oil change).
I learned to drive on this car.
It lugged tons of groceries for me;
it moved most of my valuables from Marpole to downtown, where I currently live;
it took me to yoga classes and the gym, and though I was sweaty, he kept me warm in November on my drives home;
it was my sole companion when buying university textbooks (and returning them during BuyBacks);
it drove me and my mom to Seattle and back - twice;
it taught me the value of an old reliable car;
and most importantly, it has illustrated to me the importance of CAR MAINTENANCE.
Much to my chagrin and sadness, he passed on by way of overheated head gasket in April 2010 after a long life of 139, 543km. Moody Blue was just about to turn 29 years old. RIP Moody Blue! I miss you!
Now, not to be distasteful, but in the last couple of summer months, I have tried to purchase a "new" old vehicle. This brings me to my word of the day: used.
Never before did I realize the sheer expanse the word "used" can encompass when referring to a pre-owned car.
I also never realized how difficult it is to find a reliable, truly "unmoody" car on a low budget (I'm talking $2300).
I went searching. I scrolled down craigslist, refreshed ads, poked around Facebook Marketplace, kept my eyes open for "SALE" signs in car windows.... Unfortunately, to no avail, as I had a couple of cars bought from under my nose, while others utterly disappointed me once I arrived for a test drive, (if they appealed to me enough to get there at all).
Because of the difficulties I have faced, and because I've honestly had to learn the long way, I thought it to be rather useful to my readers if I keyed in some important factors when purchasing a used car. I mean this in the most layman sense, for a person with little experience, or perhaps a little 5'1 lady like myself.
Here we go,
important factors when purchasing a used car:
1. Define "used" in a Temporal Sense. I'm talking years.
How used do you want it to be? What decade are you okay cruising (or tumbling around) in? You may also have to settle for a clutch, rough suspension and shitty heating and cooling systems. Ask about maintenance records; there should be maintenance work done on the car, but hearing the head gasket blew or the transmission needed to be replaced at 60,000km may sound a little iffy.
2. Define "used" in terms of Who Used It.
Are you okay with ripped car seats and no stereo?
How about a lowered door or a cracked windshield?
Smelly smoker? Old granny? Construction worker who lugged around tools in the trunk for the last fifteen years?
Check all that applies (or does not apply), and don't worry about being judgmental. What kind of vibe are you getting from the seller? If they took care of the inside and outside of the car, then the engine and parts might be well taken care of too.
3. Define "used" in terms of the operative.
How do you hope the car can be used BY YOU?
Things to consider are: Are you going to be putting in car seats for the kids? Do you ski?
How necessary is it to have 4 doors? Most older model (early 90s) 4-door hatchbacks are rare. Is fuel efficiency important for you?
Also, realize that certain models just don't come with cup-holders, sunroofs or fat tires that will keep you steady on the highway. Keep these things in mind when filtering through an online search.
4. Define "used" in terms of experiences of past drivers.
How do reviewers comment on their experience of the car? Google driver forums and check out the model's glitches on sites like Consumer Automotive.
For example, I was looking for a Honda Civic hatchback from the nineties. I found that all the models had a flaw: rust above the rear wheels. My Toyota had rust above the back window, a common weakness in the Corollas of the eighties.
When going in for a test drive, go easy on the car if it has these "expected" weaknesses.
5. Go with Japanese Imports. 'Nough said.
6. Aim for LOW MILEAGE.
I'm talking under 100,000km if you can get it. For older models (15 yrs+), aim for under 180,000km. For cars near the 140,000km mark (and any subsequent rounding to +90,000km from that number, for most cars), ask about the status of the Timing Belt and Water Pump; this is an expensive fix ($450 upwards on any car), which can give you leverage on lowering the asking price.
Also, avoid cars that sat for a long period of time without being driven - even if the seller boasts it was being "carefully stored in a dry, covered, heated garage". Engines need to run to stay in shape.
7. Open the trunk. Lift the floor mats.
Look for anything WET because this is a sure sign of existent or future rust problems.
8. CHECK:
Sit in the car, get comfortable and go through the gears. Slowly. Quickly. Get in reverse. Do it all!! Listen for funny sounds. Check the locks from inside and out. Check the breaks (don't forget the hand break!) And, if this wasn't obvious, and for locations that apply, ask to see Air Care records.
9. If you like the car and are dead set on getting it, before leaving to get the money and transfer papers, LEAVE A DEPOSIT.
Offer 100 bucks to have the owner guarantee the sale. I had the best car bought from under my nose because this slipped my mind. The seller owes you nothing; they just want to sell the car - and as soon as possible. You snooze, you loose! So legally bind the seller to you by leaving a deposit.
10. And last but not least, take it to your local mechanic for a thorough check-up. Everything the seller told you may check out, but you can never be too sure. It may cost you 40 bucks, but you'll be able to sleep easier at night and you won't worry on your next road trip.
Hope that was useful to you guys. I sure wish I had read something like this earlier in my search. Now, wish me luck on my endeavour - and email me if you have a car that could reasonably replace Moody Blue.
 |
| The Toyota Corolla 1982, SR-5. |
And this is me, about seven years ago, with my lovely lady lump on my favourite automobile trunk:
Dubbed "Moody Blue", mostly because of his lack of ability to not shake at 80km/h, (not because he wasn't reliable), he gave me a lot of things without asking much in return (apart from the odd oil change).
I learned to drive on this car.
It lugged tons of groceries for me;
it moved most of my valuables from Marpole to downtown, where I currently live;
it took me to yoga classes and the gym, and though I was sweaty, he kept me warm in November on my drives home;
it was my sole companion when buying university textbooks (and returning them during BuyBacks);
it drove me and my mom to Seattle and back - twice;
it taught me the value of an old reliable car;
and most importantly, it has illustrated to me the importance of CAR MAINTENANCE.
Much to my chagrin and sadness, he passed on by way of overheated head gasket in April 2010 after a long life of 139, 543km. Moody Blue was just about to turn 29 years old. RIP Moody Blue! I miss you!
Now, not to be distasteful, but in the last couple of summer months, I have tried to purchase a "new" old vehicle. This brings me to my word of the day: used.
Never before did I realize the sheer expanse the word "used" can encompass when referring to a pre-owned car.
I also never realized how difficult it is to find a reliable, truly "unmoody" car on a low budget (I'm talking $2300).
I went searching. I scrolled down craigslist, refreshed ads, poked around Facebook Marketplace, kept my eyes open for "SALE" signs in car windows.... Unfortunately, to no avail, as I had a couple of cars bought from under my nose, while others utterly disappointed me once I arrived for a test drive, (if they appealed to me enough to get there at all).
Because of the difficulties I have faced, and because I've honestly had to learn the long way, I thought it to be rather useful to my readers if I keyed in some important factors when purchasing a used car. I mean this in the most layman sense, for a person with little experience, or perhaps a little 5'1 lady like myself.
Here we go,
important factors when purchasing a used car:
1. Define "used" in a Temporal Sense. I'm talking years.
How used do you want it to be? What decade are you okay cruising (or tumbling around) in? You may also have to settle for a clutch, rough suspension and shitty heating and cooling systems. Ask about maintenance records; there should be maintenance work done on the car, but hearing the head gasket blew or the transmission needed to be replaced at 60,000km may sound a little iffy.
2. Define "used" in terms of Who Used It.
Are you okay with ripped car seats and no stereo?
How about a lowered door or a cracked windshield?
Smelly smoker? Old granny? Construction worker who lugged around tools in the trunk for the last fifteen years?
Check all that applies (or does not apply), and don't worry about being judgmental. What kind of vibe are you getting from the seller? If they took care of the inside and outside of the car, then the engine and parts might be well taken care of too.
3. Define "used" in terms of the operative.
How do you hope the car can be used BY YOU?
Things to consider are: Are you going to be putting in car seats for the kids? Do you ski?
How necessary is it to have 4 doors? Most older model (early 90s) 4-door hatchbacks are rare. Is fuel efficiency important for you?
Also, realize that certain models just don't come with cup-holders, sunroofs or fat tires that will keep you steady on the highway. Keep these things in mind when filtering through an online search.
4. Define "used" in terms of experiences of past drivers.
How do reviewers comment on their experience of the car? Google driver forums and check out the model's glitches on sites like Consumer Automotive.
For example, I was looking for a Honda Civic hatchback from the nineties. I found that all the models had a flaw: rust above the rear wheels. My Toyota had rust above the back window, a common weakness in the Corollas of the eighties.
When going in for a test drive, go easy on the car if it has these "expected" weaknesses.
5. Go with Japanese Imports. 'Nough said.
6. Aim for LOW MILEAGE.
I'm talking under 100,000km if you can get it. For older models (15 yrs+), aim for under 180,000km. For cars near the 140,000km mark (and any subsequent rounding to +90,000km from that number, for most cars), ask about the status of the Timing Belt and Water Pump; this is an expensive fix ($450 upwards on any car), which can give you leverage on lowering the asking price.
Also, avoid cars that sat for a long period of time without being driven - even if the seller boasts it was being "carefully stored in a dry, covered, heated garage". Engines need to run to stay in shape.
7. Open the trunk. Lift the floor mats.
Look for anything WET because this is a sure sign of existent or future rust problems.
8. CHECK:
Sit in the car, get comfortable and go through the gears. Slowly. Quickly. Get in reverse. Do it all!! Listen for funny sounds. Check the locks from inside and out. Check the breaks (don't forget the hand break!) And, if this wasn't obvious, and for locations that apply, ask to see Air Care records.
9. If you like the car and are dead set on getting it, before leaving to get the money and transfer papers, LEAVE A DEPOSIT.
Offer 100 bucks to have the owner guarantee the sale. I had the best car bought from under my nose because this slipped my mind. The seller owes you nothing; they just want to sell the car - and as soon as possible. You snooze, you loose! So legally bind the seller to you by leaving a deposit.
10. And last but not least, take it to your local mechanic for a thorough check-up. Everything the seller told you may check out, but you can never be too sure. It may cost you 40 bucks, but you'll be able to sleep easier at night and you won't worry on your next road trip.
Hope that was useful to you guys. I sure wish I had read something like this earlier in my search. Now, wish me luck on my endeavour - and email me if you have a car that could reasonably replace Moody Blue.
October 15, 2009
angst (n.)
This is not teenage angst. I'm in my 20s. This is a proclamation that I hate Working in the Service Industry as a Recent University Graduate.
I feel I am at a crossroads - and what better way to approach my post-grad crisis than to place it on the virtual web that makes me remember that: The conundrum that is my life is merely a fraction of all the mumbo jumbo that's floating around out there. Puts things into perspective.
I feel I am at a crossroads - and what better way to approach my post-grad crisis than to place it on the virtual web that makes me remember that: The conundrum that is my life is merely a fraction of all the mumbo jumbo that's floating around out there. Puts things into perspective.
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