Southpaw drivin'

Part of my responsibilities* at home is to make sure the Pajero** doesn't die from lack of use. Which in turn will cost us 400bux for a new battery, a wobbly drive to the petrol station to fill up the tyres with air and a scolding. Which means we (I) have to drive it around over the weekend to keep it in shape.

Driving the Paj isn't a problem. Nice enough car. Sure, it drinks petrol like mother's milk but there's that sense of Rawr everytime I accelerate. But, I'm still relatively lazy to take it out for a spin more often.

The problem comes from it being a beast of a left-hand drive 4WD. Driving it requires a physical and a mental effort. Amongst the issues I have with it:

1. S t r e t c h i n g to pay toll/get a parking ticket and having that moment where I swear I slipped a disc. Thank god for Smart Tag (when I remember to bring it lah). Having a co-pilot is also highly recommended.
   
2. I keep banging my left hand on the side every time I want to shift from P to D to R to whatever.
   
3. Overtaking. 'Nuff said.

Having said that, there is one thing that makes driving it all worth it. Picture this, you're in the middle lane and a car overtakes on the fast lane. As the car is speeding by, it slows down and a ashen-faced driver looks in all striken. A left-hand drive car in Malaysia looks like the car is being driven on its own! It's like Christine got re-incarnated as a Pajero.

It's the little things that makes it all fun. Hee.

*Among other but not restricted to: Watering the plants (ini sungguh penting), making sure there's ice in the icetray, taking the trash out, trying to make sure the dishes doesn't pile up (personal 2009 resolution this) and doing the laundry.

** Useless knowledge: Pajero in Spanish = wank. In Spain the Mitsubishi Pajero is the Mitsubishi Montero.