Goodbye Xiao-ma, goodbye

i wanted to write something about xiao-ma on my blog. But when i started to write, i started to cry and couldn't stop. We kissed xiao-ma good bye in the dealer's parking lot last night, and left him behind. somehow i feel more sadness of losing xiao-ma than excitement of getting new car.

xiao-ma was first found in Willams Auto World dealer shop in Okemos, MI. Eddie later decided to bring it home, even though he didn't have many experiences with manual shift. According to Harry who went pick up the car with him, "you don't know how scary it is, i doubt if he could drive that car home."

That night I have evening class, Eddie msg me saying "I'll pick you up after class." and it was the first time he picked me up by car instead of feet. We drove to a brighter corner of the laundry room of Spartan village, checking out the car. I didn't get too excited coz I don't drive and didn't realize the differences. But I did enjoy the firm suspension and smooth stereo and its subwoofer.

There are times when people say to each other "Let's walk the dog." and Eddie always said to me, "Let's walk the car," meaning let's drive around for fun. We could spend hours on Jolly road, Farm lane, Hagadorn, Okemos, and many other roads among the communities. some nights we would go out at 3am to Natural Resource building, or 1am to Meijer, or just stopped the car at a quiet community full of pretty houses, looking at the stars through sunroof. We went to many restaurants around East Lansing areas, and visted every Meijers closeby. Sometimes we would go furthur away, to Dim Sum restaurants near Detroit, to Novi, and to Ann Arbor.

Eddie drove xiao-ma to Washington DC twice when his brother studying there. I didn't go with him but I went on a trip with friends and stopped by in Washington DC. We had too many people so I had to stay with friend's car instead xiao-ma. our car followed xiao-ma and i had the chance to take a look of xiao-ma from behind: he does have a cute butt.

xiao-ma also lived in Soo (Sault Ste Marie, MI) with Eddie for one summer. It's a rare chance to live there for a while since lower Michigan people don't really like to move there unless they have a vacation house nearby. People there were impressed by xiao-ma's appearance, and that made Eddie very happy.

When Eddie left school, xiao-ma left on a truck. Few weeks later, we picked him up in Redmond, WA. From then on, xiao-ma has beening staying in Redmond Hill Apt car port for two years. The weather in Washington makes it a better place to live for xiao-ma, since he never learned to walk in the snow. But Eddie was careless and damaged him. It took a lot of money to get xiao-ma fixed. Higher living expense and higher mantainace fee after warranty expired have seized us.

After getting our own condo and moving furthur away from work, Eddie started to take mass transportation to reduce gas expense. As for me, I started to drive xiao-jin, which was left by Eddie's brother before he moved back to Beijing. I've tried to drive xiao-ma once, but my legs are short and couldn't reach clutch easily. I kinda give it up afterwards, but now I regret that I didn't try harder.

So we didn't take xiao-ma out very often unless Eddie needed to use him or during weekends. bcoz of tight monthly budget, we didn't want to spend too much on car maintainance. But poor xiao-ma was getting older and dealers had no hesitation bumping up labor fee and part price higher than market price coz they know they are the only people that carry parts xiao-ma needed.

Last week after xiao-jin died on the road, xiao-ma's battery died as well. We worried if xiao-jin would ever come back to us and at the same time realized the importance of having a more reliable car instead of two problematic cars. xiao-ma needs new brakes, tires, oil-change, even some engine parts that would cost us 2000+ in total, but it still has a good market value. To get a new car, we had to give xiao-ma up.

Everything happens fast in few days, we found a new car and kissed xiao-ma goodbye last night at the dealer's. Before we left the parking lot, we turned back and looked at xiao-ma's cute butt for one last time. Goodbye xiao-ma, goodbye.

The new car has been sitting in our garage from last night, but I didn't want to name him coz no one compares to xiao-ma. Xiao-ma really deserves a better owner, and he needed to be fixed to a perfect state, that's what we couldn't offer to him. Leaving xiao-ma is like cutting part of our Michigan root off. He came along with us for four and half years, witness our days of dating, Eddie's job beginning, and our first home in here.

I don't think anyone would be able to replace xiao-ma. The new car will have its own value in our mind after spending enough time with us. But xiao-ma, he's already part of us. Xiao-ma, I hope they will cure all your illness and make you as brand new, I hope you find a good person who will take care of you more carefully than we did, I hope they remember to always put you in garage, wash you every couple weeks, and take you out on sunny days. Maybe we'll see you on the road.

Thank you, and goodbye xiao-ma, goodbye.

Moe?

Honestly I am not sure if the spelling of his name is correct. His name is Moe. Friend's cat.
I uploaded this photo just to see if my blog layout will go back to normal after putting something new on it, or it will be screwed up forever.

Photoshop trick - Miniatures

A friend recommands this trick, and I tried. the purpose is to make normal pictures looks like mini model construction (Miniatures). there are more better ones online at http://tinselman.typepad.com/tinselman/2006/02/micro_disney.html

Dutch Candles

Ever since I decided we're going to have a wedding, there's something I want to have in my wedding, which is Dutch Candle. People who have never seen this might feel weird what is the difference betweeen usual wedding candles and dutch wedding candles. Honestly, I don't know. I don't even know if the dutch wedding candles I have in mind is really from Holland!

One thing I can make sure, it's from Holland Michigan, and made by dutches in Dutch Village.

The summer I graduated from school, Eddie came back to Michigan to visit me (he thought that might be his last chance to visit MSU). We visited several places that we haven't been to, including Holland, which is few hours away from Lansing. That's where we found that dutch candles.

It is very beautiful of course, and for me, it's also part of my Michigan memories.