Day 187: There's for a first time for everyone and everything...

And today Charlie got his first car! I was a little nervous when he told me about this latest endeavour. The first time I go to buy a car with my own money (because, as several people like to gripe about, mes parents were kind enough to purchase a vehicle for me) I'll be sure not to do it alone so as not to get swindled. Imagine what happened to sweet, easy-going, completely unaggressive Charlie when he went to buy himself a car. He told me it was used (a 98 Corolla) and I said hey, used cars can often be worth more than a brand new car (what with a shiny new car depreciating as soon as you drive it out of the dealer's lot). Then he told me that the headlights didn't work when he tried to drive it at night so he was having a chat with the dealers about that. I agreed to meet him at the dealer's so we could hang out once this car business was all done, and so I was getting all geared up to have a battle with a grown man, probably some slimy car salesman, on behalf of my sweet friend who understands English well and speaks it with considerably more skill than some of his countrymen but wouldn't kill a fly even if it meant he was being swindled out of five grand. There was a bit of chasing around between the dealer and the repair place, but I finally caught up with Charlie (and the random Japanese friend accompanying him) and we talked. We rented a movie (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - check it out if you want a real head trip and want to hate Elijah Wood for playing such a slimy, snivelling character) and ate some lunch (courtesy of mom and her leet cooking skillz). We just talked, because Charlie is awesome that way, and then we asked him about the car. We were relieved to find out that he'd at least bargained the price of the car down from the dealer instead of taking it at face value. Then we found out that he really didn't know what to do with a car so we took him outside to show him under the hood of my car so he knew what sort of things to check once in a while to keep his car up and running. Dad offered some car repair advice to Charlie's friend in California (a fellow named Teddy because he adores and collects teddy bears - the same way Charlie is named Charlie because he was into Peanuts as a kid) and then I took Charlie shopping down at Wal Mart so he could pick up car supplies (motor oil, windshield cleaner fluid, a tire pressure gauge). Charlie asked my dad for advice because he looks up to dad, which is really sort of sweet, and he has it in his head that he wants to know all that dad knows. He's especially impressed at all the things dad knows how to do for himself (like put an engine in a car), and while it's fully possible that sweet little Charlie will someday know as much as dad, well, Dad has fifty-odd years on Charlie in the way of experience and study time. When I went to take Charlie home he was very grateful for all our help and advice about his new car (mom and dad assured him that he could call them if anything went pear-shaped with his new car) and said he planned on reading up on taking care of his car. My dad is right. We Asian kids are lost if it's not written down somewhere for us to memorize. *sigh*

Brad just smacked me upside the head for such a horrible generalization. Schuldig just laughed and said "out of the mouths of babes." I should hurt them both, shouldn't I?

But it was fun hanging out with Charlie. I'll admit that he looks cuter with longer hair (I like boys with longer hair) and that he's as sweet as ever, but if we ever tried to date I'd be homicidal within a week.

Not that I'm not homicidal anyway.

Tomorrow we sally forth to begin moving Nagi back into the dorms (and hopefully assisting Del).

Oyasumi...