Adult stuff

No, not what you're thinking! For a change, this blog post is NOT about something inappropriate but rather (the really clever ones among you will have already guessed based on the cover image) about the purchase of our - brace yourselves - first own car! A REAL car with four wheels and a steering wheel and everything else that goes with it. It's funny... just a little while ago we were sitting in school in our little town in Weimar and now we're proud owners of a car that we bought on the other side of the world. To be more precise, a red Mitsubishi Lancer from the year 2000. That makes you feel pretty grown up...

We actually took over the car from Gerrit and Sandra from Augsburg, who have been travelling in New Zealand on four wheels for several months and will soon be returning to Germany. After several meetings with the two (including a test drive and a visit to the workshop) we decided to buy the car. And that's exactly what we did. And, just like that, a few (thousand) dollars less in our bank account and some paperwork later, we found ourselves owning a car.

Life is sometimes just easy peasy kiwi squeezy! I was on my way to work (and admittedly a bit late) when I noticed the for sale sign in the side window of our future car. So I ran over, took a photo of the given mobile number and sent it to Richi, after which Richi contacted Sandra and Gerrit, etc... I've never been so happy to almost arrive late for work! And it got even better! Because the two of them also included all of their camping equipment. So we practically acquired a mini-camper with a more or less spacious bedroom in the backseat (there are even self-made curtains on the windows) and a 'kitchen' (in the form of two pots, a gas cooker, aluminum foil, and all sorts of dishes... what more could you want?).

Of course, not everything is perfect. Some things still need to be repaired and uhhh... well... the engine won't start... but don't worry, it sounds more dramatic than it is, because after numerous conversations with the car experts we trust and a lot of mechanic instinct on our part, we came to the conclusion that the battery is simply dead. So it shouldn't be a problem to get the car rolling again with a little jump start... hopefully. Then there's the driving on the left and the impatient and wild driving behavior of some Kiwis that we have already experienced firsthand (however, Richi has mastered it with flying colors!). Oh yeah, and how in the world do you even refuel??? But we'll figure it out. Well, as you can see, this is the beginning of a completely new adventure!

Otherwise, everything is as usual. People come, eat their food, and we wash the dishes. I now have something like a telepathic coffee relationship with Louise, who prepares the coffee in the deli. Often, just an excited look from me is enough and not even 60 seconds later I have my beloved cappuccino in my hands. Otherwise, I recently tried to teach Donna and Allison (the two bakers in the deli) German, including word-for-word translations, such as 'rolling pin' and 'whisk'... the two of them found it hilarious.

For us, it will soon be time to move on. I can't wait to get in the car and finally start driving. However, I will miss some things, besides some people and the great free coffee, especially the (some) advantages of being settled, such as a well-equipped large kitchen or a washing machine that you can use at any time, and of course the good internet here is not to be disregarded.

Where are we heading next? We have no idea. Definitely towards the south, that much we can promise...

Maggi&Richi, Monday, March 20, 2017, Akaroa 14:35