Just over a couple of weeks ago…terror from natural disaster struck Japan. The morning of, I had received a text message from my mother saying “There’s been an earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, California might be seeing after effects, are you okay?” Not exactly what I was expecting to wake up to, but I’m sure neither were the Japanese.
Roughly 5500 miles away, the disaster was strong enough to cause a flair of bad weather and slight damage up north in California. That was what was evident immediately after as well as the week to come. What’s even crazier is although Japan is quite the distance away, it’s directly affecting many individuals in the states. Earlier this week I was purchasing a new car and got to talking to the dealer about the tragedies in Japan and he shed a little light on how it’s affecting Japanese cars and their parts not only over there but here as well. Many of the major car part factories were damaged and now have to go through full inspections before they can pick up manufacturing again.
In addition to cars.. the film industry is also being hit pretty hard. Yesterday I was at USC with my cousin who is a film professor and one of his students rushed into his office frantically, she seemed very urgent. She stated that her thesis project that is saved on one device needs to be put onto a digi beta but because USC has no more tapes due to the current stoppage of deliveries from Japan, only left her with another option. “Can I just send it to Fotokem to be digitized?” she said. “Good luck, you’re not the only one, Hollywood is filling the bulk of Foto’s processes for the time being…”-my cousin responded.
When these sort of disasters happen, it seems a common trend for people to say ‘Oh, this is affecting everyone in some sort of way’, and normally I would assume people mean emotionally but now I know different. I’d usually think, well most people aren’t upset because it’s not happening to them and they dismiss it. Now it has become clear that when something goes wrong on our planet, that regardless of how long it takes us to realize….it will impact us in some way shape or form.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Afternoon with a Stranger Who Bought me dinner….
Afternoon with a stranger Who Bought me dinner
As you may or may not know, due to unfortunate circumstances (i.e my car being a deadly piece of jazz) I’ve been without a vehicle for a little over a month now, which is a little more than inconvenient. Including… people forgetting to pick me up from work..walking five miles home…my work telling me not to come in because of bad weather FIVE minutes before my shift, while I’d hitched a ride to work..etc. Lovely right? So I’ve taken up another job these past weeks of constantly searching dealer’s inventories online for the ride I should like and can afford and one on which I can rely. Yes that’s right kiddies, I’m working to pay for my own car. Some of us aren’t given everything on a silver platter that’s wrapped in red ribbon, just in case you were confused. Anyway.
Last night I finally found a car that fits all of the ideals that I’d wanted! I was stoked. And to my surprise…on a Sunday morning I got a call from the dealer. He informed me that the vehicle I’d requested was in fact still available for purchase. Woot!
[Only haha, silly me…I’d confused Carlsbad with Clairmont, Carlsbad being 40 mins away, and Clairmont being just four miles away. Rather than try and depend on someone to give me a ride up and hear them beat-around-the-bush-indirectly-complain when I pay them exact change for the—I figured I’d rent a Prius from the PLNU zipcar system. Yes…I would drive a Prius in this situation. Desperate times call for desperate measures. ]
He then asked me when a convenient time would be for me to come in to check out the car and I explained that I would have to arrange a ride first and then I could let him know. Being of course, the impatient nature of a car salesman he was, he almost immediately offered a ride from his dealership or if I thought that was weird I could find my own ride. Of course I’d take a free ride when gas prices are high and people are greedy. I prepared for the day and waited for him to roll up in the electric blue 2009 Honda Accord. He generously agreed to not drive the car up and down that I would be testing out. That was nice.
Test drive! One of the only times I don’t blast fat beats on the radio. Fortunately I’ve gone through enough car problems and repairs that I can decently (for a lady) check out a car and size it up. Thanks to Cousin Chris… I can pretty much identify every part of the engine and its function. Hello accomplishment. I think Michael-the-car-[dealer]-man was somewhat surprised. I think everyone in life should have to deal with car issues at some point so they actually understand how a car works instead of being naïve and/or ignorant.
When all was said and done… I was just shy of having enough (after a taxes and California’s rape of taxes/registration/fees) to pay fully in cash but, it’s Sunday, and credit unions are closed today. Sooooo now I have to wait until tomorrow to hear back. I usually say that car salesman have no soul but…this was seemed to be somewhat decent in that he wasn’t a huge a-hole to me when the sale didn’t work out today.
“Do you want to stop at the outlet malls or anything? Are you hungry?” – He said.
“Hah umm I’m just kind of cold and want to go back… I am hungry though, In-n-Out sounds good”- I said.
We pulled up and I got my warm dinner for the evening (eliminating me having to eat cereal in my apt later on.) I attempted to hand him cash for the bill-- the stranger who’d been shuttling me around all day, also bought my dinner.
Surprisingly…the ride back was enjoyable, and not awkward. Thank the Lord :). Fingers crossed for tomorrow!! Until next time… I’ll catch ya on the sunnyside.
As you may or may not know, due to unfortunate circumstances (i.e my car being a deadly piece of jazz) I’ve been without a vehicle for a little over a month now, which is a little more than inconvenient. Including… people forgetting to pick me up from work..walking five miles home…my work telling me not to come in because of bad weather FIVE minutes before my shift, while I’d hitched a ride to work..etc. Lovely right? So I’ve taken up another job these past weeks of constantly searching dealer’s inventories online for the ride I should like and can afford and one on which I can rely. Yes that’s right kiddies, I’m working to pay for my own car. Some of us aren’t given everything on a silver platter that’s wrapped in red ribbon, just in case you were confused. Anyway.
Last night I finally found a car that fits all of the ideals that I’d wanted! I was stoked. And to my surprise…on a Sunday morning I got a call from the dealer. He informed me that the vehicle I’d requested was in fact still available for purchase. Woot!
[Only haha, silly me…I’d confused Carlsbad with Clairmont, Carlsbad being 40 mins away, and Clairmont being just four miles away. Rather than try and depend on someone to give me a ride up and hear them beat-around-the-bush-indirectly-complain when I pay them exact change for the—I figured I’d rent a Prius from the PLNU zipcar system. Yes…I would drive a Prius in this situation. Desperate times call for desperate measures. ]
He then asked me when a convenient time would be for me to come in to check out the car and I explained that I would have to arrange a ride first and then I could let him know. Being of course, the impatient nature of a car salesman he was, he almost immediately offered a ride from his dealership or if I thought that was weird I could find my own ride. Of course I’d take a free ride when gas prices are high and people are greedy. I prepared for the day and waited for him to roll up in the electric blue 2009 Honda Accord. He generously agreed to not drive the car up and down that I would be testing out. That was nice.
Test drive! One of the only times I don’t blast fat beats on the radio. Fortunately I’ve gone through enough car problems and repairs that I can decently (for a lady) check out a car and size it up. Thanks to Cousin Chris… I can pretty much identify every part of the engine and its function. Hello accomplishment. I think Michael-the-car-[dealer]-man was somewhat surprised. I think everyone in life should have to deal with car issues at some point so they actually understand how a car works instead of being naïve and/or ignorant.
When all was said and done… I was just shy of having enough (after a taxes and California’s rape of taxes/registration/fees) to pay fully in cash but, it’s Sunday, and credit unions are closed today. Sooooo now I have to wait until tomorrow to hear back. I usually say that car salesman have no soul but…this was seemed to be somewhat decent in that he wasn’t a huge a-hole to me when the sale didn’t work out today.
“Do you want to stop at the outlet malls or anything? Are you hungry?” – He said.
“Hah umm I’m just kind of cold and want to go back… I am hungry though, In-n-Out sounds good”- I said.
We pulled up and I got my warm dinner for the evening (eliminating me having to eat cereal in my apt later on.) I attempted to hand him cash for the bill-- the stranger who’d been shuttling me around all day, also bought my dinner.
Surprisingly…the ride back was enjoyable, and not awkward. Thank the Lord :). Fingers crossed for tomorrow!! Until next time… I’ll catch ya on the sunnyside.
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