Yes, I sang the possible requiem for my car a few days ago. Actually, it was a day after I returned from Taif. The car refused to start in the morning, and continued to stay asleep through the day with repeated attempts. In the evening, I had an electrician and a mechanic take a look and the verdict was clear: this car would not start not because there was an electric problem, but because the engine had finally given up on me.
I now had two options before me: either I could sell this car to scrap, or send it to Taif to get the engine repaired. I know that some of you must be thinking ... the sane thing to do is to sell it off to whoever agrees to buy it and purchase another second hand vehicle ... but the reasoning I was following was this: I am not likely to stay more than a year here in the Kingdom, so it makes perfect sense to spend a few thousand SR and repair the car rather than spend a bigger amount, buy another car, and then re-sell it at a discount a year down the line.
The car was mounted on a carrier vehicle (known here as "Saatha" in Arabic, or "Winch" in pidgin English) and sent to Taif to my mechanic Mr. Choudhary Shabir on Saturday, the 15th of February 2014. I must wait for a week before the car would be ready for me again. (I hope).
After the car was sent away, I have had a difficult time going to and fro from and to the hospital from my home. On Saturday, I was on call, and had to walk it up once; on Sunday and Monday, as I write this, I had to take help from other doctors, workers at the hospital and even patients with whom I have created more than a passing acquaintance over the last few years. Let's see what the next three days bring for me. On Friday, I am planning to go back to Taif to get back my car.
Until then, I am going to make a day of it, and use the walking to stay more fit.
I now had two options before me: either I could sell this car to scrap, or send it to Taif to get the engine repaired. I know that some of you must be thinking ... the sane thing to do is to sell it off to whoever agrees to buy it and purchase another second hand vehicle ... but the reasoning I was following was this: I am not likely to stay more than a year here in the Kingdom, so it makes perfect sense to spend a few thousand SR and repair the car rather than spend a bigger amount, buy another car, and then re-sell it at a discount a year down the line.
The car was mounted on a carrier vehicle (known here as "Saatha" in Arabic, or "Winch" in pidgin English) and sent to Taif to my mechanic Mr. Choudhary Shabir on Saturday, the 15th of February 2014. I must wait for a week before the car would be ready for me again. (I hope).
After the car was sent away, I have had a difficult time going to and fro from and to the hospital from my home. On Saturday, I was on call, and had to walk it up once; on Sunday and Monday, as I write this, I had to take help from other doctors, workers at the hospital and even patients with whom I have created more than a passing acquaintance over the last few years. Let's see what the next three days bring for me. On Friday, I am planning to go back to Taif to get back my car.
Until then, I am going to make a day of it, and use the walking to stay more fit.
1 comment:
Dear Dr Taher, I have read your last few blogs and found them really informative and providing very good discriptions on your life.
Regrds
Post a Comment