My New Ideal Family Car

Toyota has released the new Innova. You can check out it's official Philippine site here. Strangely, they haven't updated the gallery of pics, becaused based on the headlights, the pictures in the gallery show the old Innova.


But I'm not here to talk about the new Innova. I don't like the headlights. I think it will take some time to get used to, specially since it reminds me of the Honda Odyssey (you can see what the Odyssey looks like here). Plus the lines on the Innova are more angular now, not like the old curvy lines.


Which means I've got a new favorite, and ideal, family car in mind. The NEW Toyota Avanza. Yes, it seems like it's a "step down" compared to the Innova. The Innova might seem a bit more high end than the Avanza, yes, but who cares? The new Avanza looks great. It's high end model is cheaper, if not equal to the cost of a low end Innova. It can seat almost as much as the Innova. It may not have as many features as the Innova, but it still fits into my category of what a family car should be.


Let's go for spacious first. Again, an Avanza can seat five people with a huge cargo space at the rear, or fold the rear seats down and you can seat maybe eight full-sized adults. Perfect for a family consisting of a husband, a wife, two children, and maybe a nanny or two.


Second, it's practical. It has a 1.5L engine, which would be just right to move it. I don't think it's underpowered, since I've driven a 1.5L engined Lite Ace. Both vehicles aren't meant for speed, and I don't drive fast myself. Also, the Avanza is a pretty tall vehicle so you don't have to worry about flash floods or deep potholes.


Finally, it looks great. The new Avanza looks way better than the old one. It has curvy lines, it has a futuristic look, the headlights don't look bland, the taillights don't look bland. It just looks great. Period. In fact, it looks like a better version of the old Innova, if you ask me.


And those are the reasons why the new Avanza has replaced the new Innova on the top of my list for ideal family car.


Out.

A Farewell to the Lite Ace

Our family's Lite Ace is gone.

No, we didn't sell it. Nothing negative happened. Last Tuesday my father drove the Lite Ace to his mother's house in the province and left it there, to be used when he visits my grandmother and when he goes to the province to do stuff related to his (and my mother's) future.

That car has been almost everywhere in Luzon. We've driven it to Pagudpod, Ilocos Norte, and we've taken it to Naga, Camarines Sur. I think it's been to Baguio, and it's been almost everywhere here in Metro Manila.

I got my driving chops using that car. And I even scraped the side of the car on the gate of the village going in. My dad was furious, and I was panicking. I did not have enough sense to step on the brakes. I guess he was expecting too much from someone who had been driving for a few weeks that time. Plus I had learned driving in a car from the driving school. A car whose wheels were in front of the driver. The Lite Ace had the wheel slightly behind the driver, and hence needed to turn later. It was a lesson I learned the hard way, and it was a lesson I would never forget.

I'm hoping to see that car again someday. Maybe when I visit my grandmother in the province. That's the best chance I can get to see it again.

Do I still want it back? Maybe, but to be quite honest it IS an old car. And the parts are getting harder to find. And the service center of Toyota isn't exactly the best in service. So maybe it's best that it was moved to the province, so I can slowly let go of it.

Thanks for the good times and the memories, Lite Ace.

Out.

Why Am I Negative (One Theory)

Don't ask me why, but I really am a negative person. I have no idea why, and no idea how it came to be that way. I have a few theories.


One theory is since I was the eldest grandchild, and an only child to boot, I was spoiled, coddled, and over-protected. Too much being careful and too many "no's" during my childhood may have given me that no attitude in life, and it carried over up to now.


What scares me about this is how true it could be. I do remember as I child I was innocent and happy, but I always kept hearing from my grandmothers a lot of don'ts. Don't talk to strangers, if anyone approaches you offering candy call for help, and lots of other similar warnings. Now, those things may not be wrong, but if drilled into your head almost non-stop it does begin to take a life of its own. Distrust starts brewing, then fear, and eventually negativity.


You may be asking yourself why I don't do anything about it now that I'm old enough and "wise" enough. Well, being aware of my negativity is one step. And I am now in the process of trying to become less negative. But it is hard. Imagine getting used to a certain mindset your whole life. It will take huge amounts of willpower and forcing oneself just to make a difference. And knowing myself, I will still need lots more willpower and force.


Out.

On Temper

I have a nasty temper. I don't deny it, and I don't hide it.


It's been a problem of mine since I was a little boy, and up to now I have difficulty trying to control it. But I have made great steps to improve myself. Yes, there are times that it overwhelms me and I start ranting like a depraved lunatic. But nowadays it is harder to trigger that overwhelming feeling.


The best way to control it, I've discovered, is to try to stay calm. Counting is true, but not from one to ten. More like, keep counting until I calm down. I can also try to remember that I am almost thirty-two years old, and I shouldn't be getting so angry at so trivial a thing, whatever that thing may be.


I have a feeling this temper will be a lifelong battle, but unlike when I was younger, I now feel more capable than ever to control it. And if I can keep it up I will be more in control in the future.


Out.