Living a dream I never dreamt!

I now have a Mercedes Benz CLK convertible!

Being in Germany, I have lived several of my dreams. But owning a convertible was so luxurious and expensive a dream, I never even dreamed of it. But now I have one. Of my own!

It all started with my desire to drive mum around when she visited me. I applied to get my German driving license way back in April this year. After several jump-starts, I did enroll for driving classes. I was so bad at following the rules around here, and with the manual gear transmission that I felt there will be no way I would get the license. But I chugged along, and soon I was ready to take the practical test. When I enrolled, one day before the exam my trainer got a call. They told him I did not need to take the practical test. No one knows the reason for why I was given the honor, but here I was with the coveted German driving license without taking the damned and very difficult test. My colleagues have flunked, and fretted, but I sailed through!

So, I was able to finally drive my mum back to the airport in October!

Now comes the unthinkable. A colleague of mine merely referred me to the office bulletin board that had an ad for an Alfa Romeo. It was black, with red leather seats and appealed to me very much. And so I started looking for cars. It made no sense initially. Here I was happy sitting in my buses, spending 57 Euros a month on my transport costs, reading and napping on the commutes – why in the world did I need a car?! Well, that reasoning went up in smoke with not so much as ashes!

Several websites later, I was hooked onto one that pointed me to several dealers within 100 kms of where I live. Several searches later, I zeroed in on a few dealers. Several visits later, I was cursing myself at having to get up at 7 AM on Saturdays to visit these far off auto dealers. Several cars later, I almost gave up and told myself that this is the last weekend I am ruining!

Then I ended up in Lichtenfels, which had been a dot on a map until now, but turned out to be a sizeable town. After a call to the dealer enquiring how I reach their place, I was sent a car to pick me up from the train station. I immediately started doubting the dealer having had a similar experience earlier where the dealer had turned out to be very shady. But I was driven to this huge Volkswagen and Audi dealership, and that is where I saw the navy blue beauty – standing all by herself among all the VWs and the Audis!

So, after spending close to 14 thousand Euros in basic cost, insurance and sundry taxes – here I am - a proud owner of a Mercedes convertible. The day I made the decision was one of the happiest of my recent life!

Now I am just hoping to get some sunshine so that I can click pictures of the beauty I ride.
I also wait for the summer when I can have her top down!

At my favorite window….

My adulthood favorite window is in my favorite café. I come here most Sunday evenings when I am in Erlangen.

I sit on the ledge and I work sometimes. I used to study earlier when work was less demanding. Even earlier, I used to read novels sitting here. But now, usually it is office work on the computer.

I have been here in the summer, and I have seen people milling about. I have been here during Football Fever and seen the town come to a halt celebrating German wins. I have been here during fall, and seen the leaves turn yellow. I am here now and I see snow flying by the glow of the street lamp.

Over two years have passed, but me and the window have kept our dates. We have seen life together, with each other.

I did try to make this post poetic, but I give up. Instead, I would look out, at the people rush by….