Well, I came to the realization yesterday that I’m married. That’s right, I wasn’t aware of it until I came back from Vietnam, but yes, I’m married. I’m married to a hunk of steel, rubber and glass that says “Hyundai” on it. I don’t think I could live without it and it takes up a lot of my time and money too… Yesterday I remembered that the Hyundai’s registration had expired, and hence I needed to go to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to renew it. However, like everything in this bureaucratic cesspool known as the freedom-loving states, nothing is free. The cost to register for one year: $49.50. The cost for car insurance for a year (which is now required by law): around $720. The car payments for the year just to claim that the car belongs to me: $2280. The cost to renew my drivers license a few weeks ago: $24. The cost of a gallon of gas now: Well over $3 (gallons the Hyundai holds: 11 [11x$3.25 = $35.75]). So there ya have it folks, I got married without even knowing it and despise the marriage because I’m stuck in it and apparently the U.S. Government doesn’t permit divorce easily.
Now lets compare costs to owning a motorbike in Vietnam. Payments on the bike: 0 VND a year because it belonged to MCC (cost of new Honda bike, probably around $700-$1000). Insurance for a year (which is optional): less than $6. Registration for a new bike: 0 VND (you just transfer the title from the previous owner if you’re buying it used and the plates are good for life). Drivers license: the prices varied among foreigners, and mine was pretty expensive, coming in at around $66-70, but again, it’s good for life. Gas was less than a dollar a liter, and I could drive for two weeks on 7 liters, and my bike used a little more than most. Repairs were an issue with my bike, but they were generally less than $5 and I would be driving again the next day.
But speaking of marriage, Tyler is getting married early next year!! Hard to believe that all those days of madness in Long Xuyen are behind us and now he’ll be settling down, somewhere… sometime… Anyway, I hope to be at the wedding if I can afford it.
It’s raining and dreary today and I’ve got to start working on a special story about fitness, and I have no contacts to go on. Great…
