Good-bye, Jazz.

January 2006. That's when I first saw the car that would bring me from point A to point B for the next seven years: a Honda Jazz 1.3 CVT. Fast forward 186,000++ kilometers later, I bid the car good-bye. While I've been planning on selling it for sometime, the reality of parting from the car still came as a shock... and that was earlier today. Yes, the Jazz was sold on my Mom's birthday. Since the car transferred hands and I am home alone, I wasn't in such a celebratory mood. Anna and I will eat on the weekend to celebrate Mommy's birthday.

It still feels surreal that the Jazz is no longer mine. So to cope, I'm listing down 10 memories with the Jazz, just on the top of my head.

Here goes...

1. The rear seat became a mini-zoo. The stuff toys became a perfect distraction for my nephews and nieces. A friend was attempting to get the platypus doll for himself; I ended up teary-eyed. They're my toys!
2. Long trip to Pampanga, take 1. Anna and I drove north to see the 16th hot-air balloon festival. Well, I drove; she slept most of the way. On our way home, I was able to remain alert thanks to the half-liter Coca-Cola I was drinking in sips from Pampanga to Laguna.
3. Long trip to Pampanga, take 2. Yes, it's to the hot-air balloon festival (17th), but my friends from high school joined me. We had a good time flying kites and catching up on each others' lives, particularly since we're not seeing each other as often as before. Mafel and Karen joined me on the long drive home. Along the way, we made a stop at Starbucks in one of the gas stations along the expressway. That was where I ordered my first made-to-order beverage: venti chocolate chip frappuccino blended creme, soy, with whipped cream and peppermint syrup.
4. Long trip to Pampanga, take 3. Third time's the charm they say. But this time, the 18th hot-air balloon festival wasn't the sole reason. Pampanga is the culinary capital of the Philippines, so it was just fitting to include a pit stop at a restaurant in Angeles City. Yum!
5. Christmas shopping with Noah. Noah is a great guy to go shopping with because he doesn't hurry me along, is willing to hold on to my bag as I try on shoes or clothes, and watches out for food that trigger my allergies. But on one occasion, the roles were reversed: he went all-out on the Christmas shopping. The luggage area of the Jazz was filled with his gifts, including a set of ingredients for spaghetti for his mom and a stroller for his newborn niece. He drove the car back to Laguna so I could sleep along the way.
6. Driving myself to the emergency room. I was home alone when I fever hit me. My temperature was unstable and I kept vomiting until I passed out. When I came to, I thought I was stable enough to drive to the nearest hospital. That was the longest 10-minute drive I've ever made.
7. Flat tire and Nelzo. Back when Glorietta 5 was still a parking lot, I had a flat tire there and drivers in the parking lot lounge were assisting me replace it. Nelzo, who had been shopping on his own, was upset because he thought that I had asked others for help with my groceries while he was on-hand to help. I explained that I didn't call him over because he might not know how to change tires.
8. Lost in Quezon (province). I had been at a former classmate's wedding. On my way home, I thought of taking a shortcut through the Sierra Madre Mountains. I was lost for an hour, driving on a bridge near a waterfall, before a guy with a rifle and a bunch of bananas gave me directions. The waterfall area reminds me now of the Cars scene where Lightning McQueen and Sally were passing by a waterfall.
9. Turning 360 degrees along the northbound section of the Alabang viaduct. Now this is a scary experience. The SLEX was under repair that time, with maximum speed limit at 80kph on the approach to the viaduct. I was driving at 80kph on the innermost lane. The car driving alongside me cut me off unexpectedly; once on my lane, in front of my car, the driver slowed down to 60kph. For some reason, the conditions were right for the car to drift to a full circle. While my car was spinning, I saw the blur of the cement partitions on the road. I knew then that I wouldn't die just yet because there was no flashback. Eventually out of the spin (and seeing the vehicles behind my car at full stop far from my car), I noticed that the slow overtaker stopped as well. I just overtook the overtaker then continued on my way... but my hands were shaking when I finally parked the car.
10. Whiplash, anyone? My car was a victim of two collision accidents. In the first one, it got hit from behind, damaging the rear windshield and the 5th door. In the second one, it was broadsided by a flying tricycle. In both accidents, my head hit the seat hard, triggering whiplash symptoms. I was sore for a few days but the car took a heavier beating than I did. Thank goodness to the people in the Honda repair shop and in a car shop recommended by the insurance company: they were able to get my car back in tip-top shape both times!