In Singapore, driving licenses are a bane and he hasn't got one. In fact, he failed his last test so spectacularly I won't even elaborate. Driving is also mega expensive here with cars costing approximately $100k sgd. You get to use a first-hand car for 10 years before you have to pay an exorbitant sum again. It's too much of a hassle to elaborate about this crazy system here and the cost of driving with tolls and parking.
I used to grow up wondering how people survived without a car. Then I got married and found it impossible to ever afford one.
Then yesterday, amidst our stress with work and life, we got a gift of..a car.
It only has one year left on its lifespan/COE but that is still a very very generous gift.
Only problem: Isaac has no license and I refuse to drive being 6.5 months pregnant and still puking! It is insane to imagine puking on your dashboard and being safe on the roads while you're having a puky spell.
Economically, as we live at the fringe of town, it costs us a mere $6-$10 by cab to town whereas it would cost $20 parking. When I was living off my parents', I would take the car to go to town and get the shock of my life whenever I chose to spend more time roaming around and parking at expensive malls that accommodated my horrible parking skills with big spacious lots. My parking used to be more expensive than my meals. So, this works out to $100 a month if I go to town once a week (including toll) just to go to town whilst I would have spent only $40 by cab. $60 might not be a huge sum to pay for convenience but now that we are on a single income and have a kid and a full-time helper, every cent saved counts!
I am very grateful for the gesture nonetheless even though I was cynical enough to think, given the nature of my relationship and understanding of my in-laws that these came with HUGE ROPES attached and a debt of gratitude I can never pay. I think I was also too proud to receive and eat humble pie. I also entertained the thought that I might not have received it if it was a girl I was expecting due to the strong gender bias.
Well, of course this is merely speculation and whatever the reason is, it was generous. We might utilise it when the baby is born simply because of the convenience factor of ferrying a new born around. Isaac of course welcomes these gestures from his parents with open arms but I'm scared that it'll be leverage against me when they want to run our lives or insist on parenting the baby a certain way. I almost am worried that it'll become a bribe for them to barge into our lives without boundaries. Also, I feel bad that Isaac's sister gets the short end of the stick when it comes to gifts and inheritance and I have strongly urged him many times not to accept and perpetuate the gender bias unless we are allowed to split huge gifts evenly with the sister. She has every right to it and should be given her fair share.
Well, I have to really think and pray through this and I'm glad we still have some time before we accept the offer.
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