Baby You Can Drive My Car

As everyone would be (correctly) assuming right now, I have been looking for a Porsche to drive since I started this bucket list almost a year ago. Nevermind the trips to be scheduled, the things to buy and the hours to waste planning for something.. I just wanted to drive a Porsche! And as everyone would also be (still correctly) assume right now, this is one of the hardest things to do in my list. Only because I have noooo idea where or how to get my hands on one!

So one day, during one of our beer binging sessions, I started to rant to my friends about driving a Porsche and about how it’s so hard to find the person who knows someone who owns one. Very casually, my good friend John blurts out "Oh I have a friend. He owns one. I can call him?"

So I was like, okaaaaay. But I knew that was just one of those conversations over beer when everyone'd forget what was talked about. Months passed, a thousand items were crossed off my list (ok ok, haha! not a thousand. but 25 to be exact), and John, out of the blue, tells me "May utang ako sayo. I promised you that'd be my birthday gift. Are you free this weekend for your Porsche thing?"

I was floored. Of course I'd be free! Whatever it was that I was gonna do, I'd drop. for the Porsche.



Porsche Boxster '99



Anyway, fast forward to the weekend, and I didn't know what to expect. John and I went to South to meet with his friend. And as soon as we got over to where we were supposed to meet up.. a jet black Porsche Boxster '99 pulls over!

Ohmygosh! I still feel giddy just thinking about it now. I couldn't contain my excitement that I practically screamed inside John's car when he pointed the car out. I was screaming so happily that even John, a very composed tall basketball-playing dude, almost screamed with me. It was hilarious!

He introduced me to his friend Mickey, who I tell you, is one of the most down to earth, nicest, kindest and most humble person you'll ever meet. He stepped out of his car, and right there and then, gave me the reigns to the Porsche.

Oh oh. Lest I forget. Before I got in his car, he asked: "Uh, so you want me to put the top down?"

Oh that kind dude..! Hell, of course I'd love that!

Ang gwapo ng car!!!

listening to Mickey's final instructions.

He pushed a button, and then the top slowly, as if teasing me, went down. I stepped inside the car, felt the AC still on, and you know, laughed. Laughed, smiled, whined in happiness, blabbered inaudible things and laughed some more.

I looked at John and Mickey, and both of them commanded me to "GO!"

So I went.

i was driving this time.. i just passed by John who was holding on to the camera. hehe!

Oh.my.god. I heard Mickey say that the car's engine was only 2.0 (did he just say only? Kill me.) But everytime I'd step on the gas, I thought I was in a race car. The engine roared louder than any car I ever drove. I know I know.. it doesn't mean that it's a race car. But I’m just a pretty little girl who doesn’t know shit about cars. And for me, it felt like I was in one. So don’t rain on my parade. Haha.

At first, I was fidgety. I mean, I was driving someone else's car, and a Porsche convertible at that. And the top was down so the few people in the street were looking. And my friend was teasing. And the owner was watching. Of course, I'd feel jittery! But I still drove. And as I drove along the stretch of the street, I felt my groove on. I shifted between gears, smiling as I coasted along the way. Feeling confident already, I reached the end of the street. It was a dead-end so obviously, I had to go back. I turned to prepare for a U-turn, then reversed.

Tapsos namatayan ako ng makina.

I swear, all the bravado I felt vanished so quickly that I felt as if someone poured cold water over my head. "Ok, I still got this." I thought as I tried to calm myself down. I just needed to turn the engine on again, reverse and drive.

The only problem was, I couldn’t find the key!!! It turns out that the key ignition was on the left side of the wheel instead of the usual right. I called John to ask them how I should turn the key ignition.. (I was disoriented already, ok?) And after hearing their hysterical laughter over their "Dude, what happened!??!!", I finally managed to turn the engine back on.

I shifted the gear to reverse and as I was starting to step on the gas, namatayan ulit ako.

That happened thrice. Thrice can you believe!? I’m never ever gonna live that down.

Anyway, I continued to drive with Mickey's permission to "drive anywhere.,” So I drove, and drove and drove. I passed by one of the basketball courts with kids playing, and I heard one of them say "O, babae pa pala yung nagd-drive." That's when I remembered that the top was still down and I was cruising along a village in the South. I felt like a celebrity driving along Beverly Hills. Boo yeah! Can you get any cooler than that? Hahaha!

I finally ended my joyride, and hesitantly went out of the car to turn the reign over to Mickey. I didn't want it to end though, if given the choice. Seriously.

We capped the night with a couple of bottles and I thanked these 2 wonderful people profusely. The thing that I almost thought I wouldn’t be able to do, I did with a bang! But maybe, should there be a next time with the Porsche, I’d stop being a girl so much, and just shut and drive.

Boo yeah!

When: February 5, 2012
Where: Some village in the South
What: Porsche Boxter '99