My first major issue with my Baby.

So, she's run soooooo well for me the past 2 years. I've driven her 30 000km around Japan so far. It was bound to happen, she is a VW after all.

Friday I was running errands and I pressed on the clutch, heard a bit of a click and felt something 'go'. I tried to put her in reverse and she screeched and growled at me. You know the sound -grinding gears. How fun.

I managed to get her home -in 3rd. Thank goodness I've been taught how to drive a manual - thank goodness I've been taught how to drive a manual without a clutch!

I took her into the shop, to my buddy Shigeo, who always gives her lots of TLC. My shaken is up this week anyway, so she was due for a visit.

For those of you not familiar with owning a vehicle in Japan -it's fecking expensive. I pay around $500 a year in taxes and then every 2 years there is a mandatory inspection that can cost anywhere from $300-$1500. The last time I paid around $1500. I expect to pay about the same this year. I have yet to find out why it's so expensive. It's something I hope to learn more about.

So, for now I'm driving a loaner -a little yellow plate (that's a car with a yellow licencse plate that designates it as an economy car). I'm enjoying the power steering and nothing else.