Meet O'Malley...

I'm sure I've already mentioned that the military won't ship cars over here, so we had to sell ours and buy new ones once we arrived.

They drive on the other side of the road in Okinawa and so the steering wheel is also on the other side of the car...in fact, everything is reversed, so the windshield wipers and turn signal are flipped around. (I still occasionally turn on the wipers when I'm turning left!) It takes some getting used to. This might just be me (remember...I was born blond) but a couple of times, when someone has said "right" I have actually thought to myself, something along the lines of..."Oh, the new right...which would be left." as if the whole direction itself changed when the plane dropped me off here. Embarrassing to admit publicly...but I'm just keepin' it real!

Well anyway, I've had some time to look around the island at the variety of cars that are here. Many of them are the typical Japanese cars you could find in the US...same brands, but different names. We bought a huge, egg-shaped Toyota van really cheap from a chaplain who left here, but as Murphy's law would have it...it is falling apart already, so we may have to replace it sooner than we planned. Anyway, it didn't take me long to figure out...

(by looking at the parking spaces and the two-lane traffic that you would swear should be a one way alley)

that it is to your benefit to have as small of a car as possible here. There is really not a need to consider needing a bigger car to defend yourself against Bubba's jacked-up truck here...or worry about high speed impacts (the speed limit on most of the island is 50 kph...you do the math) so small cars are really the way to go.

Since we are trying to experience as much as we can here, and truly appreciate the Okinawan and Japanese culture...I decided I wanted to look for a car that would be unique to our location...one to remember it by. I kept seeing these little cars that actually look more British than Japanese...which somehow makes them more "Japanesey", because so many 'regular' Japanese cars can be found in the US...because they are really American...does that make sense? Anyway, that's what I set out to find...and Cliff was SO patient as we went to lot after lot.

Cliff: How about this one?

Me: Too boxy...and I could get that one in the US.

Cliff: How about this one?

Me: Too angley...and I could get that one in the US.

Cliff: How about this one?

Me: Too round...and I could get that one in the US.

Cliff: How about this one?

Me: Too big...and I could get that one in the US.

Get the idea? Anyway, I finally stumbled upon THEE car. He was tucked back in the corner of a huge lot in a sea of white or silver, non-descript little Americanish-Japanese cars...

So without further adieu...I give you, O'Malley...


He even has genuine, faux-wood interior...isn't he darling?


Another of his features (that is cute, and creepy at the same time) is that he senses his key-fob as it approaches, so he unlocks his doors and flashes his lights. I didn't figure it out, at first...but each morning as I would pass by him to get in the van for the seminary carpool, he would blink on his lights and unlock...and as I kept walking, he would lock himself backup and blink again, all dejected-like. The kids think it's hilarious, and they have given him a voice.

(Picture Patrick in a British accent)

O'Malley: "Helloo, Carrie...you look smashing this morning!"

Carrie: Thanks, O'Malley, you are looking fine yourself, today.

O'Malley: "No, I'm afraid there's not enough room for Clifford in here...I can't seem to get that door unlocked, either."

O'Malley (as he's rolling up his window): "Oops...I seem to have pinched your ring right off of your finger..."

Anyway, I've never been much of a "car" person...reliability and comfort is all I care about...but I am a bit smitten with this guy. Plus, he's easy to pick out in a parking lot. His leprechaun green is pretty easy to spot in a sea of white and silver...