An Ambulance for Cars

I think that I mentioned in a previous blog posts that my host parents have the most awesome car ever. It is a four-door, blue Lada (pictured below):



It may not look like much, but it seems like a tough little car. And why shouldn't it be tough, it was made by the Russians.

I usually walk to work. It is only a thirty to forty minute walk. But sometimes it is raining or I just don't feel like walking, so I hitch a ride to work with the host parents. Every morning a man, Domnul Ion, comes overs, warms up the car and backs to car out of the driveway to the dirt street in front of our house. Then we all hop in. My host dad always sits in the front seat and my host mom and I (and sometimes a neighbor) sit in the back.

Before we can leave the first challenge arises, closing the door. You really have to slam the doors to get them to stay closed. I can now close the door with one slam, but when I first arrived it would take me about three tries. My host dad would yell that it was a Russian car and I wasn't gonna break it. Then I would slam it harder and harder until it would finally close.

The next challenge in the foggy windows. Domnul Ion drives us and wipes the windows with a towel at the same time. I gather from this that the car has no defroster, but the wiping seems to do the job. But, the real challenge comes when we try to turn onto the main road. Domnul Ion wipe the windows vigorously so he can see the traffic, then he watches for an opening and tries to prevent the car from stalling at the same time.

And finally, every once in a while his job even includes jumping the clutch on the way down the hill to get the car started, but this is a rare occurrence. When this does occur, my host dad pushes while Domnul Ion steers the car out of the drive way onto the street. At this point, we all get in and my host dad gives us a final push to get us started down the hill and then he jumps in. I wish that I could say this was a new and unique experience for me, but unfortunately I have bump started many a car and sport bike in my life.

One day on the way home from work, we decided stop by my host-sister's house. We were about a block away when oue car stopped right in the middle of an intersection. I thought it was the end of the most awesome car I have ever known, but alas we had just run out of gas. Now, I didn't really know what we were going to do. The gas station is a little way out of town. I estimate it to be about an hours walk, two hours there and back. I prepared myself for the worst. But in less than 5 minutes, this arrived:



I think that is basically looks like an ambulance and that is just what it is, an ambulance for cars. The drive brought us a 1.5 liter water bottle full of gas, and we were off. If only AAA could be so efficient!!

Now for the real question, why does Domnul Ion drive us everywhere? The answer is that I have no idea!! I don't think that my host mom knows how to drive, but I know for sure that my host dad does. When I find out, I will be sure to blog about it!! Until then....

Here's to my driver, Domnul Ion!!!