I said a tearful goodbye to my faithful Suzuki Alto this week.  The last legal day of its life was on Wednesday evening.  I drove down to Muroto for the last time in the wee beast.  I got a bit nostalgic when this picture was taken but then remembered why I was getting rid of it when I started driving. So noisy... like a bear was stuck in the engine.  I'm surprised we lasted 3 years together.

Here's my new machine of future Route 55 domination.  It's an early 90s Toyoto Corolla... one of the few car names I know. It has working speakers, doesn't shake when I go over 70kmh and the backseat is big enough to fit a real life human being or two.  Also, the interior is maroon.  SOLD.

It was essential that I transferred these stickers of diplomatic immunity.  How will the Japanese people know that I'm not one of them?  I'm sure they will all recognise the saltire and the lion rampant and stop calling me Igirisu-jin and Amerika-jin.  Did you even know what I said there?  Naw ye didnae.  It's like those "Baby on Board" stickers but I'm being nice and warning the locals that I'm a foreigner and that I will get angry when they do something stupid on the road... which is every day.

This is the shed in the picture a few pictures up.  My town cut down a small forest, concreted it over and put this shed over it in the space of one weekend.  The sign says that I shouldn't park my car infront of it on the weekend.  They didn't tell me about the building or the sign so I'm playing stupid.  I don't think they've  opened it yet.  I nearly pulled it off when I needed to get my police parking certificate but it was like one of those annoying stickers that won't come off in one go.  Maybe I should spray hot water over it.