Wednesday 13 May 2009

Monday 11th May 2009 – Rocinante is Mine

Everywhere here seems to be a vast distance from everywhere else.  And because it always involves some level of freeway, I can never tell whether I'm going north, south, east or west.  So today seemed especially frenetic.

I had to get the money, then get the agent to tax ('get plates for') the car, then get the insurance, then actually drive the thing home.  All of which, with a wrong turning or two, left me feeling I'd driven half way across America.  This is an unnerving thought, since I'm actually just about to drive all the way across America.  There is a different scale of distance over here.  I think petrol costs round about a third of European prices, but journeys will cost just about the same.

Anyway, everything actually went fairly smoothly, so it's now a matter of fitting her out.  Which will be tomorrow's frenetic activity.

I have decided it's a she, and she is to be called Rocinante, to remind me of the quixotic nature of this adventure.  I know Steinbeck ('Travels with Charley') did the same thing, but I'm not copying from him, I'm copying from Cervantes, which is what he did.  If I'm a plagiarist, I'm in good company.  Anyway, Rocinante will inevitably be shortened to 'Rossey', which will have some Glasgow associations, reminding me of holidays 'doon the watter' at Rothesay, which is normally pronounced much like that.

 

The officious lady American voice is clearly the most suitable for the GPS.  If only I could get the divine voice which tells me which side of the tram to get off, that would be perfect: she could easily replace HAL.  I've tried the English (and I do mean ENGLISH), Australian, and American in both sexes, and somehow officious American female fits best.  Perhaps she will be my Lady Dulcinea.

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