Wednesday 1 October 2008

Car Mad

I have been meaning to mention this for ages, as it is really the highlight of CassCass' little life: cars. And who they belong to. It is incredible how she remembers not only who's who in her whole huge family but on top of that she has learnt which colour and type of car each drives!

We first borrowed a white car, and that has been classed as "our car". Nevermind that it belongs to a friend of Bertie's sister who was on holiday and we will never drive it again. When we go to the town centre and see it parked streets away, there are shrieks of joy at "our car". For a while, LissaLou and then CassCass kept talking about the "nik nak". It took me quite a while to catch on that they actually meant zig zag - can anyone use this information to identify what car this one is?? I failed miserably, thinking it was a Fiat.

Next we borrowed Tatie Pierrette's car. That was very exciting too. Now CassCass simply hears it outside and immediately speeds out to shout "Tatie Pierrette's car!" Several times. And very loudly.

We have never borrowed it, but she is completely familiar with Papy's car and can identify when it returns home, something I again can't manage. It never ceases to amaze me when she turns out to be right!

Tatie Nadia's car rates highly on our list, with its air con and overall newness. After using that, it was hard to get CassCass in any other.

Tatie Felicianne's car is known as Meddy's car (her cousin) and again she knows the type and colour. Sorry, I have forgotten again what she drives! But I can tell you it is green.

Penultimately our current car is Tonton Richard's car. It's a....oh, ask CassCass, I really only notice the colour. This one is currently missing a part which Bertie needs to fix and CassCass spent several anxious days asking why it was broken. But in the meantime we get to drive our friend Agathe's much newer car, and I suspect it will be a sad moment when we say goodbye again to it!

When we see any car resembling any of the above, it will be commented on by CassCass. As well as those resembling our lovely car in London (that we miss soooo much!). Her idea of bliss is a trip out with Papa in "our car" wherever he happens to be going. There was a very sad moment the other day when she had been disobedient so he didn't take her, and she was stood at the gate watching him leave holding her bottle of water, flip flops and knickers, all ready to leave!

Rereading this entry, it has also struck me once again how generous people are here with their cars, and we are ever so grateful for that. I am not quite sure how the insurance works, and Bertie never seems to know either, but it looks like most people get multi people cover for their cars. Oh, and we might not be going anywhere soon, as the island is currently in the middle of a petrol strike. As someone commented to me today, you always know when the strikes start here, but you never have the least idea when they might finish. (Hence the bus strike that went on for months a few years ago, at which point everyone bought cars and the island became more congested than the M25. Bring in the congestion charge I say...)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are all the cars French makes?
been looking for a zig zag badge on the internet - no luck yet.
I can just see her standing at the gate... Keep up the good work - its you that has to live with, and be responsible for, her disobedience. Bon courage!

evie winter said...

Maybe its volkswagon? Google car logos and demand she tell you which one!

Anonymous said...

Have they got Opels over there? That looks like a zig zag - or rather more like a flash of lightning. Mazda looks like wings. Citreon has two arrow heads. Sounds most like VW. Try the link below ... that's what I've been looking at!

http://bp0.blogger.com/_wAFJzzGDAmc/SBnsPD29cvI/AAAAAAAAAUM/hsXJL2Lf8NE/s1600-h/car_logos.png

Hevs said...

Well done to Susan, our car boff for the day! It is indeed an opel corsa, but I like the lightning description too.
Mostly french cars here but some others too, and plenty of 4x4s. Slightly more justified than in London I would say.