What is that Car?

The time came for me and my housemates to be picked up from the embassy. There were four minors in this trip, me included, and we were distributed to different houses. I was to be housed
with  the two eldest guys in our group and will be staying with the Philippine ambassador to Austria. We went down the embassy with our bags in tow and looked as a car pulled up along the driveway.  It was BMW.

Prior to globalization and the internet boom, the only cars available to the Philippine Market were Japanese and American cars. European cars can only be brought in if it was bought abroad and shipped to the Philippines. To have a Mercedes Benz was a status symbol among the ultra-rich back then.

To the Filipino, even today, BMW is synonymous to wealth. back then, it was my first time seeing one, let alone riding one. Here's how I remember that ride:

Pure luxury. At least to my 18 yr old self that's what it seemed like. Chauffeur with uniform, fragrant leather smell,  soft leather seats and powerful acceleration. It also felt like you were "hugging the road" or running on rails.

I was also amazed that no matter how fast we were the driver would always stop or slow down every time there is a pedestrian lane. It was totally opposite of how things were in the Philippines where pedestrians and drivers play cat and mouse. pedestrian lanes are mere "suggestions" and you get honked upon for walking  too slow and where mayhem is the norm and it's usually a free for all affair. .