No matter I can find myself a suitable residential house here in Bay Area or not; or Ill go back to Taiwan eventually, I do need a car now or Ill be confined as a prisoner in house arrest.  So the first thing for me to do is to lease a car or to own a car.  Because I dont know exactly how long Ill stay here in the States, so I decide to buy a car, a preowned one.  But what make? 

From my observation, around 50% vehicles moving on the roads are of Japanese or Korean make, 30% of Geman brands, 15% of American, and the rest 5% are of others.  But I hate Japanese or Korean products of any kind, and American vehicles are reputedly less reliable, so I could only find a car of German make or of others.  With the assistance from my daughter and my wifes nephew, finally I opted for buying a 06 Volvo V70 wagon, which has had only one preowner, with acceptable mileage and at resonable price. 

To tell you the truth, besides its the reputation for safety, the very reason I chose a Volvo had been that Chinese Geely Group now 100% owns the brand name.  Although Volvo assets were declining in recent years(Ford purchased the brand in 1999 with $6.8 billon, later its value depreciated to 2.4 billion, and then Geely spent 1.8 bilion to become its owner in 2010.), I believe Chinese owner could somehow rejuvenate its past glory.

P.S.  Volvo is original a Swedish brand.  You know, I respect Sweden very much, a nation of only 9M in population but owning full capability of self-defence, and even Nazi Germany in ante-WWII or Soviet in post-WWII dared not to covet after its territory in any event.  I also admire the brave deed of its young hero: King Charles 15 in late 17th century and his legendary rivalry with Russias Peter the Great.