My driving test is this Friday. At 8:30 am. With the warm-up session thrown in, I have to be at the driving centre at 7:00 am. For Julia "I can't function before 10:30" Guo, this is a tall order indeed.
So, for the past two days and the next two coming up, I have and will be at the dratted driving centre at 8.35 am. Driving. Before my brain can actually function. Before all the crust in my eyes that collected there while I was sleeping have the chance to fall off. Before I can be sarcastic to people and be aware of it.
In the conversation that transpired between us, I actually told him something to this effect: "(Unlike me,) You have a long day ahead."
He promptly informed me that he only had one more lesson to teach before he was done for the day. He also told me that I wasn't working hard enough, resulting in people unable to book for test dates because people like me kept hogging them by doing re-tests. He also said that if I didn't stop making the mistakes I was making, I'd better zi gei bou zhong (Cantonese for: You're on your own, buster).
My instructor today, you see, was rather stricter (and more unpleasant) than the few I've had previously (obviously my appeal is not universal), and gave me grief for quite a portion of the session. This too early, that too late, and some not even done at all......... Yawn. I'm far from a model student, I know. Here are the mistakes I made today:
1. Insufficient acceleration (my number one nemesis next to lane-changing)
2. Failing to slow down when approaching road hazards (a traffic light is a road hazard too, apparently)
3. Changing lanes abruptly (like I said, my number one nemesis)
4. Failing to check my blind spot (the left one. Which I did, but very barely)
5. Failing to use the appropriate gear (goes hand-in-hand with item 1. And travelling on slopes)
6. Moving off in the wrong gear (my favourite goofy, unforgivable mistake to make)
After he finished his semi-lecture on What Went Wrong with Your Driving Today, I went (by way of making innocent small talk, or so I thought) "Wow! You went on for a good 5 minutes."
To which he replied, "Ya, that's because you make so many mistakes." And then he just got out of the car. And walked off.
16 comments:
wah..
all the best for the test gal!!! focus, be confident & relax.. :)
me tested my instructor's reflexes 2 nights ago when i failed to check for oncoming traffic properly when abt to turn right. -_-;;
heheh.. thanks for saying that to make me feel better. I do that all the time, trust me.
driving is alot to do with the state of mind u're in i feel. :)
try to be alert and anticipate things.
It's also a skill that should come
in without u conciously knowing.
So maybe u should try not to drive
too much but go with the flow.
That is assuming u've had enough
practice to get that programmed in
your mind.
lastly... play sceanarios in your mind before u start driving. might help. ~thend
thank you for the tips! Yeah. I'll definitely need to work on being alert. Today I almost stopped in a yellow box. I shall try to play scenarios in my mind too, thanks. (Big irritating bus that won't stop inside the bus stop? Car that speeds into the lane you're supposed to change to from nowhere? Those things happened to me today. May they not happen to me tomorrow.)
Your instructor's kinda cool.
Anyway all the best for your driving test.
=)
cool? you meant the walking out on me part, right? i thought that was kinda rude, actually. hmn, in no way did i think him cool. maybe the way i painted him was too beneficial.... aw but then again he wasn't so bad. my driving has since improved. thanks for dropping a line, lurker! ;)
Well, I ain't exactly a lurker. I'm in your friendster. Your primary schoolmate who blogs and read blogs too.
And we share the same surname
=P
haha i know who you are! it's just that i didn't know before this that you read my blog. Nor did I know that you had a blog, haha.
I also remember you were born on the 1st of Jan, right? ;)
The following day, ain't on NY though
=)
Aw, damn.
Hey, but that was a good... 13 years ago, when you told me? Close enough la, huh.
Ya very close. 13 years just flew past like that!!!
Anyway, you stay near Cheng San CC is it? I think I saw you there months ago with your bf.
Haha, yeah, I do. What about you? Sengkang?
I stay near the Christ the King Church. 23 years dwelling in AMK
=)
Oh! Haha, I just assumed you'd moved off to sengkang/punggol, like so many of us ang mo quoits. How good to hear! I've lived here all my life too! Isn't our neighbourhood the best? Heheh
I guess so. Especially given my location. Opposite is Bishan park and given all the bus stops around me. I am accessible to many places.
Sengkang/Punggol indeed is a 'hot spots' for many people to move in.
Machiam big vacuum opening up and sucking people in.
Okay, kinda weird and unglam analogy. Haha
Muah¬ha.. a big vacuum indeed... like some alien spaceship came and sucked them all up, against their will.. but it does have its perks... nice and quiet surroundings. :)
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