Driving Lesson #3

Alright now. A quick summary of my first two driving lessons since I am too lazy to give the full report.

1. I keep on changing instructors.

2. All the instructors complain that I drive too fast.

3. All the instructors complain that I lift the clutch and change the gear too fast. [As a result, my car lurches at time and it gives them high-blood pressure right up to their temples.]

4. Other than that I'm quite a good driver.

5. The 2nd driving instructor actually taught me in Mandarin. Oh, the bliss. I could only understand half of what he was saying.

As for today, it was another story.

It was a "great start" with the phone ringing off in the middle of Economics with Mrs. Grace posing her peeved pose with a long face.

The irritating instructor called me. And I had to force my brains to interprete what he was babbling on the phone.

He was at the KTM station, ready to pick me up.

He was supposed to be there only at 3pm. Told him to pick me up at 3 pm again.

And so, I rushed all the way to the train station. Yes, Miss Othilia, now you know how fast I walk?? You're not even half as fast as me!!! [tee hee] Yes, you should wish that I wear skirts and inconvenient footwear more often or I'll usually walk really fast. More like stride.

The next shocking truth?? This new driving instructor does not understand A WORD OF ENGLISH, I cannot understand A WORD OF WHAT HE SAYS IN MANDARIN [because his mandarin intonation and slang are just too hard to decipher and the words that he uses are really deep].

We resoluted to speaking Hokkien.

And I don't quite understand his Hokkien because his Hokkien is also very deep. And he speaks too fast for my brains to interprete the words.

The lesson was the perfect epitome of a CHICKEN TALKING TO A DUCK.

And you know what??

This driving instructor has no cockles.

HE STEPS THE FREAKING BREAK BEFORE I EVEN TOUCH IT!!!

What's the point of telling me to break when you are stepping on the break???

How am I to learn how to feel the break??

Hey, when I learnt how to drive from the other two instructors, my breaking and driving was perfectly well done all right??

Dude, I'm not that bad you know. Just because I'm a bit fast it does not mean that I'm bad at driving!!!

The only thing that I'm kinda bad at for the time being is estimating how much more gap I have when I reverse. Because there are 2 freaking sunshade stucked at the backscreen. So I have to pop my head out like a freaking DUCK!!!

The slope drive was not that bad. Just a bit bad at stopping the car on the yellow box. [Hey, cut me some slack ok? It's my first lesson for parking, 3-point-turn and slope.]

I so agree with Eilene. I really hate turning the steering. It's so heavy!!! It is as if I'm in some tug-o-war. Not to mention the car tyre was ALMOST FLAT, which makes manouevering the steering even harder!!!

And so, he took me to the JPA route which is rich with lots of uneven surfaces which makes you feel like you're in a boat ride and not to forget, LOTS OF POT HOLES!!!!!

And it was raining heavily.

He asked me to drive in Gear 2. WTH?? Dya know how the 2nd gear CRAWLS??? Not to brag or anything. I'm serious!!! You only get to go about 20 kmph max. All the cars were overtaking me. And he told me, "No, nevermind, continue driving" [translated from Hokkien]

I couldn't take it. I changed to the 3rd gear. And drove at 35 kmph. It's not that fast, right?? Oh gosh.

And I drove all the way home just to find that my mom was out.

I decided to drive to my aunt's house.

You see, in my housing lane, the road is blocked with a bridge where only passengers, bikers and motorcyclists can cross. So the car has got to reverse.

Instead of reversing straight, I turned the steering to the right a little.

It's a trick I learnt from my dad and we have all been reversing that way for years so that it is easier to go out.

He freaked out and screamed at me. "Why did you turn your steering?? You are supposed to reverse straight!!!"

I lost my composure a little.

"Don't worry. I know how to drive over here!!!" Dude, this is my domain. Don't try to teach the duck how to swim. [I have been illegally driving my parents' cars so, yeah, I know how to reverse the car pretty well.]

And I drove all the way to my aunt's house.

And let's end here.

Don't worry, my driving will not end up like Kuhan's driving.

p/s: With the knowledge that lecturers do read our blogs, I feel kinda EXPOSED here. And I'm feeling rather insecure and vulnerable.