Yeah baby!
You're looking at an official California licensed driver!!!
YEEEEEEHAAAAAAW!!!
It's the best feeling ever. I've never even driven in Manila, so you can imagine how extreeemely ecstatic I feel.
Let me just say though that it was total undeserved grace. UNdeserved. A was one day away from an expired Student's permit and I barely had a full month's worth of driving practice. So I worked extra hard my last two weeks and took the afternoon off on the day of my exam just to make sure I was comfortable on the road. And just when I thought I was ready for it, we headed to the DMV for the test...
The wait was agonizing. I was last in the queue and I was getting more and more anxious. After what seemed like an age, my turn finally came and my instructor (a very nice, calm, mild-mannered man) greeted me with, Now, let's see if you're better than the old woman I just tested. Thanks for the vote of confidence, mister.
We did the preliminary car inspection: left & right signals, check.. horn, check.. hazard, check.. hand break, check... hand signals, check... all good. He then got in the passenger's seat and the driving nightmare began.
I was flawless. For all of ten minutes, atleast, until he asked me to make a left turn on an intersection and i failed to yield to oncoming traffic. I practically met the SUV across me head on, and the funny thing was, I didn't even know it until I saw my instructor beside me curl up like a scared puppy and whisper STOPPP! I apologized, explained I was tremendously nervous and silently prayed that that was the last of my mistakes. The test went downhill from there.
I constantly went 25 on a 35 speed limit, made a right just when a pedestrian was about to cross, changed lanes while too close to the car behind... Oh man, it was ridiculous I just wanted to get it over with. After we parked, he enumerated a litany of my errors, lectured me on road rules, and even sketched on his pad to diagram how to yield on a left turn, among other things. After the longest five minutes of my life, he then asked,
So, do you understand everything that I've explained to you? Do you now know where you went wrong? Do you promise to work hard on your mistakes?
My yes was audible, but not confident.
Then the miracle. Okay. 12 mistakes... Let's just say you passed.
Whaaaaat???
You made it through. Scribbles a few things on my papers. Bring this inside and hand it over to Window 18.
I thanked the man deeply, though still a bit confused. Did he say I actually PASSED?
So, do you wanna know if you did better than the old woman?
I replied, a bit embarrassed, Oh, I know for a fact I did terribly...
He smiled, Yes, you did much worse than her. She didn't cut off anyone, she made all her turns...
Haha. Funny man. I thanked him again, couldn't get the freaking keys out of the ignition, and instead pretended to read my exam paper while he got out of the car to buy me some time. What is up with me today??!?
I made it inside DMV just as it was closing and met Bebs there. By this time it had already dawned on me that I actually did pass so I was suddenly giddy and well, ECSTATIC baby! Saw the instructor again, who went out of his way to tell Bebs how badly I fared compared to the old woman. I didn't care, the guy was in truth very nice, and I was only grateful that I had passed.
AND I DID!
Yeba!
I certainly felt we needed to memorialize my day of undeserved favor, so after a good workout at the gym, Bebs, Raf and I hung out at home and did our own version of the Dance of Joy.
Indulge me by ending with a (cheeky or cheesy. hwehwe) thank you speech:
God, you are unbelievably AWESOME! Thank you thank you thank you!
HUGE hugs to Maria, Jackie and Raf for taking time out in your scheds to teach me all that I failed to remember during the most crucial of times. hehehe. THANKS GUYS! We shall celebrate with a movie night at our pad and my all famous chicken sotanghon (When I get back from my business trip, that is). Muchas Gracias!
And last but certainly not the least, to my Bebster: Oh my god, those last two weeks were a nightmare. LOL. We should have listened to friends when they said never to have a partner teach you driving. BUT! Despite all the tension and yelling, thanks for holding my hand every step of the way, babe. You are the best-est :)
Now, if we can only get that Sentra working...
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