And so I'm now taking those long-overdue driving lessons. I tell people that I forsee difficulties because my hand-eye-brain coordination sucks, and they laugh. Like I'm joking.
Hey, guess what? I'm not! My progress has been pretty slow (and expensive), and it's safe to say that I'm not my instructor's fav student.
"Are you nervous when you're driving?", he asked one day.
"Oh yah, of course." I nodded in earnest.
"Well, I'm even more nervous that you!"
Can't say I blame him, when I have a tenderncy to turn into wrong lanes and to drift on the road, so that he is always in mortal fear that I'll hit the curb or wander into the way of other cars. And last week was tedious, because I had to go around an U-turn over and over again like a lunatic. The people at the nearby bus stop probably think we're nuts. But no choice, slow learner = repetition mah. And I handled the steering wheel so roughly that he was like, "Oi! Can you use less force? By the time we're done with your lessons, I will have to replace it!"
Ah, the joy of driving (the instuctor up the wall). Why did I even want to learn? I don't know, except this seems what adults are supposed to know, and it gives me a sense of independence to know that I can drive myself to anywhere, if ever there was a need.
Hey, guess what? I'm not! My progress has been pretty slow (and expensive), and it's safe to say that I'm not my instructor's fav student.
"Are you nervous when you're driving?", he asked one day.
"Oh yah, of course." I nodded in earnest.
"Well, I'm even more nervous that you!"
Can't say I blame him, when I have a tenderncy to turn into wrong lanes and to drift on the road, so that he is always in mortal fear that I'll hit the curb or wander into the way of other cars. And last week was tedious, because I had to go around an U-turn over and over again like a lunatic. The people at the nearby bus stop probably think we're nuts. But no choice, slow learner = repetition mah. And I handled the steering wheel so roughly that he was like, "Oi! Can you use less force? By the time we're done with your lessons, I will have to replace it!"
Ah, the joy of driving (the instuctor up the wall). Why did I even want to learn? I don't know, except this seems what adults are supposed to know, and it gives me a sense of independence to know that I can drive myself to anywhere, if ever there was a need.
It sounds pretty weird, but one of the thing I want to do when I get my license would be to drive my siblings to Jalan Kayu on a Saturday night for roti prata while playing Jose Rouse's Nashville. His album may have been one of my motivations for wanting to drive. It's one of my favourites, and every time I listen to it, I think to myself, "What a great album to drive to!"
During the Chinese New Year period, my eldest Jie Jie came back from Japan, and one late night, after my parents were asleep, my brother the newly minted driver snitched my father's car keys and we all sneaked out for roti prata and teh tarik. We had a good time, and the Jie Jie told me 2 weeks ago that she was still fondly recalling that night to her Japanese colleagues and how she was proud that we're all close to each other.
We were pretty indifferent to each other when we were younger, each preoccupied with our own lives, but it seems that age has drawn us somewhat closer together in recent years, even if one of us is overseas. I think that other than life, the next best gift that my parents gave me would be my numerous siblings. It is only when I grow older that I realise how they are the ones who will probably be there for me for the longest, even more so than my parents. May we grow closer and be a source of support for one another, no matter where we are. :)
