I was appalled by what I saw this morning when I barged into the driving compartment of my instructor’s grey Lancer. A tidily scribbled note with Chinese characters greeted me beside my steering wheel. 从即日起, 学车费将提升于每小时$2.
That translates to an increase of $3 for every lesson I attend, and it was mutually accepted across the board of union, some kind of organization that governs those private instructors. I believe the instructors also don’t earn much from this adjustment, considering that oil prices are spiraling up over USD110 per barrel. But the value-to-price ratio we are entitled to, as private students, remains significantly higher what our school learners receive, provided we get an experienced and compatible mentor.

I can vividly recall the first day when I hit the road with anxiety and full of nerves, yet subtle eagerness and pride. Even now, I still think that it was actually very dangerous for me, a rookie, and adventurous on the part of my instructor, to allow me to maneuver my way through throngs of car along the narrow roads outside the driving center. I would give him the benefit of doubt, since he has accumulated 40 years of experience under his coaching belt.

Currently into my 15th lesson and 2 more months to my test date, my confidence is building up tremendously and at times, I tend to be complacent. I have committed almost all acts of reckless driving i.e. cutting lane suddenly, speeding, beat red light, did not shut my door properly, took my hands off the steering wheel, almost hit cyclist and pedestrian.
That poor old man had to constantly remind me to slow down and be gentle in handling his gear lever. Lol..I am always feeling the adrenaline pump when driving, so no doubt I would emulate the actions of a F1 driver.

All of us learn to drive for different reasons. We want to own a car, drive to work, impress others with luxury cars, follow others who are also learning, or simply to pick up a life-long skill. From my perspective, the greatest liability a person is bound to in his entire life is to own and maintain a car! It’s a blatant fact: a car is not an asset(inflow of cash) but a liability(outflow of cash). If I ever were to own a car, I will go for a luxurious and high-performing one, and that is when money isn’t a problem. I have no qualms with taking a public transport to work everyday. In many developed countries like Japan and US, there are CEOs who share the same public train with ordinary commuters to work.All in all, I deem driving as a life-skill and I will continue to pursuit my dream of driving a continental car along the picturesque countryside overseas.