Saturday, May 06, 2006
driving 101
the farthest i've probably gone to driving a car was in that car-racing thing in the arcade. since i'm still underage, and i still lack the sufficient knowledge, i'm limited to sitting in the back or at the front, or to backseat driving while the car's moving. until today, that is. today i learned how to drive a car with my uncle's help. first he taught me the basics, like how to differentiate the clutch, brake and gas pedals, their functions, how to start the car, and how to get the car moving. it was a lot to swallow, and at first it was difficult to follow. it all seemed simple, but nooo. first you start the car, then press down on the clutch, shift to first gear, release the handbreak, and start stepping lightly on the gas while slowly releasing the clutch. the first time i did it, the car lurched forward and it scared my little cousin so much that she left the car [my mom told me later that pia told auntie nancy "mama, i thought i was going to die."]. *sheepish*. am i bad or am i bad? i had pressed the gas down too much and released the clutch so the battery died and i had to start all over again. i got better and better eventually, and gradually started enjoying myself. oh sure, i was an accident waiting to happen, what with me panicking and pressing down on the gas hard, which made us jackrabbit like crazy, the heat was incredibly unbearable [the aircon broke down and it was around two in the afternoon], but driving's awfully fun. :) i drove around mapayapa and soon i was learning how to make turns, all in first gear only, of course. ha. ang aksaya rin sa gas. there were times that i nearly backed into the tubero signs, according to isa and trina, and i made the car go into the sidewalks, but thank God there were no accidents. isa even said "ang saya kung si atch yung nag-dradrive. we get to have an adventure." at that i had to raise an eyebrow. adventure? all the two of them pretty much did was sit in the back, sing mission impossible to hype up the tension that was already rising and annoy the heck out of me. at the end of my first driving lesson, i was exhausted, but i think my uncle was even more tired than me. my mom and aunt were waiting back in the house and ask how i did. they said i did okay, and isa even rated me A-, even though i probably deserved something lower. i still have tons to learn, but that in itself will be an adventure. i can't wait till the next driving lesson. heeee. :)
written at 5:06 AM