Summer Project I

This summer I'm working on the same project I did 20 years ago.  Let's see, in 1992 I was 15 years old and taking driver's ed.  Now it's 2012, I'm 35 and taking driver's ed. 

"Why?" you may ask. 

Did I let my license expire for too long?

Did I lose my license?

Was it taken away?

No, on all accounts.

I've still got my MN license, but I've understood for many years that it's not really valid here if I'm actually living here.  If I were visiting, an international license would be sufficient.  But I guess that's not really the case since I've been here for almost 12 years now.  Since I'm driving more and more and constantly hauling kids around, I figured I should make it legal, finally.

And I figured I have some time on my hands this summer since we aren't in America.

In Taiwan there are 2 ways to get a driver's license:  take a course at a driving school or just go to the Motor Vehicles Office to take the written and driving tests.  Kevin, as well as a co-worker who did it a couple of years ago, recommended the driving school because they would make sure drivers can pass the test.     Had I just gone to the MVO to take the test, I would have to have my learner's permit for 3 months before taking the tests.  By going through the school, I just need 5 weeks of behind the wheel training, and then the tests. So that's what I've been doing for the last 3 Tuesdays and Thursdays - Driver's Ed!

When I say they teach you how to pass the test I'm not kidding.

When you're parallel parking, turn your wheel a full turn right when the line on the "oh s***" handle is even with the green pole.  Then when you can see 5 black lines on the curb behind you, straighten the wheels and go back until your door handle is inside the white line.  Then turn your wheel left until the car is parallel with the white line.  DO NOT go forward or straighten the wheels because then you'll be in the wrong position for leaving the parallel parking place.

More directions like this for garage parking, driving and reversing an S-curve, stopping at a crosswalk, railroad crossing, stopping on a hill, driving a straight line, and even stoplights! 

It makes it all so fool-proof.  Or at least that's the plan.

Does it prepare you for real driving, not really.  For 2 of the 20 hours of instruction, students are taken on the road for real practice.  So last Tuesday for my turn we drove up Yang Ming Mountain and I finally got a good explanation for shifting down to 2nd gear (something that was never needed in Mr. Harman's driving classes of 1992!).  Here's the irony though.  As we were driving up the narrow mountain road, my instructor mentioned that it's not necessary to always stay right of the yellow line but to make sure to move over if another car was coming.  No problem.  But then later in the lesson we were chatting about the big things to avoid in the road test - one of the top 3 - crossing a solid line, which results in a fail of the test!

Gotta love Taiwan and driving in Taiwan!





I'm eligible to take my test on August 1, but since I start summer school next week, I'm going to postpone the test until a time that works better into my schedule.  I'll keep you posted.