Annabelle Crystal Valeria Bradford strikes again

[annabtg]

Cath, look!



I am...





The HP Male Marriage Quiz made by Sapphire.

On other news... went to the center as planned and got the feeding card. I can only use it in the restaurant in the Ilisia campus. But it's better than nothing. Also sat at a cafeteria with Anna and Yvoni (who apparently writes her name with one 'n' only thanks to a typo in her birth certificate, or something like that).

In the afternoon, had driving class. I think it's amazing how I can park impeccably, but still have trouble with some of the simpler things - like, remembering to switch to first gear before starting the car after a STOP sign.

*whimpers*

I'll need lots, lots more lessons. My dad is getting frustrated. I think he, an expert driver, can't quite believe his daughter could be so unlike him in terms of eye-hand coordination. Yeah, that's another one of the problems I have with driving.

Common dialogue between me and the instructor:
Instructor: Slow down.
Me: ['Slow down' message enters ears, arrives at brain, is processed. Situation is processed: left foot is resting by the clutch, right foot is on the accelerator. Brain sends signal to left foot to sit on the clutch, and to the right foot to sit on the brakes...]
Instructor: [slams down the brakes] I said slow down!!
Me: I was going to!

You see, the problem with my thought process as described above is that it takes place in real time.

*doesn't know whether to laugh or cry*

Whatever. Let the driving woes end here for today.

I'll see you around.

Comments

[doranwen.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, you're learning to drive manual? Oy. I don't know that--only ever driven an automatic. Manual *would* be challenging--I hear it takes longer to learn, first off.

You'll get there! I believe in you. :)

[annabtg.livejournal.com]

Oh, I didn't realize automatic was so common in the US. Most of the people here in Greece (rather, here in Europe, according to http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Transwiki:Manual_transmission_driving_technique - interesting info on manual driving here) learn manual. Whenever someone tells me they can drive, I automatically (no pun intended) think they drive manual.

Then again, I only learned about the existence of automatic cars a couple of weeks ago. *shrug*

Thanks! :)

See ya,
Anna.

[cgn.livejournal.com]

Only more upscale cars or European build (I think - this might be an incorrect generalization) really have manual shift in America. All my parents' cars that I can remember have been automatic.

According to my neighbor in Sweden (and he's a car guy), in some amount of years, there won't be any more manuals made. They require so much more concentration than automatics that it's plain safer to have the gears change on their own. You can focus more on the road, instead of on the clutch.

I tried to learn stick this summer. Hats off to you (although mildly pitying) for having to learn how to drive stick!

[annabtg.livejournal.com]

Well, Greece is really slow on adopting new technologies, so it wouldn't surprise me if, in a few years, we'd be the only country in the world still driving manual cars :p
In any case, if they ever come over, it'll probably be to my benefit :D I bet it's easier to learn how to control an automatic after having learned on a manual than the other way around.

*bows* Thanks! :D

See ya,
Anna.