Journey to master DRIVING!

2008-06-16T22:17:00.002+08:00

9th and 10th lesson!

I haven't been updating cos lesson have been v packed like alternate days.

For the 9th lesson, I revised on my vertical parking, which I improved a lil lil bit ((:

New stuffs!

Sharp turn and moving up from slope

Mistakes!

Do not engage clutch too soon after you depress on your brake!!! Rmr!!!
Wide vision
Look when engagin turn
Use clutch to manage speed

For lesson 10, more vertical parking )): But I guess I am much much better already. My instructor asked me to start straight away before preparing. I managed. And only after I stop aside, he reminded me that I dont need warm up anymore Yea!

I did smth very cool today. I manage to balance my car on the slope without engaging the handbrake, only by using my clutch and accelerator. haha. Have fun doing it ((:

Today smth SUPER DUPER funny happened to me. haha! I was supposed to stop before the traffic light so that pedestrians can cross. I intended to stop. But I didn't manage to stop in time. And hence I crossed over a lil. The pedestrian was super funny. He hesitated to cross the road several times and I hesitated to move a few times and finally he decided not to cross the road. haha! So funny. My instructor was telling me I should just stop and let him cross without worries. And all because of my hesitant, he needs to wait for the next traffic light. HAHAHA!

Reminder: Clutch in after brake!

Comment from the instructor: Is not that your reaction is slow, it is because you do not have sufficient confidence. And as to why you do not have confidence, it is because you do not know how to estimate, observe and gauge.

I'll be learning parallel parking next wk. yea~ Enjoy driving a lil more than previously.

2008-06-09T13:27:00.005+08:00

8th LESSON!

I finally learnt something different!!!

I learn how to do vertical parking. It's super tiring like gotta stretch all the way back to look at the pole thn manage my clutch and accelerator and turn my steering wheel. I am bad at coordinations! When I concentrate at doing something, I failed to turn the steering wheel. AHHHH! Improve on my coordination, that is what my instructor tells me every lesson until now. And he always ask me to do 3 point turn in order to improve on my coordination. haha!

I have been asked to speed up. I can forsee myself as a road obstruction driving at 40 km/hr. haha! However while I was doing my vertical parking, I was asked to slow down. So after the lesson I was supposed to drive back to the centre, I end up driving slowly again, after my instructor asking me to speed up before learning parking.

So exciting yet so scared cos my PT is coming so soon!!! JIA YOU!

2008-06-05T23:05:00.004+08:00

It's the 7th lesson!

Today's lesson is much much better than the last wk. It's more of a revision of the previous lesson than new concepts. But I learnt how to gauge the distance to depress brake before the traffic light, how to change from gear 3 to gear 2 to engage a turn. That's all I guess. And do ALOT of 3 point turn and U turn.

My driving experience is not very funny, maybe cause my instructor is stricter though he does joke once in a while, when I looked super stressed up. haha!

Anw today I made a HUGE HUGE mistake. I actually change from gear 3 to gear 1 and my car stalled in the middle of the road. I hate to stall!!!

And my coordination is disgusting. haha!

Also instructor told me not to be too stressed cos he is trying to push me to the next stage of my learning. He also asked if I am stressed up if he keep nagging me on the road. And I said.... YES! I will become a kan chiong spider and forget all the steps. HAHA! Anw I am much happier this lesson, at least I managed my car well ((:

2008-06-03T11:24:00.002+08:00

Today is my SIXTH lesson.

I feel like a total failure in driving. I cannot coordinate myself. Maybe is because I did not revise on what I have learnt before attending the lesson. My control of the clutch is horrible. And to think about it, it's the basic of driving.

It's already the SIXTH lesson. My instructor expects me to know almost everything that I have learnt. BUT I cant. Am I the only one that feel this way? Anyway the more the instructor reminds me of things to do, the more kan chiong I get. And this will affect the whole lesson, cos I cant relax for the lesson. Ahhhh! I feel like giving up on it, BUT no I cannot.

Anw things that I have learnt today:

1. Revise on 3 point turn which I still fail to do it well
2. U turn which applies to the same thing
3. Some very curvy turn
4. Revise on parking along the road
5. Right turn. This is super duper hard. It requires lots of coordination. MY GOD! I cant do it well. I was stucked in the middle of the road. Almost jam up the whole queue cos I was too stressed up and everything just could not coordinate. Luckily, my instructor asked me to relax and instruct me step by step.

Always remember to change to gear 1 before moving off. Remember to straighten your steering wheel before stopping.

I don't know is it that I am not used to the way he teaches. I always feel so stressed up during lesson. Nothing goes right.

It's another 1 month plus to my exams and I am still struggling with it. HOW!?

JIAYOU! JIAYOU!

2008-05-26T22:43:00.002+08:00

I am back to update my FIFTH driving lesson!

What I learn today?

1. 3 point turn
forward. full lock. return wheel. brake. reverse. continue to return wheel. check back wheel and kerb. brake. forward. turn.

2. Slope balancing
gear. handbrake. half clutch. accelerator. release handbrake. move.

That's all for today's lesson. I am getting more familiar on the road, as in change gear, signal, off signal and everything. Yea! I still manage to communicate with my instructor on the road abt how to swim. HAHA!

Things to REMEMBER!

3 important steps

1. Look into the mirror
2. Signal
3. Blind spot

5 steps before turning

1. Before position
2. After position
3. Traffic
4. Traffic light
5. Pedestrians

GOOD CONTROL OF CLUTCH NEEDED!!!

I JUST NEED TO RELAX. And I can drive WELL ((:

2008-05-21T21:22:00.000+08:00

Today is my FOURTH driving lesson!

Today, I am not as tensed up compared to the previous lesson. I didn't learn much things this lesson. Let me name the new items:

1. Blindspot
Turn even it does not make a difference. haha!
2. Even the traffic light turn green, ensure that the car before yours move off
3. RELAX
4. Expect something round the turn

Haiya today really didn't learn much.

Mistakes

1. Failed my basic skills. Leave the clutch 2cm and press the accelerator. Slowly lift up the clutch
and maintain at the biting point before releasing it.
2. Change to Gear 1 when start from stationary.
3. Signal when moving off
4. Move your car nearer the kurb when turning

Funny comments and situations

1. "You are not afraid of the GIANT"
"Giant" is also known as the huge truck. haha! My instructor told me that. Cos I din show
intention to stop. haha! I'm a HEROINE ((:

2. I was supposed to back the chair before leaving the seat before leaving the car. Guess what once I pull to back the seat, it goes all the way back. Damn paiseh. The instructor don't know what to comment and just smile and said that "You got to pull slowly"

2008-05-18T22:23:00.003+08:00

Today is the THIRD lesson!

Today I am a KAN CHIONG SPIDER! I FINALLY gt to drive on the road. It is not as fun. I was a lil stressed and sad over it. I foresee myself as a road hazard. I CANNOT COMBINE ALL MY ACTIONS.

Today I learnt how to look into the mirror to look out for traffic, change gear, signal, stop at the traffic light and move out, and U turn and turn. I just could not coordinate my actions. When I do smth correctly, another thing will go wrong. And I just fail to stop at the T junction. Sad...Am I learning very slowly or is it most of the people can do this well?

Cos I felt that my instructor was kind of fed up with me. He was like "FOLLOW INSTRUCTION PLS" Cos he said "Stop........................" And I still nv stop. haha! I think I am the first student who's like that. haha!

Hope the next lesson will be better. I dont want to be a road hazard...

2008-05-15T23:57:00.003+08:00

Today is the SECOND driving lesson!

Today's lesson is very special cos it's held at NIGHT, like 9.15pm. Super late. But instructor can fetch me home after that.

Things learnt today:

1. Use accelerator with clutch

2. Turn the steering wheel

Sharp turn, Gradual turn and negotiated turn.

3. Know where and when to turn

4. Estimate distance between car and kurb to prepare for parking

Mistake:

1. Grip my steering wheel too tightly

2. Overestimate and underestimate number of turn for my steering wheel.

I was very excited. Because like FINALLY I got to move the car in the carpark.

Alright today's lesson is ENJOYABLE. Nothing funny actually happen.

2008-05-10T21:45:00.002+08:00

Today is my FIRST driving lesson.

I have decided to start up a blog to record down my journey to master DRIVING! So thta when I look back, I can recall and laugh at myself.

AIM: I want to pass on first attempt and learn as fast as possible.

This will be the best birthday present I will ever get till then. haha!

So excited about it. Although today I only get to move the car a little. Move forward and backward. But I guess that's the basic that's needed for me to move the car. Learn how the basics of the car and driving, and how the car actually works.

Things learn today:

1. How to adjust the seat and mirror
2. Accelerator, Break and Clutch (ABC)
3. Gear
4. Handbrake
5. How to estimate distance
6. Speedometer, RPM, Temperature Gauge, Oil meter

Instructor, he is friendly and approachable I guess. He showed me his 2 students who passed on first attempt today! Cool! I wish I could be one. He also showed me that some students take 10plus lesson while others take 20plus close to 30 lessons. I had this in mind, I want to take as little lesson as possible. Yea~

FUNNY THINGS THAT HAPPEN

1. The instructor thinks I AM short!!!

First, he asks for my height. So I said 161cm. *To me I think it's average not short* But he said to me, "I think you are a little short so I think you may need a cushion." So okies I accept that. In addition to that, I still adjust the seat height to the max. "It's ready!" So I sat down. To his surprise, I was a little too tall. So he said I could remove the cushion. And he commented that my body was LONG. haha! Not only that he also asked me to adjust the seat height. Guess what? I adjusted back to the original, lowest height. Haha! I M TALL!