First of all since I know many of you stayed home from work today so you could find out what happened on our driving test, I'm going to put you out of your misery and tell you that......hahahahaha, you have to read all the way to the bottom to find out and no cheating!
We spent the morning worrying and fretting - and also practice-driving. We looked at yield signs, stop signs, walkway signs, left turns, right turns, until we felt a bit more confident. Then it was time to mosey on over to our apartment and try to make some sense out of the mass of boxes.
We made progress and met our new neighbors, a lovely couple with 3 high school kids. They came over to introduce themselves and between their mangled English and my mangled Hebrew we understood each other. The husband had given us a couple of celebratory chocolate candies yesterday when he got his keys. Anyone who celebrates with chocolate is my kind of guy.
And...we opened the "sewing machine" box. In which we found a small sewing kit and a bunch of other miscellaneous stuff. No idea why the packer dude decided to write that on the box, but I have a sneaking suspicion that he was giggling as he walked out of our apartment that day.
OK, OK, to the driving test. We drove to meet the tester (behind a gas station where there are trailers for government offices - both gas stations and trailers are a theme here - many restaurants are located next to gas stations). Our instructor wished us luck. We had decided that I'd go first so Bern could relax a bit and watch what the tester was asking me to do.
The tester took me on the exact route that our instructor had and I thought I'd done well. Then he suddenly said, pull over. I thought "Oh no! I've failed!" but he just wanted Bern to take over. Bern did very well and made one error, at which point I thought the tester would say, "that's it, you've failed, it's over." But he didn't, in fact Bern drove at least 5 minutes longer than I did. Bern is completely convinced he failed and resigned himself to it. AND he was a little irritated that since I went first - and on the exact route that our instructor took us on, and HE went on a different route, maybe he should have gone first!
So we get back to the gas station place and get out and our instructor Meir says he'll call us with the results.
We do some food and cleaning-supply shopping and wait for the call. We are nervous wrecks. A lot rides on this. The phone rings about an hour later and it is Meir. "Mazal tov!" he says, "you BOTH passed." We are utterly amazed. He said the tester noted the one mistake but let Bern drive longer to make sure he didn't make the mistake again.
So yes, folks, in 3 weeks we have done MOST of the stuff we need to. NEXT we buy a car! That should be fun too!
We spent the morning worrying and fretting - and also practice-driving. We looked at yield signs, stop signs, walkway signs, left turns, right turns, until we felt a bit more confident. Then it was time to mosey on over to our apartment and try to make some sense out of the mass of boxes.
We made progress and met our new neighbors, a lovely couple with 3 high school kids. They came over to introduce themselves and between their mangled English and my mangled Hebrew we understood each other. The husband had given us a couple of celebratory chocolate candies yesterday when he got his keys. Anyone who celebrates with chocolate is my kind of guy.
And...we opened the "sewing machine" box. In which we found a small sewing kit and a bunch of other miscellaneous stuff. No idea why the packer dude decided to write that on the box, but I have a sneaking suspicion that he was giggling as he walked out of our apartment that day.
OK, OK, to the driving test. We drove to meet the tester (behind a gas station where there are trailers for government offices - both gas stations and trailers are a theme here - many restaurants are located next to gas stations). Our instructor wished us luck. We had decided that I'd go first so Bern could relax a bit and watch what the tester was asking me to do.
The tester took me on the exact route that our instructor had and I thought I'd done well. Then he suddenly said, pull over. I thought "Oh no! I've failed!" but he just wanted Bern to take over. Bern did very well and made one error, at which point I thought the tester would say, "that's it, you've failed, it's over." But he didn't, in fact Bern drove at least 5 minutes longer than I did. Bern is completely convinced he failed and resigned himself to it. AND he was a little irritated that since I went first - and on the exact route that our instructor took us on, and HE went on a different route, maybe he should have gone first!
So we get back to the gas station place and get out and our instructor Meir says he'll call us with the results.
We do some food and cleaning-supply shopping and wait for the call. We are nervous wrecks. A lot rides on this. The phone rings about an hour later and it is Meir. "Mazal tov!" he says, "you BOTH passed." We are utterly amazed. He said the tester noted the one mistake but let Bern drive longer to make sure he didn't make the mistake again.
So yes, folks, in 3 weeks we have done MOST of the stuff we need to. NEXT we buy a car! That should be fun too!
Yay!!!!
ReplyDeleteMazel Tov!
ReplyDeleteRon forgot to renew his driver's license in October, went this week to renew, had to take a written test, which he failed. Went back the next day, had to take an eye test first, which he failed, took his written test again and passed, then took the eye test 2 more times after which the tester felt sorry for him and gave him a new license. Good thing he didn't have to take a driving test...oy vey....
Mazel Tov! I knew you could do it - you are both so brave! Just think what you have accomplished in 3 weeks - I'll bet most new immigrants don't get that much done in a mere 21 days - hoorah! So, relax and sew on your sewing machine
ReplyDeleteWhen I took my test, the tester had me pull over quickly on to a gravel shoulder. I was completely bewildered, but of course did it. He then said, ok get back on the road, and we continued.
ReplyDeleteI asked him why I had to do that, and he said something like it was a test of my ability to stop safely in an emergency. Which I supposed could flummox a new driver, but since I had 18 yrs behind the wheel...