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Drving Me Up The Wall

Learning to drive can be rather intimidating and it doesn't help that some of the instructors just make you nervous or piss you off. If I was slightly younger I think I would have given up and chucked the whole thing aside, not needing the extra frustration it caused.

Of all the instructors (so far it's 8) I've practiced with, I realise there is a particular one that really just puts me off balance. Sadly, he seems to be one of the 2 I keep getting from the whole list of names. I don't know why, but it's like this weird, very agitated vibe coming off him that kinda rubs off on me and then I start to get agitated myself, get tense and lose concentration. When you got that feeling, it just doesn't help with you trying to make sure that you're doing the right step, getting turns at the right timing and not knock things down. Even at the stage of revision, he somehow still wants to tell you what to do and it's uncomfortable because it's not a positioning I am already comfortable with. As soon as I start, I'm all tense and after one mistake it all goes down the hole.

Just like what happened with the grumpy old man which I haven't got again. The grumpy old man had that same frustrated vibe, spoke like a mouse when giving instructions but kept grumbling loudly that I braked "too hard", and the feng you application didn't help either. Well something got the better of me and somehow I managed to bump into the car infront , re-adjusting it's bumper which just needed another bump to put back. That time he turned and asked if I didn't brake enough. I honestly don't know the answer until now as instructors have a brake pedal on their side to stop accidents like that from happening and somehow with both of us depressing the brake, the car didn't stop in time. Mind you, this happened in the circuit, which has a top speed of like 25km/h. Well anyway as the day wore on, he still was relentless about me braking too hard and finally when we got to the end of the lesson, the bugger had the cheek to ask me fill a courtesy survey for him. Blah... He was lucky I wasn't feeling mean and the accident somehow made me feel better. Not that accidents are fun but the fact that once you've been in one, even so minor, you learn and grow from it. So with the good "grades" I gave for that little courtesy survey, he's acting like my best friend, or maybe he's glad he didn't get me as the student. If so, the feeling's mutual.

Of the 8, there are 3 who are in the mid-range that would give you a bit of the heebeejeebees... that little bit of creepiness that they might just shock you any minute with a sudden burst of energy or something. They just sit in their seat, rather quiet and don't say much except for the instructions as to where to turn and all. Then they'll stop and tell you all you've done wrong and make u think, "Did I do that? When? Where?" . I guess this does have a + point of getting you prepared for the final test, when the TP will just sit next to you all quiet and stiff, and finally when you get back into the circuit, give you the results, making you think, "Did I do that? When? Where?" .

Finally the top 3, 2 of which I don't think I'll ever have the chance to practice with ever again. One was my very first instructor who thought me the basics and made it all quite light and simple so that the whole thing didn't just scare me away from driving altogether. In fact the lesson was fun, although from any by-stander's view, it looked rather stupid going forward and reversing for 15 minutes, followed by going round in circles. That's not the only stupid-looking thing you do in this whole learning process though.

The other one would be the 2nd auto-car instructor who talked a lot but taught a lot too. I honestly can't remember half the mundane things most of the instructors tell me but this guy seemed to tell me a lot of interesting tales that he experienced on his job. If he told everyone what he told me, then he would be giving some glimmer of hope to those that are not sure of themselves. The best thing about him was that he pointed out the proper safety techniques, and the reasons why we have to look at certain places. Knowing why I have to do it is one big bonus as it reminds you that you have to look out. Previously when I didn't know, I didn't bother looking, and half the time I was looking at the wrong place anyway. He also gave really good tips for judgement, making some things easier to do, and less of a chore. But with an auto-car, everything seems less of a chore.

The last one I will comment about is the craziest one of all. He labelled himself the "Ah-Beng Instructor" and, yes, he totally lives up to the name. On the first lesson I had with him, he kept shouting "SPEEEEEED!" which made me laugh more than actually pick up my speed. He would start singing Hokkien songs, making fun of other instructors and their trainees, shouting at old ladies who cross the road to slow (quite deafening in the car with the windows up), and point out the weird things people wear with regards to making me look out for people about to cross at zebra-crossings. There was even a time he pretended to sleep (????), another lesson he whipped out a radio and started tuning in to one of the stations which played one of that Crazy Frog's songs. So far he's the only one who has made me laugh the whole lesson, and if someone was watching they'd be wondering why I'm laughing and smiling away when the rest of the trainees seem to be frowning or concentrating really hard. The whole point, in the end, is that I'm relaxed and at ease with the whole lesson, which makes it a lot more enjoyable.

Wonder If I'll Get A New One To Rant About Soon...

Chocolate Eggs Shout Out

To Joanne

And for the rest of the world:

T.G.I.F. Shout Out

To Ms. Kuna





And a Good Friday to all of you.
Happy Holidays!!

Nearly Saved By The Cheesecake

Went out for dinner with my mom today and we decided to try something new. What a big mistake it had been! With all the press the place had been given, it makes you think who they hired to impress the critics. That or if the critics were paid to put praise in their columns OR the critics aren't to be trusted any more than your anorexic-looking friend.

First off, they put a nice little printed sign saying that they don't serve water for free, which was fine by me, knowing the amount of free-loaders we have in this country. That's another subject I could go on about another day though. Back to this cafe.... When you don't serve water and your customers order drinks, wouldn't you speed up the service on drinks, churning them out a.s.a.p.? Apparently it didn't only happen to my table as another couple had wondered why they were halfway through their cakes while their drinks haven't arrived. When we did ask the drinks to be served first, it took about 5 minutes before 2 glasses of Coke Light were brought to the table, no cans in sight. I won't even complain about the size of the glasses, but I will, though, about the fact that they served Coke Light in a glass when they clearly show the little cans in their display. I don't get that part. Do you honestly want to save about half a can for your own consumption or the next customer? Drinks are one thing that people make tons of money off. Truth be told, a can of your favourite soft drink costs less than half the amount you pay for in the average supermarket. So marking it up to about 5 times it's actual cost would still somehow not be enough to cover your running costs that you have to scrimp and save by pouring out 2 measly glasses of it instead of just serving 2 cans. Good thing they didn't do the same when we ordered our second round of Perrier and their supposedly "bottled mineral water" which turned out to be distilled water. Well if anyone needs a cheap refill for their car's battery, you know where to get it, though I think you could get a cheaper bargain at the supermarket.

I won't bother with the service of the staff there either. I'll just imagine it was their first day there and they were fresh out of school. I would say that they need an attention span implanted or a hearing aid though. Don't even think of saying they were understaffed either. I know what it's like being understaffed and that situation was DEFINITELY NOT! (yeah I know who's nodding their heads in agreement right this very second....)

Now about the food. First thing that arrived was the pumpkin soup that tasted strangely like dhal that had been put through the food processor. It had tasted more like a light curry, with hardly any pumpkin in it. It also had the cutest little HALF bun that the pigeons below my block of flats would love. Somewhere along the line (I must have fallen asleep), Mom's kebab was served and it looked really nice, but the salad looked more like a garnish. Overall that was alright but it was sooo dry she actually finished her drink before her food, which in all my memory, has only happened once before and it wasn't a pleasant meal either. Yes, the dish was dry. They had that little bit of salad dressing and that's the only moist thing on the plate. No sauce for the kebabs, or anything on the rice and she finally took some stew from me to make it go down easier. The Irish lamb stew I had looked really yummy, served with a WHOLE bun, until I prodded at the yellow lump of mashed potato that sat on my plate like a rock in a zen garden. It was baked mashed potato that tasted, and had the texture, of the wafer flowers on top of birthday cakes I had before I hit puberty. The most disappointing part of the whole dish was that they couldn't even heat it up correctly, serving me a portion which was still cold (probably still frozen) around the bone. When they got it all nice and hot for me, they did give me another portion of wafer potato but forgot that my cutlery was taken away. I didn't even bother then and just proceeded to use my mom's fork since she was done.

Finally hoping that their dessert might be the saving grace from the crappy experience, we each got a cake to share. Since the majority of publicity around this cafe is centered on their award-winning cheesecake, what else should you choose for dessert? I had initially wanted their chocolate mud cake but they sadly ran out and so I opted to try their tiramisu. The cheesecake was light and not overly rich, which was pleasant but I think the award was given out by a horse as the base, made of oats and walnut, seem to overwhelm everything. The cheesecake could've saved the day if not for that healthy alternative of a base. After a bit of miscommunication and errors, the tiramisu finally got the table, served on it's side. Rather odd way of serving cake but to each company their own. After my first bite of the cake, the words that came out of my mouth were "Here, have some coffee cake." If you think that a tiramisu is like coffee cake anyway, then you're not on the right track. Tiramisu, rather roughly put, would be layers of cheese, cream, biscuits and spongecake that have been infused and soaked in coffee and liqueur. Coffee cake, on the other hand, would be layers of cream and sponge cake, flavoured with coffee. The latter, ladies and gentlemen, was what the tiramisu presented itself to be, as well as tasted like. Dry sponge and cream, with an added layer of cheese just to justify the name. As usual, the bill came faster than anything that was served during our dinner.

All I can say is

this is one Secret Recipe that I will NEVER want!

Time To Say Goodbye

It was two years since we last saw them and after a few weeks they had to make their way back to the UK once again. The few weeks were well spent though with nice dinners at home, a trip to pay our respects to the dearly departed, as well as visiting places that most tourists aren't interested in. Following them on one of the trip with my camera, here's a few highlights of their visit.

Paying respects to Uncle Leonard (R.I.P.):





Getting Help From The Gardener



Talking a stroll @ Bukit Chandu:




















At the airport:



Grandpa (R) & Dad


Grandma (center), Her Friend & Mom



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Distance does make the heart grow fonder.