In order for us to obtain a driver's license here, we had to take a one day driving class, which included class time and some practice. On par with everything else, Steve got an email on Thursday informing him that we were to take this 5 hour course on Saturday. So I found a babysitter who graciously picked up our kid. On Saturday, we were told to be at the clubhouse by 7:30am so the bus could pick us up. But 7:30 came and went and there was no bus. People started wondering where it was. It finally came at 7:45. We were supposed to be at the driver's school at 8. The driver got lost getting to the club house. He had left the school at 6:45 am. After loading up, he was off. Now none of us are really familiar with landmarks here or where to go, but at the edge of Education City, they are building a new, big hospital. We all know what that hospital looks like. As you drive away from the clubhouse to turn onto the main road, you can see the hospital. Well, the driver went one way and drove around and around and after like 20 minutes, we see the hospital again! He was lost....again. It took him 45 minutes to get us to the school.
By the time we get there and get settled and the instructor comes, it's 9am, a whole hour later than planned. We learned the laws of driving here, which was helpful. One thing we learned is that if you hit and kill a person, you are fined 100,000 Riyals. But if you hit and kill a camel, you're fined 150,000! Really? Also if you want to drive a stick here, you had to state it at the beginning of the class and you would practice and take the test on a manual car. Steve learned that I don't know how to drive a manual car. And I'm not about to learn here. And I learned that even though Steve is two years older than me, we've been driving for the same amount of time.
After the class portion we had practice. It was good to practice the roundabouts. But we spent 20 minutes each (and there were three of us at a time in a car) practicing things like right turns and left turns. I do know how to do those; I have been driving for a while now. So that felt like a big waste of time. Where we practiced driving had no road signs at all. Nothing was marked, not even stop signs for intersecting roads. You'd think they'd choose a place with more road sign, or that there would be road signs on all streets. But the roads weren't very busy. It was in an industrial area, but there was also worker housing there and it was very humbling to see how they lived. I don't even know how to describe them. They were apartments in varying degrees of upkeep. Most of them had clothes hanging up out the front door. I doubt they had any way to wash clothes other than by hand. I am grateful for what we have been given, even if it's not my style.
After the three of us went out, two more went out to drive. They were gone longer than we were. And the hour of when we were told we were to be done (1 pm) came and went. And just like everything else here, we were not even close to being home by the time we were told we would be. I kept our babysitter informed, but she's been through this as an expat as well and so she knew what to expect. When everyone was finally done with their practice, we made it out to the bus and a few people made sure that the representative from our school that was helping us made sure that the driver knew how to get back and that we didn't get lost again. Steve and I weren't the only ones who found babysitters or who have a baby. (Of the babies Miss A is the oldest) So we were all a little concerned about leaving the kids longer than planned. We did not get lost getting back to the clubhouse, thankfully. And we wer back home by 3pm. But the class did me in. I still wasn't feeling well and had been worried that I wouldn't make it through the day. but I made it through the class and the travel before feeling bad again. So that was good. I spent the rest of the day resting. Steve was wonderful and made dinner and went grocery shopping and did a project for school.
Steve got an email yesterday that the driving test is tomorrow. The women will be taking the test at 5 am. He just emailed me this morning saying that the bus will be at the clubhouse at 4:15am to pick us up for the test. yuck! I hope I can rub the sleep out of my eyes enough to see straight! But at least the roads should be less busy at that time. And I am glad that they are helping us with this. It makes the transition easier when there is help and community of people going through it with you and of those who have already had to do it.
I'm a bit nervous about driving here. Drivers are a bit crazy. They aren't rude drivers, but they don't really pay attention to other drivers. They are only concerned about themselves and only think about where they are going and not about who's around them. And they don't always think in advance about how they want to get to where they're going. So we've been told to drive defensively, yet cautiously. And not to be offended. People aren't trying to offend. So wish me luck!
By the time we get there and get settled and the instructor comes, it's 9am, a whole hour later than planned. We learned the laws of driving here, which was helpful. One thing we learned is that if you hit and kill a person, you are fined 100,000 Riyals. But if you hit and kill a camel, you're fined 150,000! Really? Also if you want to drive a stick here, you had to state it at the beginning of the class and you would practice and take the test on a manual car. Steve learned that I don't know how to drive a manual car. And I'm not about to learn here. And I learned that even though Steve is two years older than me, we've been driving for the same amount of time.
After the class portion we had practice. It was good to practice the roundabouts. But we spent 20 minutes each (and there were three of us at a time in a car) practicing things like right turns and left turns. I do know how to do those; I have been driving for a while now. So that felt like a big waste of time. Where we practiced driving had no road signs at all. Nothing was marked, not even stop signs for intersecting roads. You'd think they'd choose a place with more road sign, or that there would be road signs on all streets. But the roads weren't very busy. It was in an industrial area, but there was also worker housing there and it was very humbling to see how they lived. I don't even know how to describe them. They were apartments in varying degrees of upkeep. Most of them had clothes hanging up out the front door. I doubt they had any way to wash clothes other than by hand. I am grateful for what we have been given, even if it's not my style.
After the three of us went out, two more went out to drive. They were gone longer than we were. And the hour of when we were told we were to be done (1 pm) came and went. And just like everything else here, we were not even close to being home by the time we were told we would be. I kept our babysitter informed, but she's been through this as an expat as well and so she knew what to expect. When everyone was finally done with their practice, we made it out to the bus and a few people made sure that the representative from our school that was helping us made sure that the driver knew how to get back and that we didn't get lost again. Steve and I weren't the only ones who found babysitters or who have a baby. (Of the babies Miss A is the oldest) So we were all a little concerned about leaving the kids longer than planned. We did not get lost getting back to the clubhouse, thankfully. And we wer back home by 3pm. But the class did me in. I still wasn't feeling well and had been worried that I wouldn't make it through the day. but I made it through the class and the travel before feeling bad again. So that was good. I spent the rest of the day resting. Steve was wonderful and made dinner and went grocery shopping and did a project for school.
Steve got an email yesterday that the driving test is tomorrow. The women will be taking the test at 5 am. He just emailed me this morning saying that the bus will be at the clubhouse at 4:15am to pick us up for the test. yuck! I hope I can rub the sleep out of my eyes enough to see straight! But at least the roads should be less busy at that time. And I am glad that they are helping us with this. It makes the transition easier when there is help and community of people going through it with you and of those who have already had to do it.
I'm a bit nervous about driving here. Drivers are a bit crazy. They aren't rude drivers, but they don't really pay attention to other drivers. They are only concerned about themselves and only think about where they are going and not about who's around them. And they don't always think in advance about how they want to get to where they're going. So we've been told to drive defensively, yet cautiously. And not to be offended. People aren't trying to offend. So wish me luck!
2 comments:
sounds like you all are having quite the adventure over there! Good luck on your test! :) We are thinking of you here.
Best of luck! Is 4:15 AM any cooler than later in the day?
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