Me: Terrible Driver

The seal at the side of the engine that was leaking in the Integra? The seller informed us that the part would only come yesterday & hence he needed another day to fix it up. He called earlier today, telling us that we can collect the car at 7.30 pm at his place.

We spent the day catching up on previous episodes of Masterchef, starting from the 1st episode. I think Nix mentioned that migration should be an adventure, without every smallest detail intricately planned out (or something to that effect). I think we sure don't have a shortage of that. Perhaps we're magnets for it.

I haven't drove since I last got rear ended. I developed a phobia that I'll get hit again. Or worse, that I'll hit another car or something. I told hubs I'll drive to the seller's place coz we each have to drive a car back later anyway. Driving there will give me a chance to practise & familiarise myself with the route. I drove to the ATM 1st to withdraw the cash for payment of the car. I always thought our withdrawal limit is 2k but in fact is only 1k. Gosh, thankfully the insurance payment had already gone into hub's account & we were able to each withdraw the balance we needed (I had $800 from the other day). Another actual proof that everything we need comes in time.

While driving to the shopping centre (for the ATM), I didn't see the lady at the zebra crossing cum hump. She was blocked by the spine of the windscreen & I didn't see her from afar. Since I was so slow (10km/hr), I didn't cross the hump & stopped when hubs said there was a lady waiting to cross the zebra crossing. Yeah, that got me some criticism with regards to my driving skills. To think I drove for so long after receiving my license back in SG. In manual some more! I've become so scared to drive. How did I get so lousy at driving?

Nothing much during the drive to the seller's place though I was shaking all the way. 1st thing I noticed was that the car wasn't there. The wife came up to us & told us that she locked the car with the key inside. She asked if hubs can drive manual & for him to drive all of us to the car wash where her husband & the car was. So we all rode on their manual CRV (what a coincidence since this was the same model that rear ended us).

The seller was trying to insert a metal wire into the car with 1 end twisted into a hook to hook at the car lock. Yep, he succeeded with hubs holding a tool to pry the window's rubber seal slightly apart. I wondered what the police will say if we were seen doing this. Probably think we were trying to do a grand theft auto. Lol. He really cleaned up the exterior & he asked if we mind waiting while he vacuum the interior as he couldn't do it with the car locked. Hubs told him not to worry about it, that we'll do it ourselves. The interior's not too bad, way cleaner than our Lancer & we've made do for so long anyway.

Drove back to seller's place, us on the Integra & them on the CRV, only to realise none of us have the transfer forms. Seller drove to a friend's place nearby to print it online. We chatted a while with his wife. They're from Mauritius & have been in Australia for 5 years. They spent 3.5 years in Melbourne before moving to Perth. They felt Perth has more opportunities as she easily found a job here when she couldn't get even 1 in the 3.5 years that they were in Melbourne. Like so many others have told us, she encouraged us that the job will come, we just have to be patient & keep trying. Seller got back soon with the forms. He gave us $50 back, asking us to use it to top up the petrol. To what we owe them their kindness? They wished us luck in our life in Perth & for landing jobs soon. I kept them in my prayers, wishing them well.

I was to drive the Lancer home with hubs following behind. I was to use the GPS to guide me back. Before we depart, hubs told me not to worry if I lost him, that he knows his way home. I did lose him when I cleared a traffic light & he didn't. Then it was back at that stretch of road that hubs got tailgated on when we drove back from P & J's house after visiting the hobby farm. It was really dark as there're no street lights. Speed limit's 90km/hr. As a habit as taught in driving school, I frequently check my rear mirror. The car behind me was way too close for comfort. I could only see the headlights & at times not even the headlights, just the bonnet. What's with this stretch of road that people likes to tailgate? I was already doing 87 km/hr. That driver was freaking me out. I'm not risking a fine to drive faster & I know I won't be safe if I speed up anymore. Finally ditched him/her at a round about when he/she went off in another direction near the entrance to Ellenbrook. That was about 18 km of scary & stressful driving. On my end that is.

Hubs made it back before I even turned off the headlights & I kept just under the speed limit all the way. Gosh, he's fast. I really need a lot of practise. If I get hired, I'll have to drive myself to work. Really need to overcome the fear of driving.