From 'L' to 'P'

I'm keeping an eye peeled for a white car to come round the corner. My friend C is fetching Beth home from kinder (and should I mention, she takes Beth to kinder too), as she has been doing since we moved in. Our routine: go out to greet C with a kiss on both cheeks (as is customary here), say hello to her boys Joey and Christian, wave goodbye as C drives off, honking her car horn.

It's hard to get around if you don't drive.

Unlike Sg, where the public transport system is efficient and reliable, here, trains are frequently late or overcrowded or both. Recently, the train was late again because of graffiti (another major social issue here). Every time the trains run below service standards, Connex gets fined and passengers get a free one-day fare card (worth $10) to make up for the service lapse.

Kudos to Sg for the way its services and amenities are carefully planned and laid out for the convenience of the masses. If you get off the train station, you can pretty much expect a mall or shops either connected to the station, or within reasonable walking distance (with maybe a sheltered walkway thrown in). The library, post office and public pool are all nearby. (I'm thinking Hougang.) Here, the train station is in one place, the main mall is some place else that you have to drive to, and nothing is integrated with the station (except at Werribee, which stands out as an exception from most of the stations on the Werribee train line).

In short, it's hard to get around if you don't drive.

Which is I'm hoping to get my 'P' plates tomorrow.

To practise for the test, I've been taking the car out every evening (thank goodness for daylight savings), especially on those routes which are likely to be test routes, and diligently practising my reverse parallel parking, point-to-point reverse ("What's that?" asked CA and my cousin), angle parking and 3-point turn.

Under CA's supervision, of course.
Aus 'L' platers are allowed to drive anywhere, even on the freeway, as long as you have a qualified driver (who need not be a driving instructor) next to you. This makes heaps more sense, because how am I supposed to drive competently on the road if I only drive around a circuit, right?

I want to pass so I can drive the kids around and be a bit more independent. The trouble is: I don't enjoy driving. It taxes my brain too much, and I find that after about 20 minutes (especially if I've been driving on the freeway or in unfamiliar territory), I get physically and mentally worn out. Those who find it a breeze to drive, conduct a conversation and fiddle with their 6-disc CD player won't be able to relate to this. All I can say is that it's a huge effort for me just to get my hands, legs and eyes to work in harmony and to make sure that my passengers and other road users and I are safe.