Driving Mania

After having driven for 11 years, driving can still be a foreign thing to me. Over here, I have the habit of walking around to the left front door of the car, only to see the steering wheel on the right. (Did someone play a trick on me? ) When trying to turn on the light signals, the windshield wipers would be swooshing instead. 

The other day my mom took me driving, and I stopped the car at a stop sign. A proper thing to do, or so I thought. But no, my  mother wondered why I did such a thing. I said duh because there was a stop sign Ma. You'd get a big fine and Saturday traffic school if you don't stop. She simply responded, "Keep going. THIS is Thailand, you don't have to stop." But Ma.......

Another reality check on where I am, perhaps. Nonetheless I plan on stopping when I see a stop sign in the future anyway, but Ma doesn't have to know that, does she? 

Also today I took the driver's test and was sweating so badly when asked to parallel park, even though I can do it so easily in the US. Things that are second nature become so hard when you switch sides. Thinking about driving isn't fun. Also I asked too many questions to the examiner and, well, probably annoyed him a bit. Anyway, it doesn't matter if I almost failed. I wouldn't want to almost pass and spend another day at the Thai DMV.