Rukmini vandi varudhu...

Iniku at work, people were discussing about clearing the driving test in London...and about how certain areas have higher pass rates. As usual, I started twirling my tortoise to the time when I tried for my license..

Appo naan college 2nd year, and I had gotten the license for my scooty some 6-8 mths ago. Naangadhan irukardhai vittutu parakkardhuku aasai padara jenmanga illaya, so I was aspiring for a license for my bro's bike as well as my dad's car - edhuku adhellam mattum azhaga damage aagama irukanum? - and my dad was giving me driving lessons.

I kind of learnt riding the bike easily, aana indha car iruke car, ennai padadha paadu paduthi eduthudhu. Street end compound wall-lerndhu ennoda veetu gate varaikum ellathaiyum car-ai taste parka vachittu, I learnt well enough (pinna appa school headmaster range-ku violence-la irangina?) to drive myself to the Marina and have advanced(?!) technical training. I had a problem though, the car jerked to a stop at times when I tried changing the gears - the car wasn't good enough for my speed ;)

En appa taught me driving, yes, but he did not teach me the hand signals people use while driving. The D-day arrived, and I was promptly present at the Ashok Nagar test center.

First was the bike test, naama girl ache, 8 ellam poda sollamattanga-nu dil-a poi nindhen. Munnadi irukara aalai 8 poda vachanga, and when my turn came, he looked at me and just when I was waiting for him to spell some easy test, he asked me do an 8 around two small circles! :( I wasn't really confident, but I did manage to do it and pass the test (vazhga bike, valarga chennai driving mode - for training me for all this!).

Next came the real test - I was waiting in the car ready to drive when the officer said go - clutch release panni accelerator press panradhula enna periya matter?-nra dhairiyam enaku...andha manushan pakkathula vandhar, seri vandiya start pannitu stop it after 2 feet-nar. I did, and 2 ft-la niruthitten (1st gear mela podave illa :D)

Then this guy came to the window, and asked me "right-la thirumbanumna enna panveenga?"..I happily switched on the indicators and told him "front-layum back-layum eriyudhu parunga"..oru kevalamana jandhuva parkara madhiri he looked at me and asked, "if the indicator isn't working?"

Naamadhan sonna udane takku-nu purinjikkara bulb ache, I insisted that the indicators are working. 'Idhoda ellam maradikka vendiyiruke'-nra thought blatant-a theriyara expression-da, "I meant WHAT IF?"-nar. Naan udane cycle ottara nyabagathula put my hands out of the right side window and looked at him with a triumphant expression.

Then came the stumper, "left-la thirumbanumna eppadi signal panveenga?" I thought real hard and stretched my hand to the passenger side window and said "Ippadidhan!" :D Appo enaku puriyala en avar face marudhunu...he was like "Hello, ippadi kai kattina eppadi ottuveenga?"-nu sema kaduppayittar. Ulla en appa, "illa Usha, ippadidhan signal kattanum"-nu solli koduka arambichar - ada appave, idhellam killi killi car otta solli koduthiye, appo solla koodadha??

"Seri, nera poi left-la cut panni reverse eduthu thirumbi vaanga" appadinar. I started the car, took a left and when I changed the gear to take a reverse, the car jerked to a stop. Andha mahaan-uku BP eridum-nu therinja udane, I started the car real quick, took a reverse and when I tried going forward, edhira innoru jandhu vandhu I got tensed - and ofcourse, the car jerked to a stop again :(

I didn't even want to look at that guy - he was almost looking like Durvasar, showing anger as if I was his disciple who he had placed a lot of hopes on and I had totally shattered his dreams - namma manam poradhai edhuku naamale kannala parkanum? Now, don't ask me if I did get the license :D