Well, I went to the convenience store again today and I forgot all about the reduced shelf until I walked past it... I must say the bottles are selling really well! I just hope the people who bought them are not relying on it to pass their driving test!

It's been a long night and it seemed like forever! I was tossing and turning and I tried absolutely everything just to help me nod off... eventually putting Bella's Lullaby on repeat did it for me!

The morning finally came! I woke up and had a morning stroll to the local convenience store to pick up a few bits that would help me with the test. Lucozade Alert was one of the pieces I bought, and a Kinder Bueno twin bar.. but unfortunately the luck was not with me on this occasion as I was driving 27mph on a 20 road. I had completely missed the 20 limit sign outside the primary school and continued to comply within the 30 limit. This was the same school as where I nearly knocked over the little school boy a few weeks back. At least I am happy with the error as it is not a major adjustment I need to make within my driving, and I can say that I gave it my best shot with no regrets. Previously on the mock tests, I felt let down by my performance and I knew I could have done better, but I was happy with my first attempt today.

Still on the bright side, I encountered 2 'jokes' after the test... and the first happened when I got out the car. My test report had flew out my hands and was being curled up by the wind, and when it had fell to the ground, I went to pick it up... but it flew back into the air! I instantly thought that it was like the lottery ticket idea seen on TV, and I laughed and said to myself "Even the report doesn't want me!" ...But eventually the wind had calmed and I had to stop a car to pick it up off the ground...otherwise it would have gone into the air again!

The last was obviously the Lucozade bottle. The label read 'Mental Edge' and on the back it said 'Need to switch on?' The main idea of the energy drink was to help concentration and mental alertness... just what I needed to help me focus on my test! At the end I joked to my instructor and said "Where's the bottle? I'm gonna send it back and say it doesn't work!" He chuckled.. but then a few hours later, I walked back into the convenience store and looked in the fridge.. all the bottles of Lucozade had gone! I thought surely they can't be selling that well! I walked round the corner and saw them cutely grouped on the 'Reduced' shelf!!! I was shocked and I said to myself "So that's why it didn't work!"

The nerves are starting to kick in now and as I tell my close friends my test is tomorrow, the more I am feeling sick. I hope tomorrow goes well, and after speaking to a friend with a lucky surname, he said the luck will be with me, so let's hope it's true!

(Hours 95 & 96)

The last of the lessons before my test... and I forgot my glasses! I'm not completely blind without them, but my face felt naked as I've got to have them on while I drive. It's my first time forgetting them, and it's quite a job remembering them since I don't wear them for anything else.. but I drove back for them before I continued onto the dual carriageways.

My planning and awareness skills are the weakest points within my driving. Although, I am trying to plan what may happen in front of me and how I should approach the situation, it is not always that simple for me to put it into practice. However, on a few occasions today, I felt I did the right move and my decisions were appropriate.

At this moment in time, I feel quite confident for the test on Thursday and I'm looking forward to the drive..

(Hours 93 & 94)

It seems like the word 'test' interferes with my performance slightly, as nothing majorly went wrong in today's lesson. It corresponded to my recent performance in the lessons before the mock, and I even managed the left reverse without scraping the kerb. I didn't think that the word 'test' would have such a big impact on my performance, but judging by the last 2 unsuccessful attempts at the mock test, I think it is self-explanatory... Inside, I don't feel nervous, and even though I shake my head at the errors I make, the final outcome baffles me as my poor driving is unexplainable.

Confidence is building on the dual carriageways and keeping up with other traffic is not a problem, but I hope to handle the slip road better in the near future. I'm still a bit wobbly at times when I'm looking for oncoming traffic over my shoulder, and this is the only part I fear when approaching a dual carriageway.

(Hours 91 & 92)

We incorporated a mock test as part of the lesson today, but I wasn't totally impressed with my performance. Again, the left reverse had let me down, and mounting the kerb had already encountered a fail in itself. Now I have the turn in the road at hand, I seem to have lost the touch for the left reverse! One thing comes, and another thing goes... but I hope to correct this soon and have a good blast at my test next week.

(Hours 89 & 90)

I had another good drive today and I practised all the manoeuvres.. My performance was marked with 5's on the track record, which signifies the test standard ability, but the sweeping left reverse had let me down as I touched the kerb slightly. Although it was morning, things seemed to have worked out well for me, and I am fighting the morning devil in me day by day! There's only one more week left before my nocturnal spirit can reappear..

One of many fears occured in the lesson today, and this was running out of slip road before joining a dual carriageway. It happened as the car behind me joined the carriageway just as I was about to pull out. Of course, it would have been impossible for me to drive out at the same time, so the only solution was to use more of the slip road and wait for them to clear. Eventually, I managed to pull out safely, but the remaining distance of the slip road was very short. The experience was scary.

(Hours 87 & 88)

It's exactly 2 weeks away from the test date and today's lesson reassured me that I was ready for the test. I woke up 2 hours before my lesson to make sure I would have a better chance in performing after having breakfast and an early morning walk. Both activities had obviously helped me focus, and I plan to do the same on the day of the test to make sure that I am 100% mentally prepared.

After a short discussion with my instructor, I understand that my concentration comes in bursts, and I can perform really well at one point and do the complete opposite a few minutes later.. from one extreme to the other as they say. It is very important for me not to have lapses of concentration, as these moments could easily define me from a pass to a fail.

Another negative element I have in my driving is my indecisive moments, which results in the same problem. In my parallel parks, I manage to park behind a car, but then I correct the position of the car because I am not totally happy with it. Apparently, my first position would have passed the manoeuvre in the test, but after the correction, it would be to the examiner's discretion of whether it would pass, as the position is worser than before.. the answer to this is to avoid correcting a position even if I am not totally satisfied with it as the correction could jeopardise the whole manoeuvre.

(Hours 85 & 86)

Finally, I made the turn in the road within 3 turns again! The amount of concentration it took me just to complete this was phenomenal! Setting this aside, I guess the manoeuvre took away all my energy and concentration as I found it difficult to concentrate for the rest of the MORNING! Morning is definitely my enemy, and the fact that I woke up 20 minutes before the lesson and skipped breakfast didn't help much! My instructor was very attentive on this matter, and kindly offered me a double Twix bar! Trying so hard not to eat his lunch, I failed to resist the temptation of the shiny gold packet that sat on my knee..

(Hours 83 & 84)

I had another drive in the snow again today, only this time it was falling! The lesson began with a short drive and ended up focusing mainly on the turn in the road. Unfortunately, my 3 point turn is still a 7 point turn on a tight and narrow road!! I can't seem to master this anymore, and upon discussion, we found out that I was introduced the manoeuvre on a majorly wide road at an industrial estate... So no matter how the manoeuvre was done, I would always get round in 3! ....Now that the road is half the size in width, I am completing the turn in double the amount of moves!!!! I need help!!!!

I am truly touched by a song I've just heard, and the beautiful voice that accompanied the lyrics.... I passed the song when I happened to scroll through to another member's blog. I read that the story behind the song was sad, and instantly I began to find this, to answer all the question marks that were in my head. I was shocked to read many different versions of the story with each mentioning how the female writer of this song had left the world at 17 years old. The song was written to her boyfriend.

As these words touched me, I paste them into this post and translated it myself in hope that others will be touched in the same way that I was...


在我最後一次閉上眼睛之前
我想對你說我愛你在你懷裡
捨不得放棄 心裡有千言萬語
還沒說給你聽
我使盡全力不想閉上眼睛
這次告別就不能再相遇
不能再陪你
但不要忘記
你曾經答應我
你會好好活下去 (我永遠愛你)

先走了　去了好遠的地方
不能再陪你看日出　
等不到天亮 所有回憶
握住卻並不容易 甚至由天決定 　
不要太傷心


TRANSLATION:
Before the last time I close my eyes
I want to tell you I love you while being in your arms
I don't want to give up as my heart has many words to say
That I have not yet said to you
I try my hardest not to close my eyes
Because this time I leave we cannot meet again
Cannot be with you again
But do not forget
You promised me
You will continue to live happily (I will always love you)

I leave first to a distant place
Cannot be with you again to watch the sun rise
Cannot wait for dawn, oh all the memories
Holding is not easy and though everything is decided by the sky
Don't be too upset

(Hours 81 & 82)


It was such a struggle this morning to get up... mainly considering I had to get up at 9 and I slept at 5, and 7 the day before... time is seriously running out and deadlines for work are approaching, so I'm being as productive as I can for as long as I can...

For the last few weeks I have been sleeping with my window open,. it is relaxing for me.. but his morning, it felt bitterly cold. I looked out my window instantly and saw the snow and the condition the road was in... I text my instructor in hope that my lesson would be called off today so I could gain a few more hours in bed... but as the sun continued to shine, the snow was beginning to melt, and I felt my luck fading.

The busy roads were pretty clear, but the roundabouts didn't go down too well... on one occasion, a driver didn't indicate to go right, and I had to brake immediately to avoid a collision... My tyres slipped on the frosted snow and it wasn't a good experience for a first drive on the snow.. however, bad experience is better than no experience and the beautiful scenery made up for everything. Except, I felt I should have worn ski goggles to protect my eyes from the brightness of the snow!

Something I just banged out in 5 minutes... I don't know what the reason behind it was, it just came out... it started with the 'lend me a shoulder', but I can't seem to think where I heard this line before.... is it part of a song?


Lend me a shoulder, when I need a shoulder to cry on,
Lend me a hand, when I need a hand to hold,
Lend me an ear, when I need an ear to listen,
Lend me a heart, when I need a heart to love.