After My License...

I get irritated when my friends around me always made fun of me taking 2 attempts to pass my driving test. I wasn't jealous that they took 1 attempt. I was just upset that I never had a chance to take him out for a drive, even to the coffee shop across the street. If only I had passed my driving test on the 1st attempt! Grrr... =( I miss you Daddy!

The first car I managed to get my hands on was the BMW 520i. At first sight, I expected sluggish acceleration and crappy handling from such a big family sedan, unlike it's big M brother. I was wrong, the 520 had great acceleration (for it's displacement and weight) and precise steering! Too bad, the time I had with this car was short lived as my mum decided to let go of this car because of it's high maintenance cost. We really wanted to continue keeping this car as memories of my dad, but servicing costs 4 digits! It was too high a price for us to pay and thus, continued driving the Toyota Camry 2.2 instead.

Although the Toyota Camry 2.2 doesn't has the performance like the 520, I really loved driving it because it was very comfortable and an easy car to drive. Perhaps, the thought of having cheaper repair costs came across my mind? Hahaha! Unlike driving the 520, I was worried that I might crash it... Bah!

The camry served my family and I well, and it brought me through the first 2 years of my polytechnic. Fuel consumption was good for a 2200cc car, it was drinking 1 litre of petrol every 10-12km. Sadly, the car reached 5 years old and my mum decided to trade it off for another new car. I was happy because my chance was here, the chance to persuade my mum to actually get me a sports car, the chance to live my dream...
Zoom zoom zoom...

My dreams were shattered, my mum did not purchase any sports car. She purchased a luxury family sedan instead, The Atenza Mazda 6! She didn't want to pay for rocket high insurance and high petrol bills a month.

SSDC...

"Chuen... Papa will pay for your driving license... I hope you will cherish it and take care of it..."
"This might be the last birthday present Papa can give you..."

This sentence will always remain my head. I was happy yet sad...

My father had been diagnosed with colon cancer...

To make things short, one of the supposedly happiest days of my life didn't turn out the way I have expected it to be... Neither did I blame my father for saying that...

Finally...

At last, my 18th birthday came! It was the day that I could step into the driving centre and register for my driving lessons! Wooo hoo! I have been saving up almost pocket money of mine since my O levels for my lessons..

It was the 17th April 2003, my father came home for his lunch break and woke me up from my sleep.

"Chuen... Faster go get ready and eat your lunch... Papa has to go work in the afternoon..."
"Huh? Why leh? Where are we going?"
"Aiya, bring you go register for your driving lessons la... You don't want ah?"

I was delighted! I jumped out of bed, rushed to the toilet to washup and went downstairs for lunch. In a lightning speed of 10 minutes, I was waiting for him in his car.