Friday, October 30, 2009

Chapter 47: By The Power Of Anti-Gravity... You're Driving Newton And I Up The Fourth Wall

This morning was my very first step into the notorious world of driving. That is correct. The basic theory test.

I took it at the Singapore Saftey Driving Center, conveniently located near Nanyang Polytechnic where I went to for a project meeting after I had my breakfast and test. It was just behind the Ang Mo Kio Fire Station Headquarters.

The reporting time was at 9.00 am, while the actual test started at 9.15 am, the very first session of the day. I believe it was at room 3 of level 4, near the enquiries counter, as directed by the obvious sign I saw near the main entrance of the building.

I arrived at around 8.40 am, and waited around the room. While so, I took a look at the notices on the board.

First up were two articles describing how some man in his late 30's charged S$300 per student to help them cheat by taking the theory tests on their behalf. I believed this applied to both the basic and final ones. Supposedly, he used their NRIC cards with his own pictures. Of course, using this amateurish method, he got caught in the end. (P.S I'm sure I would have done a better job, both economically and stealthily) (S$300 feels like short-changing clients if you ask me) (Not that I would do so in the future which is full of possibilities)

The second that piqued my interest were the pass rates of the three known test centers in the very fine (if you catch my drift) country of Singapore. By the way, they were not exactly the encouragement I needed. The test center I was taking the test at apparently has the lowest percentage of passes for theory tests so far, though their practical pass rates were decent.

Before I knew it, one by one other candidates appeared. They formed the most interesting part of my first attempt experience, to say the least.

All kinds of people came to take the test. Some were middle-aged adults, some were young polytechnic students like me and there were people trying to convert their foreign driving licenses to Singapore ones. There was even an obvious first-timer, who enquired for the test reporting time at the counters. And then, there were also candidates who had obviously done it before.

When the reporting time came, we formed a queue to the desk near the entrance of the room inside. When my turn came, I simply showed my NRIC card, and they gave me a piece of paper with my name and station number at the front, with a warning to disqualified drivers at the back to not take the test.

I sat at the last stream of the fourth row, between a Malay middle-aged woman, and a young chinese national (or maybe chinese educared) man.

After the introduction by the invigilator, and the briefing with the kind of voice you would hear in a hotline, we began the test. I entered my given password into the modern touch-screen computer, and began the 50 questioned MCQs (Multiple-Choice Questions). Some came with semi-flash-video diagrams, and I had a generous 50 minutes to complete them, of which I took up only 10 to 20.

The young man beside me finished a little earlier, and he did not look very happy, which once again, was not a relief to my already nervous mind from the night before.

Once I made sure that I answered all questions to the best of my judgement and ability at the time (the question index for checking was quite helpful due to fears of double touching and thus skipping questions unintentionally), I clicked the almighty 'end test' button, and waited for the judgement.

2 seconds passed... and... I passed. I could not help but feel dizzy with joy and success later on, though I had to first leave the room.

I was waiting to be told by the invigilator what to do, and was informed that I had to throw away the paper I was given initially (kind of like throwing used fullscap paper at the GCE O levels). The confidential message would self-destruct soon in 5 seconds, I guess. Maybe I should have paid more attention to the birefing =P.

I left, printed the result slip, went to the canteen for breakfast and exited the bulding. I saw a honda bike stimulator, which looked very interesting (and fun XD), enough to make me consider trying it.

I am currently considering doing the final theory test before getting the provisonal driving license (PBL, two L plates, registered car and instructor, no expressway).

And that, was my first experience at ssdc (I must have looked and sounded like a toruist >_<).

Until then.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Chapter 46: Looking Back, and Sideways

Everyone really is selfish, are we not?

This is to be expected, no matter how shocking it may seem to some people. After all, everyone wants a better life. And most of the time, throughout the sands of time, it has been proven that the most effective way measured by the yield of results against units of time, you need to take something away from the opposition, or from the surroundings around you in order to gain something.

Maybe gaining will not lead to a better life, but most people believe it to be. There cannot be a winner if no one loses. And since people carry on following their own methods regardless of who they hurt, or who gets in the way, this proves how selfish they truly are.

True, it may seem like they actually care for others, but it is but an illusion. In most cases, there is hardly any improvement in the care of others. The damage remains, despite the blanket of sympathy covering it.

You can try, but you can never run away from your selfish nature.

We were all made with one body each to look after.

We were not meant, nor are we able to fully comprehend what it means to be another person. Without this capability, true compassion is unlikely.

We need only look after ourselves to survive.

Since we were made to have unique minds, no matter how similar, opinions from us are biased, and influenced by our individual attitude and perspective (possibly modified and, or built up through interactions with the environment) to at least a minimal extent. Therefore, we often think what we view to be best for the world is truly the best.

The world is a dark place, but we can always try to cover it with paper-thin, beatiful hope.