It was raining a little bit harder 7 hours ago, so I had the privilege to drive my bosses to their home locations. At first it was Kuya Joseph Labrador, the Project's Field Coordinator, who thought of taking a hitch by my brother's multicab (which I drive), but then he invited our Japanese boss, Mr. USUI Shunji, and Ms. Catherine Fonollera, the PPDO Consultant. I nearly said "NO" because I know I would be tensed driving with them in the car, however, saying so would be the most inappropriate of all responses and I think that would be too rude of me considering that it was raining, as I said, a little bit harder. Of course, I took the courage of driving for them and the privilege to bring them in their current addresses.
After having sent all of them, I felt glad with the opportunity and so happy with it. It was my first time to drive with a foreigner, a Japanese boss beside me, and 2 Filipino bosses at the back. I didn't quite understand the feeling while maneuvering the steering wheel, stepping on the pads, and changing gears. I don't even know why, yet, one thing for sure, I fixed my head on the road. hahahahah..
It's a rare opportunity and I don't even know when will it ever happen again. hehehe
Showing posts with label driving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label driving. Show all posts
My Worst Driving Experience
Yesterday, I got my worst driving experience ever.
My father asked me to drive him to our farm to check an animal. He asked me if I could drive rough roads, I told him I can. While driving, he told me that we'd pass by the mountainous portion of the barangay (greater than a village) where we live. In all confidence, I climb the car at 4th gear, then changed to 3rd gear, then to 2nd gear, and finally 1st gear. Because the slopy road was too rough, I had to carefully choose paths but the car shoot at one shallow hole. So, I moved the car back to a better road not using the rear gear, just at the neutral state and the break. Unfortunately, the car moved all the way down. All the breaks were full already but it still did not stop. Papang told me to turn to 1st gear, I did; still it did not stop. Down the road were other multicabs and bystanders. Papang manuevered the steering wheel for me (I called the name of Jesus to protect us and the people around from danger). He chose to bump the car before a barrier to stop it. People around came near us. There were drivers, too, and the bystanders. They asked us what happened. We explained. I guess there there 9 men who came nearer, the rest stayed at a distance. These men offered help. They lifted the car because it hanged already by the barrier through the deferential. We realized that if the car still did not stop despite the barrier, we could have swift sideways by it, and that would for the greatest danger for us.
God saved us! Papang heard me prayed, he said. I did not panic, instead I prayed. He did not panic, too, he told me he prayed, too, while manuevering the steering wheel.
Truly, I owe God my life. We owe God our lives.
Praise Him all the earth!
My father asked me to drive him to our farm to check an animal. He asked me if I could drive rough roads, I told him I can. While driving, he told me that we'd pass by the mountainous portion of the barangay (greater than a village) where we live. In all confidence, I climb the car at 4th gear, then changed to 3rd gear, then to 2nd gear, and finally 1st gear. Because the slopy road was too rough, I had to carefully choose paths but the car shoot at one shallow hole. So, I moved the car back to a better road not using the rear gear, just at the neutral state and the break. Unfortunately, the car moved all the way down. All the breaks were full already but it still did not stop. Papang told me to turn to 1st gear, I did; still it did not stop. Down the road were other multicabs and bystanders. Papang manuevered the steering wheel for me (I called the name of Jesus to protect us and the people around from danger). He chose to bump the car before a barrier to stop it. People around came near us. There were drivers, too, and the bystanders. They asked us what happened. We explained. I guess there there 9 men who came nearer, the rest stayed at a distance. These men offered help. They lifted the car because it hanged already by the barrier through the deferential. We realized that if the car still did not stop despite the barrier, we could have swift sideways by it, and that would for the greatest danger for us.
God saved us! Papang heard me prayed, he said. I did not panic, instead I prayed. He did not panic, too, he told me he prayed, too, while manuevering the steering wheel.
Truly, I owe God my life. We owe God our lives.
Praise Him all the earth!
Driving
At the age of 14 I guess, we had a small car and we used to call it tarak-tarak. It was perhaps because the color was yellow, it was very small, the design was unusual like I have never ever seen a car such as that; not even now that it's gone already. Unique as it was, that was the first car I was able to ran. Well, making the car run was easy and having it stop was much easier (that it fully stopped and turned off..hahahah). But, how I wish driving is as easy as that (I was driving in a very open field then).
Last year, I had to master driving because riding a taxi was and is very expensive. We had to hire a taxi or borrow a multicab driver to bring mama to the hospital or the stroke rehabilitation clinic more than twice a week. It was very expensive of course. It was either we minimize going to the clinic or I drive the multicab for us. The first choice was feasible so we did it and I enrolled at driving school so to master the technicalities and principles of driving. After 5 days, I was able to drive busy streets, although I still struggled with uphill driving. I hated it when motorela and other PUV drivers would suddenly stop while driving uphill just to load or unload passengers; some doesn't even have tail lights, back lights, and signal lights. tsk tsk tsk..
However, mama and papang pushed me to find a work so my degree wouldn't be wasted, besides I am not getting any younger and I definitely need one for my future's sake (esp. that I'm getting married). Actually, they pitied on me because I cut my VSO opportnity just to attend to mama. It was actually ok with me. hehehe..I was confident that God will give me a job whenever I need one. He did! When mama and papang told me to find a job, I got opportunities right away. God is gracious, indeed, and worthy of all praises!
So, this work thing, defeated the purpose of cutting the taxi expenses or driving mama to the clinic. Anyhow, God provided us din naman with all our needs. He met even our wants. I did save from daily travel expenses. Aside from the fact that my BA sends and fetches me to and from school everyday, I drive my way, too, when he couldn't make it and I drive the multicab when I love doing it.
Every driving moment was and is an experience. Every time I drive I learn new techniques and new ways and I enjoy it a lot. Every time I drive, I learn to communicate better with other drivers, I learn to read between the traffics, and I learn more about timing and proper orchestration of my feet, my hands, my ears, my eyes, among other senses. Certainly, I grow as a person because along the way, I learned a lot in as much as I realized so many things; that driving is not just about learning how to make the car run or stop. Driving is reality. I need to determine right timing, right pacing, right motions, appropriate signal giving, decision making, responsible driving, among others. Traffics taught me to wait than rush, which I might get into much trouble. I have become more responsible as a pedestrian as well because I know now how it feels to be driving in streets where people are crowding themselves seemingly unconscious of the street they're at.
Now that I am already 27 years old, I am still riding a cute tarak-tarak (as it may appear beside extravagant and vintage cars). It may just be a multicab, but two things are certain, I am a better driver now and I have a better citizen now.
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