Driving in a foreign land

Sitting in the driver's seat, it takes me a while to get started; the seat needs to be straightened and pulled closer to the brake and lever; the three mirrors have to be adjusted. It's been a few years since I last drove.

In the city I live in, auto car is a necessity for me. There is no way I can drive a manual car through the messy traffic of people, motorbikes and cars. In addition, I sometimes have to maneuver the car through small lanes and to anticipate parked cars on the left lane. So, it will be too stressful for me if I have to keep changing gears whenever I come across obstacles.

When I sit in the driver's seat, the normal speed that I am used to as a passenger, seems fast. Before turning, I slow down, when approaching obstacles, I slow down, when reaching the intersection, I slow down, when approaching traffic light, I slow down. Slowing down at those places is good but I think I slow down too much. To make a turn, I pressed down on the brake and the car inches forward to make a turn. With the kind of speed that I drive, the right lane seems irrelevant to me.

Parking is another problem. I can see my beloved's frustration as my sense of direction turns haywire while trying to park the car.

Thankfully, people are gracious and patient in this country. They wait for me to make my slow turns, don't honk me when I drive with a slow speed. Well, I am sure I can improve over time and with more practice. After all, how difficult can it be to drive an auto car? :)