Friday 3 August 2007

It's about time!

Never has a single word made such a difference in my life! Whew!


After what seemed like an infinite and ignominious number of hours, kilometres and euros, I have finally been given free rein to DRIVE as of Wednesday!

Few people have understood why my "ordeal" lasted as long as it did or why it even took such a toll on me, but an ordeal it was, enough to warrant the only prescriptions I've ever had in my whole life for calmants! Yeah, me, the cool-headed one who most people associate with always taking things TOO easy! Unbelievable! :)

It's not that I had a fear of driving! Far from it, I just tended to lose "it" every time I had to prove I knew how to drive!

To say my self-confidence took a beating while being instructed by some of the most condescending human specimens allowed to roam the earth barely scratches the itch my knuckles feel to meet the gums of a particularly discouraging instructor who told me about a month back, inter alia, that I wouldn't be able to get that license within the year and who wondered aloud why someone who's chalked up the number of hours I had just couldn't drive better.

Now, now, if that was some mind game intended to spur me on to pull up my socks, I definitely didn't take it that way at the time I heard it, and went on to specifically request that I attended NO MORE lessons with him. I'd have loved to attend his funeral, or even contribute to its materialisation, but paying him to insult my intelligence for an hour at the wheel is pure insanity!

So it's a relief that I can put it all behind me now, but what is this effusion doing on a food blog? Well, if you've noticed over the past few weeks, my cooking has been erratic, and it's really all driving-stress-related. :) When I'm stressed out, I just don't get very hungry and woe to those around me 'cos without warning, I'll just end up not cooking! :)

But on the topic of procrastination, I had been wanting to make these theplas since I saw them on Trupti's blog way back in January, but only managed to the night before the exam in a bout of stress! :)


I hope to be back in fine form real real soon!

Cheers!
S

25 comments:

FH said...

Congratulations!
I failed the driving first time.Second time ,he just felt sorry and gave it to me!:D
Drive safe and don't ever drink and drive! My daughter is 16 and she is driving with a permit with me in the passenger seat having mini heart attacks every 5mins! Looking for a car now!
Have a great weekend and go drive.It's nice to be independent!:)

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

Congratulations!

Sharmi said...

initially when I started driving, I was very nervous. the thought of driving use to make my legs tickle. when I had to go and pick up my son from school, I used to see the clock and something would roll from my tummy to throat. Now I feel very independent. congrats!!

bha said...

Hey, first time here.....congrats for the end of ordeal and cmng out successful thru it....:)

sra said...

Congrats, and cool down now, you've got the licence!

J said...

I perfectly understand. I did get the jitters too :) This too shall pass, mon amie!

eastcoastlife said...

Congratulations! You got your driving license. Yeah!!!!

Srivalli said...

Congrats....from your explanation, I can understand it had been an ordeal...good that you have finally got it....

you have a nice blog here...

Srivalli
www.cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com

Raaga said...

congrats :-)

Victor said...

Congrats. Do you have left-hand drive, right-hand drive or both-hands-drive in France? :)

Shilpa said...

hey ashaji, thank you! :) actually, for the past year and a half, i had been doing what you did with your daughter, driving with my husband, and yes, it was harrowing for him! :) yes, i drove to work on friday and the feeling was just so different! :)

thanks lydia! :) will pop by to visit you soon!

hi sharmi, yes yes yes!! I totally know that feeling, i used to give excuses when i had a driving lesson coming up, in the same way kids do to avoid going to school! :)

thank you bhags, for your visit and your encouragement! will visit you, too!

thanks sra, i'm now too cool to even stop for red lights! ;-) haha, kidding!

merci jyothsna! the only thing that made me nervous on friday when i drove alone was getting lost.. ;-) and oh, i had to ask my colleagues to remind me i had a car or i would have walked to the metro like i have for 5 years! :)

thank you ECL!! :) i think it gets tougher with age, if i'd learned driving 10 years ago, it would have been a breeze!

welcome srivalli, and thanks for your kind comments! :) will visit you soon!

thanks raaga, will see you soon! :)

victor, who really drives with just one hand?

Victor said...

Sometimes, I even drive with no hands, haha.

Bong Mom said...

Congrats...You DID It :) Now drive away to glory

cheesewithaspoon said...

Ah, congrats again, and boy do those theplas look yummy, girl! Did you eat them with pickle? Got your e-mail; will write back soon.

Anonymous said...

Congrats! Now you can spend some time driving around and we will know why you did not update your blog :p

Mallika said...

Oh my god, no ONE will understand how you feel as much as I will. I tried and gave up learning to drive earlier this year. Not only did I crash out car into a parked vehicle on your road but also drove through light, which made my nasty instructor call me a "bloody idiot".

Congratulations. I really mean it...

Sia said...

ohhh sweetie... hugs to u and kicks to all those driving instructors for trying to de-motivate u:) congrats for getting the licence:) vrooom-vroom:)
LOL...u made theplas a night before ur test??? i pity that dough;)

Shilpa said...

Hey Sandeepa, sorry I have been so "absent"!!! Thanks, but I realise how easy it will be for new drivers like me to lose that license with stupid little mistakes (eg, forgetting to turn on the headlights, which happened last friday, since i seldom turn them on during lessons)! Yikes!

Thanks CWAS, but no, I just ate those theplas with butter! :) Hope you're having fun on your holiday!

Thanks tigerfish, you know me so well! :) I haven't been driving around as much as I should but I am just having a blank lah.. nothing that i've cooked lately hasn't already appeared on my blog!

Mallika dear, oh no, I am so sorry to hear that you were pushed to give up learning how to drive! I was also very close to giving up more than once, but I think it made a difference that I drove only with instructors who were constructive towards the end! I have them to thank! But thanks for the congratulations, it's a welcome thing to hear! :)

Hey babe (Sia), thanks... :) heh heh.. i made the theplas the day after, so they weren't my punching bag, haha.. :) i really should start looking for new things to cook! i'm terrible!

Sia said...

Happy I-day shilpa:)
i have got something special stored for u at my place. come n collect when u get time:)

Unknown said...

Congrats! I know that this must be a very emotional and special moment!

Unknown said...

hmmm... now you can drive all the way to Paris to get more ingredients for cooking?

Any french indian fusion cooking soon?


oh ya, gong xi gong xi... now got license to drive...

Bong Mom said...

Hey you seem to have a good time driving and not blogging :)

WokandSpoon said...

Hey - congratulations!! That's quite a feat - especially since the driving exam in France is notorious for being really hard to pass now!!

sra said...

Shilpa, hi, where are you?

Anonymous said...

Well said.