Gusto kong matutong magdrive…

Something unique happens whenever I hear Eraserhead's Overdrive, especially when the song reaches its punchline chorus. My eyes begin to swell and tears start rolling as I prevent myself from uncontrollably banging my head while screaming "gusto kong matutong magdrive!" Yes, I don't know how to drive a car. Embarrassing I know that at my age, I would often cringe while confessing that I don't know how to operate the machine that congests the streets of Manila everywhere. With my overdeveloped thighs, one could easily see how I managed to rely on my feet as my main means of independent mobility. I only happened to learn how to ride the bike a few years back, but only because I was forced to cut up on my bus expenses while studying abroad. I don't know, perhaps I didn't learn how to drive the car probably because my dad didn't trust me enough (I was known as a "seraniko" as a kid… no toy could survive my dissecting hands… so he could just imagine what I would do to the family car!) or perhaps there was no need to. But really, it has been in my agenda to try out the driver's seat for many years, whatever means necessary. And guess what, the opportunity came.

Having more time and resources in my hands, with sound advices from my brothers and friends, I decided to enroll at A1 Driving School. I attended a 2 hour orientation course, which is a prerequisite before the actual driving. It was an informative orientation, and as they say it is designed to reduce the learning curve once we get our hands on the actual cars that we'll be driving. It was entertaining… too much I think. Thanks to a wacky instructor, who sprinkled his lecture with endless bits of corny ala-Bubble Gang jokes. There were also clueless students:

Instructor: Ma'm, saan nyo po balak magdrive? (Where do you intend to drive?)

Lady 1: Sa kotse?

Instuctor: Uhmmm… ma'm, di ko lang po matandaan pero alam nyo po, may tawag po sa inyo…

There was a point during a discussion which invited violent reactions:

Instructor: Bakit po manual ang inenrollan niyo?

Lady 3: Hmmm, sabi nila, pang-bading daw ang automatic…

What the?!?!!! I was enrolled in an automatic course! Now, I intend to convert some of my driving hour to manual driving.

I could never forget the first moment I stepped on the gas pedal and the car began moving. Woahh! I'm no longer an automobile virgin… and soon I was driving all throughout the streets of Quezon City. My instructor seemed approving of my driving technique because we spent most of the time talking about "boys stuff." There was a time when I was called by my instructor as a "kaskasero" because of my natural driving skills. I guess the Cruz driving gene is being unleashed after years of being dormant. By the way I was driving the latest Toyota Altis:

I felt like Orlando Bloom. Now, wanna see my car? Here's my car:

My dream car that is! Only in my dreams, haha! That's actually my boss' car (a Mazda MX-5 Roadster, just one of his cars) which I always see parked beside our center. Each day I go to work and see it, it seems to constantly tease me… "ain't I pretty? Too bad, you can't drive me…Bleh!" I can't drive you yet! But someday!

The only thing left for me to do is to fulfill the succeeding words to the lyrics… "Kahit na wala akong kotse…" Soon, I'll have my own car out of my own sweat and blood. But I guess by the time I have one, the gas prices might be so unaffordable, I wouldn't be able to drive it at all. Oh well… being a passenger still has its advantages.