Today was driving test day... and even though I have yet to meet a single person who has passed the test on their first shot... I felt really ready for it... and if I drove perfectly, shouldn't I pass? In Japan, the answer is a definite NO.

Yes, I failed. After another 15 minutes of hassle over whether I had or had not (I had) lived in America for three months since 1998 (my Global trip had him dizzy), he finally agreed to actually let me take the test... which was a victory in itself. I was massively relieved. There were three of us taking the test for the first time: a man from Brazil and a Japanese girl who had an American license from when she was a student in the States. We took the eye test and sat for the written test with no problems. Then the past failures... two Brazilians on their fourth and fifth tries (Brazilians and Americans are two of the only nationalities that are required to take the driving test... other people are allowed to just take the eye test) marched outside with us to the driving course. It is an obstacle course complete with traffic light, high visibility-blocking bushes, an obstacle in the road, and tight 90 degree angle side-walk width "streets". Scary stuff, I tell you.

I did my best, I really did. Besides hitting the gas at the start before putting the car into "Drive" (I was still in "Park"...but really, is there anything that wrong with that?!), I believe I really nailed it. After we'd all finished we were gathered up to the front where he ticked off all of our errors and told us we'd all have to come back again. This is when I really felt sorry for the two Brazilians who had failed for the fourth and fifth times because I realized that they are from a littlel town down south of here... by over two hours!!

All the guy could come up with for failing me was that if I'm in a straight-away.. I shouldn't remain in the same lane... I should switch lanes. I don't have the faintest idea why. He said the same thing to the Japanese girl; she didn't understand, either. He also told me that when I'm slowing down for a curve, I need to pump the breaks instead of breaking slowly and gradually, like I thought I should. What really sucks is that the first guy, who was the one coaching us on the course... gave us instructions to "follow Japanese laws"... and in everything else to just do as we were taught in our own countries. I did that... the only complaints were merely cosmetic, subjective opinions. I am very frustrated at the system, in which it appears that they only care about making as much money off defensless drivers as possible. Gah!!

My favorite part was afterwards, when the Japanese girl was talking with her mother (they gave me a ride to the station). Her mother asked her if the guy had treated her nicely because she was the only Japanese person. "No", she said, "Actually, it was rough because he was totally speaking down to us and teasing us because 'we' were gaijin/foreigners". I was relieved to hear my own sentiments weren't simply because I'm so bitter!

I get another shot at it after I get back from Thailand, in December. I'll have to go to driving school and hand over a hundred dollars before then, because I don't think they pass you until you do. Yippee!!

On a happier note, I don't have to go back there for over a month, and I'm headed to Tokyo tomorrow to get some Starbucks and go hiking up another mountain (not simultaneously).