TDVL Day 12 of 20

I'm still one of the earliest to arrive at the course centre every evening. I tried arriving later but realised it didn't pay because traffic would start to crawl with a delay of every minute. So I still prefer to arrive to early, park and walk leisurely to the course centre and sit in the cool air-conditioned lobby to have my dinner and a hot drink. I eat alone all the time and I lap up the alone time. It's ME time and sometimes, a think-of-nothing time. I don't find it necessary to be eating with anyone. I don't feel lonely eating alone.

My coursemates who used to arrive early have all but vanished. Most are arriving only just in time for the class. A handful do come slightly later than I do to have their dinner at the waiting area too. The fabric chairs there are filthy looking but surprisingly, they haven't made me itch yet! So we usually just sit in one and pull up a small table next to our where we're seated to have our dinner. Anyway, one can't be too fussy. It's a big, nice and cool waiting area. Cannot complain. Also, the restrooms are big and clean. A coursemate pointed out that this had to be the only ladies' restroom without a queue (as compared to most shopping centres)! Majority of the attendees are males and I'm guessing they might have some queueing to do in their loo!

Oh yes, they have a hot and cold drinking fountain available so you do not really have to buy any drinks. But yesterday, I noticed this seasoned Taxi Uncle (he was with a whole bunch of old guys who look like seasoned taxi drivers probably attending their English course) drinking from the fountain. No issue until he cleared his throat and spat into it. UGH!!! That is one reason why I do not like to drink from water fountains!

I've given up with the musical chairs. There are a bunch of people who keep moving around. There is group of grown men who are extremely talkative and noisy at times. Can't keep above their Hokkien chatter so I just focus on what the trainer is saying. We're treated like adults so anyone can just leave the room at any time (but of course to return after you've attended to your phone or your bladder!)

We're started on familiarising ourselves with certain routes and learning to watch out for landmarks. It's informative and I did find the videos very useful. I did however, for the first time in 12 days (ok, technically 11 since I was absent from 1 class), nod off. I went home and told hubs and he said many of his coursemates fell asleep during video watching time too! Haha. It was just so quiet, peaceful and cool in the classroom. I looked around and saw quite a number nodding off too. Hubs said it had to be worse for us because he had attended the 10 day full-time course whereas we're attending 20 nights after a day of work!

I can't believe it's been 12 days. I'm enjoying attending this course very much. I cannot say I will enjoy driving a taxi eventually (because I know it isn't going to be easy) but for now, I did think about why I actually enjoy attending this course. This whole class is made up of people from all walks of life. We have lived a minimum of 30 years each. We have had life experiences. We aren't fresh out of school and aren't trying to be one up against the other. We help each other when one doesn't understand or cannot find a location.

One the 1st day of class, the trainer had asked us which category we fell under; Ready-to-go or Go-when-ready? There are some of us ready-to-go and some are go-when-ready. Many of us are asking ourselves if this is going to be something we're going to do. Many of us are worried that we won't have what it takes to make this work. Many of us are using this as a Plan B. For some others, it is a Plan Z! Some of us are still working as something else. Some of us have businesses. Others have had businesses which failed. Some of us are waiting for something better than the current something. It's a class full of question marks. When Comfort/Citicab staff came in to the class to sell their company as the preferred cab to drive, I couldn't commit to them because as of today, I still have a job. But at the back of my mind, I know that my job is coming to an end sooner or later. So really, no regrets taking this up. I only hope I can eventually get my Vocational License. If there's anything I will do in the year 2015, it is to get this and my BDVL. BDVL? Yep. You read right. In April, I will start my BDVL course. Ta!