"License to Kill" … No, wait, it's a "Driving Licence"!

Today was a big day: I had to take my driving licence.

Two years ago, on 10 August 2005, I took and passed my theoretical exam. Last year, I took driving lessons at a driving school: about 20 hours spent driving on roads in my region, from Aubel to Herve to Eupen to Welkenraedt to Verviers, etc. In the state of things back then, I knew I'd havve to take my practical exam in Eupen, a city which is "known" (I mean for those who live in the area) for the high rate of the so-called "zones 30", i.e. roads on which speed limit is 30 km/h, due to the presence of a school. The fact is that there are a lot of schools in Eupen, and don't ask me why. Besides, roads are rather smallish and other stuff I shall not describe now.

I thought my exam was going to be taken in Eupen, but the fact is that when my mother called the examination centre they told her that there wasn't any spot left for me before October. As I (or rather "she") didn't want to wait until this month, she opted for something else: I had the possibility to take my exam in Namur, because their examinators have a less busy schedule, which meant I could take my driving exam in August. On 17 August. Today.

So I had to get up at 5.45. I had only slept three hours that night: I went to bed at midnight (sooner than usual during holidays) but I couldn't sleep, for it was too hot in my room and I was getting nervous. I had breakfast, then I left home with my dad next to me in our Ford Fiesta. We took the freeway to Namur: it took us a little bit more than an hour to reach the exit Namur Ouest (110 km from home), and then we headed for Belgrade, where the examination centre lay.

My exam was to take place at 7.45 am. After I gave my ID and temporary driving licence to my examinator, and paid 36 €, the exam started. (I had decided to take it with our car, not a driving school one, for I know the car better.) First, I had to show the guy how the lights work, how to adjust my seat and the different mirrors, and a few other things. About ten minutes later, we left the examination center to make a ride in the city.

My father was sitting next to me, and the examinator at the back, on the right side. We went from Belgrade to Namur and back to Belgrade, using broad and narrow roads alike. In one of them, I had to park behind a car. It wasn't difficult at all: traffic wasn't heavy in this street, and I parked just like I was meant to do. In another street, I had to stop and make as less movements in order to go back to the other direction. With no cars coming from both directions, I did it without any trouble. A dozen of minutes later, we were back at the examination centre.

The examinator said I passed. What a relief! He gave me a couple of official papers, thanks to which I'll get my official driving licence next Monday…

I'm glad I succeeded, but my mother was even more cheerful than I was. Don't ask me why.