I am barely touching my blogs lol.
So much to tell, so much to write, but less time and less motivation (?). Well I really have to write more, about stuff, about anything.. But mostly, I tweet a lot. It is shorter, faster (real time feeling, real time show-off-platform lol). I do have a lots to tell, but yeah blogging is art. An art of telling a story about yourself or others, also the photos and stuff to make it more nice.
This time, it is just a random writings, what is on my head, what I have been up to, or well whatever pops up on my head. Haha.
Maybe, we can start from how I spent the new year 2021?
Ta-da!
Of course, the usual new year’s tradition of nabe/shabu-shabu, whatever you call it. And kohakukai (a variety singing show until new year’s counting down. Oh, of course I am not alone. I invited someone, just to spent a night drinking beer and the food, while watching movies until the New Year’s Eve past. That is it.
Boy, we both must have been very hangry (hungry and angry (?)). I brought me back to a memory long time ago when I spent a night with my former partner together, watching TV and then sleep until we see the first sunrise.
But luckily for me, for my mansion actually, I can see the first Fuji Mountain exactly from my room.
During the pandemic (or not), it has been very hard for us because we had to stay at home, if there is no urgent matter needed. But honestly that there is no real difference between me B.C or Before Corona.
Okay.
Okay……
So as just the days go by, I am mostly spending all my daily life, time, go to work, work from home, having calls with clients and the kids, Nintendo Switch, and Netflix. Nothing really has changed a lot.
***
So today I went seek my psychologist–and will try it as a routine from now on. Outside our chit-chat, I found out she was interested in how I got my Japanese driver license (by converting my Indonesian one). Well yeah it was one of my biggest achievement, I overcame my fear of driving (I barely driving, I just had one practice with my old buddy on the parking lot in a mall, thank to his generosity for him to lent me his car).
So with just a strength and some faith, after gathering all the needed documents, I started to make a call to do a test reservation. Let’s say, this is the tips and tricks from me, if you want to convert your driving license into Japanese driving license (because Japan does not allow you to use the international driving license), so bare with me, you HAVE to get the local one. yeah. *sighs* haha. P.S. For Indonesian driving license.
This post, is a dedication for her, and maybe for all other struggling ASEAN people who just happen to read my blog, considering for having the Japanese driving license. You are so welcome. Teehee!
This is what we had to prepare before the test:
The documents:
– your driving license(s) (if you have both the SIM A and C, that is much better). Make sure it is not expired, and you have been using it 3 months or above, including how long you are staying in Indonesia (more than 3 months). The policemen/women will checking the das in your passport–literally. If you have your old passport, bring them too as well).
– The proof that you are ‘graduated’ from your country’s driving school. Well it can be changed to the SKCK (Surat Keterangan Catatan Kepolisian), or any legal documents that proofing you never had any speeding tickets, traffic violations, etc. The signs from the authorization is important, so do not forged it.
– The translated license cards. You can check it more about it here.
– Your newest photos, of course!
– And the form. All the details are in here but it is written only in Japanese. (The English one did not really help)
The tips:
– Be patience. The reservation takes a very long time. First, the theory (for all I know, the conversion license card only take 10 questions rather than you went to the driving school that will give you 100 questions and at least you should get 70 for points–cmiiw. But the 10 questions also a bit tricky as well, 7 points is the least but I recommend you shall pass all the things there haha). It is available in Japanese, English, Indonesian, Chinese, Vietnam, Portuguese, and… I forgot the rest. Another tips: if you are confident enough with your Japanese, take the Japanese one. If not, English is also helpful. The Indonesian one….. never took one but what I heard it was kind of weird……….)
– After you are announced passed the theory exams, then you have to take another day (could be many months later depends on the availability) for the practical test. Yes, it is a final test! If you are announced passed the exam, you will get your photo taken and your driving license after that.
The Tricks:
– I know, everybody would be very nervous before even entering the building. But breathe in and breath out. Just wait in the room, let the policemen give some advice about driving rules and how to properly drive a car. If you are wearing a glasses, bring them. As well as you are wearing the contact lenses–the will check it, see your eyes closely–no kidding.
Let them know if you have a physical disabilities so they can give you another lesson and advice for driving with a special cars.
– You will be given a numbers. All you have to do, just, literally, wait until you are called (from the monitor). The orders sometimes random but well, just do not go anywhere, stay patiently until your number appears.
– You will never know which car you will drive in lol. My first experience in Shizuoka (only for training and feeling the car), was the old (mostly used as a taxi) car. I am not that specific about car sorry 🙁 but at test, you will be given the compact car (what I recall, similar like Toyota Aqua). Btw, the test also divided whether you chose automatic or manual for your car option.
P.S. The butterflies in your stomach will be flutters a lot when some of your friends came back to the room with a super relieved face because they passed the exams, while the failed one had to go home. YEAH THIS IS SO SERIOUUUUSSSSSS.
Another tips and tricks?
– When it is your turn, do not forget to introduce yourself to the police who will be your ‘jury’ today. Nicely.
– Check your car’s surrounding, especially ‘what below the car (like if there is a cat or baby godzilla’. Assume that you are in a real life road, ready to drive. You can go check around your car, make sure the body is fine, no scratch or any other things that will obstruct you while driving.
– After checking the car’s exterior, if the Police said you can come in, you may. Just wait for the instructions. After sitting comfortably inside the car, this is also the important elements:
Check all the mirrors, literally. Left, right, rear window.
Followed by the Japanese thing-y; point all the done tasks with your finger and say “Yosh.”.
And start the engine. DO NOT PANIC. Just hit the brake and push (or keys, depends on the car). And lock the doors.
If it is raining during the test, well you know the drill.
Don’t laugh. I’m dead serious.
Wkwkwkwk.
Adjust your seat, put on your seatbelt, and tell the police: “Shall we?”
The you may proceed.
At the fist theory test, you will be given a map. there are basically 3 routes that you have to ‘memorize’ because you will never know which routes you will drive into. But do not worry about this–the Police will tell you where to go by the numbers stick to the path, and you just follow the directions. So no need to memorize the routes but it is best for you to understand the path.
– Make sure you always “talking to yourself” while driving, as a safety check. Like “Right, ok. Left ok. No cars, no bikes, Let’s turn left, I will turn right, traffic light ahead, will stop, yosh yosh yosh yoshaaaaaa!!! (sorry the last one is just kidding)”. Forget that the Police is right in your left, just pretend he is a potato.
– Turn on the winker at least 3 secs before you make a turn.
– NEVER CROSS ANY WHITE LINES. You will be eliminated right away. The S and Zigzag is the one that pretty tricky.
– Do not honk.
– Just like on the street, if the traffic light turns green and there is another car in front of you, wait. The car who move straight is the priority while you (in this case, for example you want to turn left or right), have to wait.
– See the road sign. READ IT. I MEAN IT.
– The practicing/tests road is actually like the real one. Even there is no pedestrians or trains, you really have to obey all the rules just like you are in the real street. You probably have to cross the railway crossing as well.
Do not forget to stop once, check left and right, then go.
I am a nice person, don’t I? Lol.
– In my experience, I was got to ride twice (it is all depends on the Police’s mood). My previous candidate only got a chance once and she was failed, but I got two times ride with 2 different routes.
And I passed.
HAAAAAAAAAHHAHAHAH I CAN BREATHE.
– One important thing:
Whenever the instructor Police gave you a direction or advice, do not forget to say “Yes, sir, I understand (Hai, wakarimashita).” and after the test over, make sure you have to stop properly at the check point, smooth and slow. make sure, again, CHECK YOUR REAR MIRROR (any mirrors!), turn off the engine (again, talk to yourself such as: エンジン切ります/engine kirimasu), check again all the seat, the mirrors, and if you are certain everything is off, say “yosh”. and BEFORE YOU OPEN THE DOOR, make sure there is nothing behind you (for examples, check if there is a car passing buy or someone near your door car). If you are not checking and just open the door like that… kiss a goodbye to your driving license. So make sure you take off the belt, see through the window, check if something/someone will pass the door, and go out.
Check again surrounding your car (yeah, you go around the car and check again, below the car as well) and come back to your instructor. Say thank you to him, and the result is coming right away.
RIGHT AWAY.
So yeah, if you failed, I am afraid you have to retake the test again and it will take another months. If you pass, you know, your sweet sweet Japanese driving license will be given to you in the end of the day~ (they will take your photo and settle down the administration and wait).
you can check it directly to this website for the driving license exams.
***
Last thing to babble:
Here is my beautiful Betta Fish. His name is Alex from Alexander McQueen 🙂
Well… let’s bring back my blogging thing again to the surface, shall we? Woohoo!
