We're Kind of a Big Deal

About two weeks ago, Baxter and I underwent another step in planting our lives here - getting our driver's licenses. In the U.S. this is no big deal; class when your sixteen, drive for a few hours with some disgruntled state employee, take a test, renew every now and again = done-skies. Here, it's similar, but in the words of my dear husband "anything is possible, but nothing is easy". This absolutely proved to be true.

Many foreigners hire an "interpreter" (read: someone they pay to study and take the test with/for them), or are able to get their hands on a copy of the answers to memorize. As luck would have it, we had to go to our provincial capital to take the test where glory be (SARCASM), they had an English version. We realized this meant actually studying for the thing, and I about fainted when Baxter said the review booklet was 300 pages. And of course foreigners could only go on Thursdays and attempt to take the test twice, and the only driver's license on our team was leaving the country the following week. No pressure, right? However, I did get a kick out of many of the questions on the test. Here are a few of my favorites: 

 

When encountering a flock of sheep crossing a road, the driver should _______.

A. Honk continuously to drive away the flock

B. Speed up and bypass the flock

C. Drive slowly and use the vehicle to scare away the flock

D. Reduce speed and go slowly, or stop to yield when necessary

When a vehicle encounters an old man riding bike on the road, the driver should ______.

A. Honk to indicate him to yield when approaching him

B. Honk in advance, reduce speed and evade

C. Swiftly bypass

              D. Follow closely
 

 When the engine catches fire, the wrong measure is to _____.

A. Swiftly turn off the engine

B. Extinguish the fire by covering

C. Open the bonnet to extinguish the fire

D. Use the fire extinguisher to put out the fire

When a motorized vehicle breaks down on the expressway, the persons on board should swiftly move to the front of the vehicle for hiding.   (Answer:WRONG)

My favorite part however, was the especially awesome/clear portion of the test involving traffic signals:

 

   Obviously, this means turn left sharply. 

Where as this means yield to the vehicle behind you. 

Per usual, Baxter studied a lot and made a 99 on the first try (knowing exactly which one he missed of course), and I studied what I considered to be enough, and "failed" with an 86 on the first try, and squeaked out a passing 92 on the second try. After giving myself nerve-induced sweat rings the entire length of my shirt and nearly crying with relief in the computer lab with 100+ people, we were THRILLED to leave with these bad boys proudly in hand: 

Now as for actually driving amidst the aforementioned wandering sheep and old men to be evaded . . . that's another story!