Driving License Yippee!

I passed my driving lesson today, so I shall go shop for a car this weekend. Cars are super cheap here..Initially I thought a new Honda Accord (~90k), but then I found out that I can buy used cars from the showroom and it comes with warranty so I figured might as well buy second hand. I went browsing with my colleague this evening and saw some pretty swanky cars going so cheap, so now I'm torn! A 2008 Merc C350 with 3 year warranty for AED115k, 2009 Lexus for AED110k, 2008 BMW 5 series for 125k with 3 year warranty, or a 2009 Honda Accord for 55k..hmmmm

Taking the test was interesting, and so were all the events that led up to it. I decided to take 2 hours of lesson from this instructor just to make sure I know what they're looking for..So I start my class, and he says you have no problem, just got to practise. Then I keep driving and making lots of u-turns and left turns, and then he asks me to pull over at this car park with no visible building around. I thought he wanted to drive but he asked me to wait. I was confused and walked out, but he told me to stay in the car, and he made the praying sign, waving his hands across his ears..and I went "Aaaah, i just gave him a ride to the mosque!" So i wait for 10 minutes for him while all these men walk across the car wondering what this asian girl is doing sitting in the car by herself. He comes back, I continue driving, and after 1 hour on the way back, he asks me to pull over the side of the highway where there are tons of cars pulled over with a cop too. He then told me to wait again, and I peek over the cars and lo and behold, there are people praying by the side of the highway with their mats! Amazing!

The test itself was 3 minutes long. Yes 3 minutes, no wonder people here drive like maniacs! We all get into this van (14 women) and follow the test car. Every 3 minutes someone else gets out of the van and into the car and does 1 u turn or 1 left turn, until everyone has had their turn. I think I drove the most, maybe 5 minutes as I was the last person to be tested and I had to drive back to the test centre. Hilarious! So I'm so pleased that this whole ordeal is over, though I'm AED1,300 poorer from it!