First post, but we've been here a month now

Today Bret and I ventured to the land of lines, fines and bureaucratic nonsense--the Japanese Department of Licensing. We had to get up at 5 in the morning to get ready to go out and catch the four trains to get there. After three train transfers one tends to get a bit groggy, but even on top of that we somehow managed to get there a half an hour early. So we waited in the already mile-long line *to get into* the Department of Licensing. That’s right—people waiting in line to wait in line. Once we got in there we gave them the paperwork it had taken four previous train rides to procure and waited some more. Half an hour later, about ten names were called and we were herded outside to the closed driving course. I was second to last in line and Bret was about two people ahead of me. When Bret got out of the car with a frowny face I pressed him for tips so as to not meet the same fate. (we weren’t too bummed because we went into this misadventure with an upbeat, “LET’S GO FAIL TOGETHER!!! YAAAY 1/10 CHANCES!!). He said the only thing he messed up on was turning into the right lane on a right turn (You’re supposed to turn into the furthest most left lane because they drive on the left side). He’d only done it because he thought it was a one way street, though. Great, I thought to myself! I’ll just stay to the left and it’ll all be fine! WRONG. I did every little mistake that the website with information on the test said would get you failed. My back tire went up on the curb a little while I was turning in a four-foot-wide narrow curb lined arbitrary test area, I missed the white line I was supposed to stop at because I was looking at the stop sign as the stopping marker, I drove “too close to the curb” and I COULDN’T UNDERSTAND A BLEEPING WORD THE DRIVING INSTRUCTOR WAS TELLING ME. Not one. I know the words for “turn” “right” “left” and “stop” but all I heard coming from this guy was incoherent muttering. 

Needless to say I was a tad bitter when I failed. It costs a lot of money to take the train. It also takes a long time to get there. After we failed, we had to go back and SIT SOME MORE. Thirty more minutes of adding insult to injury later…we had to pay FIFTY DOLLARS to reschedule the test for next week. Honestly, I don’t know if I’ll pass, but I think Bret will. The website with test passing tips said they take pity on you and give you a mercy pass if it’s your third or fourth time….here’s hoping.