Baby Sister…

I still can’t believe that my baby sister is married!

I guess the age difference between us made me wish she’d stay a baby forever. Always trying to protect her from adversities (which she is more adept at standing up against better than I), or wanting to give her whatever she needs (but she was making more money than I was, I should’ve been asking her for money!), or giving her the strength to face the harsh world (but she moved far from home even before I did).

Ok, so maybe she grew up stronger than I would’ve wished. I was half hoping that she’d always run to me like she did before whenever she scraped her knee, or bumped her head or thought I was going to leave without her. I guess I missed her growing up when I moved out of the house when she was still little that in my mind she is still that little girl I used to take care of and put to sleep.

Well, she did grow up, and now she’s married. Our baby now has her own family and ready to take care of her own babies.

But to me, she is still, and will always be my baby.

Driving me crazy

I love to drive. The feeling of independence and power is stronger when I’m behind the wheel; I feel like I am queen of the road and the streets that I pass are my conquests. As long as I’m familiar with the routes, I can drive anywhere. And even though I have been driving for about 3 or 4 years in the Philippines, I still feel amazed and proud of myself for learning how to drive.

I thought I would still feel the same when we move to Canada. I did pass my driving test with just one try and bought our car a few months after we got here. So why is it that I avoid driving?

Maybe because the traffic rules are so different here. For one thing, there are speed limits that has to be followed;
30-50kph in school zones
40-50kph in residential areas
60-70kph in major urban and suburban areas
80-100kph in highways outside the city
(The only speed limit I know I follow in the Philippines is at the NLEX)
then there are traffic lights and signs at every corner;

Stop signs plus 2-way, 3-way and 4-way signs on corners where there are no traffic lights

Traffic signs that only apply during certain hours
The bus and bicycle lanes
Animal crossing signs

Plus my dreaded left turn on intersections (hirap i-explain, basta kakaiba dito). Different, yes, but if you would rationalize the difference, it isn’t necessarily more difficult. In fact, if you would just follow the rules, it is actually easier.

And then there’s snow… I thought they were joking when they said that even if you’re running only about 10-15 kms per hour on a snow covered road then slam on the breaks, you’d still see yourself sliding. Well, I didn’t find it funny when we did a 360 degree turn on a corner on our way to work.

And did I mention the potholes? Man! I thought the roads were bad in the Philippines! When all the snow on the road disappeared, the potholes took over. That’s why they say there are only 2 seasons here in Winnipeg; Winter season and Construction season.

So why don’t I like driving here? All of the above, plus the fact that I am in a foreign country where my insecurities are higher.

Maybe I will get used to it eventually. Build enough confidence to drive around by myself again. But until then, good thing I still have someone to drive for me