駕照 Driving License (I)

在台灣的時候，從來也沒有想到有一天我也得要開車。大學一年級的時候雖然去上過駕訓班，不過卻因為筆試時間怎麼排都會撞到實驗課，後來索性也不去考試，反正老爸也擺明了「即使妳拿到駕照也不幫妳買車」，拿了駕照沒車開，自然也就沒什麼心情去考試。
When I was in Taiwan, I never imagined that one day I’d just have to drive. I went to the driving school during the first year of university. However, the time of written exam was always during my lab/experiment sessions that eventually I just gave up the exam itself. Anyway my dad also told me frankly that even if I got the driving license he wouldn’t get me a car. Since I’d probably get the license without even a chance to use it, I didn’t have much “mood” to have it done.

後來搬到義大利來，就知道糟糕了…維琴察這個小城市不比台北，加上我們又不住市中心，出門要不是得靠一個小時一班的公車，不然就得開車。靠著老公當司機的日子過了一年多，直到老公第一次出差，要做什麼事情都得要勞煩到其他人接送，我才真的有了考駕照的念頭。
When I moved to Italy, I knew immediately that I’ve made a bad choice… I mean, about not getting the driving license before. Vicenza is a small city and is not as convenient as a metropolitan city like Taipei. In addition, we live in suburbs that we either have to take the bus that passes by every hour or drive when we go out. So, Michele became my personal driver. Some time later, Michele went abroad for business and left me at home all alone. It’s the very first time that I had to bother other people for whatever I wanted to do. I then started to think seriously about getting the driving license.

沒多久，從羅馬辦公室那邊知道台灣駕照可以直接轉換成義大利駕照的消息，那時剛好因為一個案子回台灣待了三個月，也就順便把駕照給考上了。回到義大利來的時候，馬上去了這邊的監管處詢問換照事宜，這才發現，因為我已經在義大利拿到居留權，而台灣駕照是在那之後才拿到的，所以我的台灣駕照並不能直接轉換，不論如何，這個駕照考試在義大利是考定了！知道這消息，還真有點晴天霹靂…不過規定就規定，是我自己不知道規則，也只好摸摸鼻子走人。
Soon, we got to know from the Taiwanese representative office in Rome that Taiwanese driving license can be converted into Italian one without taking exam, and I happened to go back to Taiwan for a project, so I finally had the exam done. When I came back, we went to the Motorizzazione to inquire the information about license conversion. I was then told that because I’ve got the license after I was approved as a resident in Italy, I anyway have to do the driving exam in Italy. I was disappointed but nothing I can do about it. So we left.

那之後我也沒有馬上開始上這邊的駕訓班，畢竟手上一直有事情要忙，總是有藉口可以推託…一直到2004年五月，事情有了轉機。那時剛好有鄰居要賣車，是一台天藍色的Twingo，雖然我並不喜歡這個顏色，不過因為價格不錯，大家又都說第一台車最好是買二手，所以沒多久米奇就把車鑰匙給拿了回來，不過當時因為一些文件問題，以及一些既定行程，這台車子真的上路，也是半年以後的事情了。
I didn’t start the driving school immediately, since I’ve always got a thousand things to do and there’re always excuses… at least not until May 2004. Our neighbor wanted to sell her old car. It’s a light blue Twingo. I didn’t like the color too much but since the price is acceptable and everyone tells me that it’s got to be a second-hand car as my first car so I wouldn’t feel too sorry if I bump it or what. So Michele got the car key home some days later. However, due to some paperwork and my scheduled trips, the car really got onto the road more or less half year later.