Korean Drivers License

I have to take a drivers test here in Korea before I can get permission to drive here. So I had to track down a drivers manual in English (not as easy as you would think), and then study, take 3 different kinds of info with me down to the testing office and take the test. When I got down there, they had a pretest for you to take with 5 questions on it. They told me that if I missed even one question on the pretest, that I couldn't even take the actual test, and that I needed to watch out for question #5. So I started out quite nervous to say the least. For any of you coming over, make sure you know what the regs are for insurance (hint, hint). So I asked a question of one of the Korean gentlemen in the office and he helped me figure out the answer. I would have had no trouble answering any of the questions, except that I was under the impression that it had trick questions on it. So I was able to take the test and I passed!!!! Yeah!!! I finally have permission to drive! My dh is going to be away for a few days and now I can at least get groceries home without lugging them on the train or having to pay almost $5 for a taxi ride home.

I am a little nervous to be driving with the Korean people. It seems like most of the driving laws are "optional" and I haven't seen the police enforce any driving laws around here... they are usually out to either direct traffic or to respond to a call of some kind. I think I have only seen one person pulled over, and with the way they drive around here, there should be a car pulled over all day, every day on every block. I have been in taxis where they run red lights and other taxis where we sit at a light and watch people pass us on both sides to run the red light for the whole duration of the red light! It is crazy! I am brave enough to drive here locally in my area, it is more of a small town, but I am not brave enough to try to leave the area. For one, I can't read the signs and two, I would have no idea how to get to the place I wanted to go! The streets aren't marked here like they are in the states, so I don't know how anyone finds anything here. For now, wish me luck!