vegetarian week

25 Jan 2006 Vegetarians are people who don't eat meat. All of those I met so far have good reasons for being a vegetarian. Some say they don't like meat, but most of them say they don't believe animals should die just so they can eat. So as a form of protest, they don't eat meat.

Well, I couldn't care less about those animals. This week I felt like going on a vegetarian diet again. Not because I believe animals should be spared, or because I don't like to eat meat. I eat vegetarian food this week because I feel like it. Let's see if I can keep it up for a week.

So far, I've had 2 warm vegetarian meals (twice fried stuff with rice and vegetables), 1 vegetarian pizza, 1 time soup, 1 time sandwiches with eggsalad and then some cheese sandwiches. Things are going well with me. I'm not showing any signs of degradation or anything. But life is sure more difficult when you're eating veggy stuff. I went to the store today to buy some stuff to eat. I couldn't find anything except grass (or like some people like to call it: salad)

Anyway, some information about the past week. I burned 1006KCal on monday 2 weeks ago, and 1052KCal this monday.
I've been terribly busy getting FU up and running, and I succeeded. The new modules are in production and there are 2 new challenges available.

Besides all that, I went to the driving-license examination center to ask about my temporary drivers license. I was shocked.
Let me explain how things work in Belgium.

Suppose one day you wake up and you think: What if I took my theoretical exam today ?
And so you do. You go over to the examination center and take the exam. Once you pass it you have a score for your theoretical exam. This score is valid for 3 years.
Now of course you want to learn how to drive a car. And even better, you want to get a drivers license. So what happens ? You go to the government and ask for a temporary drivers license.
They issue one to you for a certain amount of time. This amount of time depends on how you want to learn how to drive. There's a 3-month type, where you take 20 hours of lessons with a driving school and then you get to practice on your own for 3 months after which you do your practical exam.
There's a 6 month type where you take 10 hours of lessons and then drive 6 months with a "guide" (your parents most likely) and then take your exam. Finally there's a 9-month type where you don't take lessons and drive 9 months with your parents, after which you take your exam.

Now. 1 Lesson costs about 50 euro. That means the 3-month and the 6-month type cost you at least 500 and 1000 euro respectively. Sounds expensive ? You dunno half of it.
Thats why alot of people (like me) take the last option and drive around for 9 months.

Well, I did all that and due to circumstances (half our house burned down), I did not get enough practice. So then I took lessons (600 euro worth of lessons) after which I took the exam. I failed (still not enough practice).

That was last year. I could have taken some more lessons, taken the exam again and failed it again.
Come on, let's be serious here. I'm not gonna learn how to drive in 10 hours when other people learn it in at least 3 months.
So that's why I decided I would wait untill the score of my theoretical exam expired and I could take it again. My score would be valid for 3 years again, then I could go for another temporary drivers license and learn how to drive all over again, right ?
Wrong.

It appears our gay backwards legal system says the following: You can't get a new valid temporary drivers license for at least 3 years after your previous temporary license EXPIRED.

Ok, what the hell ? So suppose I do my theoretical exam on date X, get my temporary license on date X as well. The exam is valid untill X+3 years, the license untill X+1 year. When the score for my theoretical exam expires at X+3, I can't get a new temporary license untill X+1+3.
So what do I do between X+3 and X+4 ? Sit around a whole year with my thumbs up my ass ?

I prepared a letter to the ministry of transportation, asking them what the hell I am supposed to do. I want to get my drivers license THIS year (since I have a car THIS year), but I don't want to pay insane amounts to the greedy driver schools. What are my options ?

To be continued...