<p class="ql-block"><b>Getting a Driver's License for the First Time Was a Charm for Me</b></p><p class="ql-block">In the last century, China was still a developing country, while Japan had already become the world's second-largest economy after the United States. In November 1986, as a dispatched Chinese student, I was sent to Tokyo. In April 1987, I passed the exams for English, Japanese, and some specialized courses and entered the graduate school of my dreams, Tokyo Institute of Technology. After enrollment, I discovered that there were already dozens of international students from various countries, including China, studying here, both as undergraduates and graduates.</p><p class="ql-block">Compared to Beijing, Tokyo had narrow streets, but its urban transportation was highly developed. In addition to the extensive railway lines on the ground and underground, there was a dense network of roads. Moreover, Tokyo was bustling with skyscrapers and heavy traffic. It was rare to see pedestrians on the roads, which was quite different from the scene in Beijing where bicycles and pedestrians filled the streets.</p><p class="ql-block">Daily study was arduous. The pressure stemmed from being in this prestigious institution: English and Japanese were equally important (my mother tongue, Chinese, was of no use), in-depth research was required in the specialized field, and the research results had to be written into papers and published in mainstream journals. Normally, we commuted by train, bicycle, or on foot. However, without realizing it, a trend of international students obtaining driver's licenses and driving started to emerge. It aimed to alleviate the tension and pressure caused by studying and research, allowing us to travel by car during breaks, just like Japanese students. However, since none of us had licenses or any driving experience, the first step was to acquire a driver's license.</p><p class="ql-block">In Japan, due to the high attention paid to traffic safety by the society and the rigorous working attitude of the driver's license examiners, the driver's license test is recognized as the most stringent in the world. To save on expensive tuition fees, none of us wanted to attend driving schools, so we rented cars on campus for practice. We knew that during exams, examiners pay extra attention to us "self-taught" students (i.e., they will scrutinize us more rigorously).</p><p class="ql-block">After more than a month of studying traffic rules and repeatedly practicing driving, I finally passed the driver's license exam and obtained the long-awaited license. At the moment I received the license from the police station, I reminisced about all the efforts made to obtain it and the realization of my dream. It worked like a dream come true.</p><p class="ql-block">Later, in order to buy a car, in addition to studying, I also worked at a company as a translator. After a year, I used my savings to purchase a second-hand car. Although it was used, it was safe and comfortable. When I drove the car I had acquired through my hard work on the roads of a foreign land, I once again experienced the infinite charm that can only be worked through perseverance.</p><p class="ql-block">After graduating from graduate school, I went through internships at research institutes in Japan, returned to work at a university in China, and eventually ended up in the United States. Each time I arrived in a different country, I had to go through the process of obtaining a driver's license again. However, when I acquired driver's licenses in those different countries, I did not feel the same dreamy and charming sensation as the first time. I have come to look at it in a normal state of mind.</p><p class="ql-block">Living in California, the public railway and bus transportation here are not as developed as in Japan, but the construction of roads, highways, and parking lots is highly advanced. Therefore, driving a car is the primary choice for people when it comes to transportation.</p><p class="ql-block">Nowadays, the dream-like feeling I had while driving has long disappeared. Nevertheless, the happiness I experienced when obtaining my first driver's license and owning a car is forever engraved in my heart.</p><p class="ql-block">Since leaving China at the end of 1986, I have followed the footsteps of modernization, embracing the convenience of using cars instead of walking or biking. However, the side effects of relying on cars are evident. For example, car emissions are detrimental to the environment, and a lack of physical activity negatively impacts health. To minimize the impact on the environment, ten years ago, I switched from a gasoline car to a hybrid vehicle, making a small contribution to reduce environmental pollution. Recently, with the widespread adoption of electric cars, I planned to switch to a fully electric vehicle to further reduce emissions. Additionally, since last year, I have made it a habit to walk at least 6,000 steps every day to compensate for the negative effects on health caused by relying on cars instead of physical activity.</p> <p class="ql-block"><b>考取驾照对我来说是一个很大的魅力</b></p><p class="ql-block">上个世纪，中国还是一个发展中国家，而日本已经成为仅次于美国的世界第二大经济体。 1986年11月，我作为中国派遣留学生被派往东京。 1987年4月，我通过了英语、日语和一些专业课的考试，进入了我梦寐以求的大学院——东京工业大学。入学后才发现，已有数十名来自包括中国在内的各国留学生在这里学习，既有本科生也有研究生。</p><p class="ql-block">与北京相比，东京街道狭窄，但城市交通发达。除了地面和地下广泛的铁路线外，还有密集的公路网。此外，东京摩天大楼林立，交通繁忙。路上很少看到行人，这与北京自行车和行人满街的景象截然不同。</p><p class="ql-block">每天的学习很辛苦。压力源于这所名校：英语和日语同等重要（我的母语中文没用），需要在专业领域深入研究，研究成果要写成论文并发表在主流期刊上。通常，我们乘坐火车、自行车或步行上下班。然而，不知不觉中，一股留学生考驾照驾车的风潮开始兴起。它旨在缓解学习和研究带来的紧张和压力，让我们像日本学生一样在休息时间乘车旅行。然而，由于我们都没有驾照，也没有任何驾驶经验，所以第一步是获得驾照。</p><p class="ql-block">在日本，由于日本人一丝不苟和注重安全的工作作风，驾驶执照考试被公认为最严格的考试。为了节省昂贵的学费，我们都不想上驾校，所以我们就在校园里租了辆车练习。我们知道，在考试过程中，考官对我们这些“自学成才”的学生格外关注——他们的要求更高。</p><p class="ql-block">经过一个多月的学习交通规则和反复练习驾驶，我终于通过了驾照考试，拿到了期待已久的驾照。当我拿到派出所的驾照的那一刻，我想起了为获得它所做的所有努力以及我的梦想的实现。感觉就像梦想成真。</p><p class="ql-block">后来为了买车，除了读书，还在一家公司做翻译。一年后，我用积蓄买了一辆二手车。虽然用过，但安全舒适。当我开着自己辛辛苦苦得来的车走在异乡的道路上时，我又一次体会到了坚持不懈才能获得的无穷魅力。</p><p class="ql-block">大学院毕业后，我在日本的研究机构实习，回到中国的大学工作，最后去了美国。每次到达不同的国家，我都必须重新办理驾照手续。然而，当我在那些不同的国家考取驾照时，却没有了第一次的那种梦幻和迷人的感觉。我以冷静的心态接近它。</p><p class="ql-block">生活在加州，这里的公共铁路和公共汽车交通不如日本发达，但道路、高速公路和停车场的建设非常先进。因此，汽车是人们出行的首选。</p><p class="ql-block">如今，开车时那种如梦似幻的感觉早已荡然无存。尽管如此，拿到第一张驾照、拥有一辆汽车时的那种快乐，却永远铭刻在我的心中。</p><p class="ql-block">自从1986年底离开中国，我就跟随着现代化的脚步，享受着汽车代替步行或骑车的便利。然而，依赖汽车的副作用是显而易见的。例如，汽车尾气排放对环境有害，缺乏体育锻炼对健康有负面影响。为了尽量减少对环境的影响，十年前，我从汽油车换成了混合动力车，为减少环境污染做出了小小的贡献。最近，随着电动汽车的普及，我打算改用全电动汽车，以进一步减少排放。此外，从去年开始，我养成了每天至少步行 6,000 步的习惯，以弥补因依赖汽车而不是身体活动而对健康造成的负面影响。</p>