Mike: "Ang bilis mo, ah! Naka-100 ka kanina!"

Me: "Of course not! 60 lang ako! I know kasi tingin nga ako ng tingin sa speedometer dahil inip na inip ako dun sa sinusundan kong van na naka-hazard lights pa!"

Mike: "Oo nga, pero nung nalampasan mo na 'yung van, naka-100 ka na!"

Me: "Di, 'no! 80 lang ako!"

Then mom chirps in, "Eh siguro kasi si Mike 100 na di ka pa ma-overtake-an."

Me: "Di n'ya ako ma-overtake-an dahil ayaw niya akong iwanan! Binuntutan nga ako, naka-high beam pa, silaw na silaw kaya ako tuwing titingin ako sa rear view!"

I've been a licensed driver for almost a year now, the first few months of which were spent driving a manual Suzuki Alto through in-roads on the way to work and back. It was only last December that I was allowed to use the SLEX, after I was given an automatic Ford Focus.

He doesn't trust my reflexes, he said.

But there was really no turning back after my first SLEX drive. I drove myself farther, to test and hone my driving skills. First was Alabang, then to Sucat (twice), then Magallanes, then the International Airport (through a portion of EDSA), and very recently, the Chinese Embassy in Makati.

Save for the fact that I missed to take a left to Pasay/EDSA on my first drive to the airport (which meant I had to drive all the way to the U-turn slot under the Buendia bridge), all of my trips have been uneventful.

Well, that is discounting my labors at parking in SM malls... but that's another story. :)