yeah i also learned how to engage first today.
rev to 2000rpm, let go at the clutch choke point slowly, then revv it to 3000
i still need to practice, it feels like so much accuracy is needed while taking off!

regarding your oil change, sounds like it missed a service but that shouldnt be too bad.
usually you'd get the oil replaced every 5000Ks or every 6 months if you dont drive hard.
I guess if you drive like a granny then you can replace the oil at an even later stage.

Reading about engine oil for a year or two has given me quite some information, facts, myths and so on.
-Black engine oil is sometimes regarded to be perfectly fine, but people use it as a visual sign to change engine oil.
-Mixing different types of engine oil, should be fine if the velocity of the oil is similar. Never thick and thin oil together like 10w40 and 20w50. 5w40, 10w40, 15w40 is okay i think.
-Branded engine oil is usually overlooked, people think the more you pay the better it is, where that is usually the case, sometimes that isnt correct. Castrol Magnatech is the same as Repcos generic branded engine oil. Just different bottle (they get their oil from the same plant+source)

what type of polish did you use? i used to polish my previous car with a bottle of liquid turtle wax, makes it look real good, but when the rain comes, you get the biggest sad face because all your effort just washes away lol..
I found myself polishing every 2 weeks due to rain and having to wash the car cos dirt was sticking to the car. Then i gave up. sold the car, got a Honda! haha