Renewal
What a cool blog title!
A few hours ago, I just renewed my driver's license at the Pasig branch of LTO. I got there at about 10:30 am. A lot has changed since I last renewed three years ago. For one, there's now a parking fee of 20 pesos. After parking, a guy (fixer) approached me. Funny, as I just came across some signs saying NOT to go through fixers, and to just approach any LTO staff that can be recognized by the LTO IDs that they wore. Impressive, I thought to myself. The signs were so many, that you wouldn't miss 'em. It's cool that there is an info campaign to make people aware that there are LTO staff persons around to help.
Anyway, "my fixer" said that he wuz there to "guide" me throughout the renewal process. I politely declined, saying (in Tagalog of course) that I've been doing this for years, but he wouldn't hear any of it. Like a lamb being led to the slaughterhouse, he brought me to the clinic for drug testing. I entered cheerfully, saying good morning to the expressionless faces of the clinic staff. I asked how much the test was and holy batman, it wuz TWO HUNDRED FIFTY BUCKS!!! I smiled, asking if there was a discount since I was Pinoy. I don't think they found my joke funny.
After paying, I was led to the "lab," which wuz nuthin' more than a makeshift receiving area along a corridor leading to gender-specific comfort rooms. I just finished weeweeing before leaving the house, so I told the "lab assistant" (naks) if I could proceed to the other steps 1st as I still didn't feel the "urge." She told me to take my "medical exam" first. Brrrrrrrrr.
Having come from our company's physical exam some months back, I prepared myself for a grueling day of testing and extensive check-ups. I shouldn't have worried. Following cute explicit little signs posted on the walls of the mazelike center that reminded me of a morgue ("diretso hanggang dulo, kaliwa tapos kanan"), I found myself ready to take my medical exam. Of course the very first question I asked was "how much?"
I entered the doctor's room and she asked me to read the last line of the eye chart with one eye closed. I covered my right eye 1st (the one that's nearsighted) and read the letters perfectly. Then having memorized that line, I "read" the letters again, this time with my left eye covered. Perfect! 20/20 vision hehehe. Once again, I am happy to say that I could have my license picture taken without my dorky glasses.
I thanked her sweetly and proceeded to pay. 50 bucks for a medical certificate, stating that I took this-and-that test (Short term memory loss? I don't remember having my ears checked).
Going back to the drug testing clinic, I took a minor detour to a small (and this is an overstatement) sari-sari store and bought a bottle of mineral water that suspiciously looked like it was just refilled from the gripo. After buying my 2nd bottle (10 pesos each by the way for chilled tap water from the pipes of Pasig), my suspicions were confirmed. I saw a few plastic coke bottles containing water in her cooler. Amused, I smiled and said thanks as I handed her my money.
Soon after, I went back to the clinic and stayed in the "air-conditioned waiting area" (which was indiscreetly advertised by the way, outside the door) while willing my _ _ _ _ _ to pee. I'm glad I did, as the conversation between the clinic staff more than made up for the wait.
Female staff person (who looked like she was the senior of the bunch): Nakakainis talaga ang DOH. Magbubukas na sa kabila. Kokonti na ang makukuha natin.
Lab Assistant: Tinignan ko nga kanina, mukhang bukas na sila.
Female staff person: Ang daya talaga ng DOH! Malakas kse sila sa DOH eh. Nung tayo, ang dami pang tanong!
Lab Assistant: Wala pa silang gamit, typewriter lang.
Female staff person (snootily): Typewriter?!?! Wala man silang computers! At may freezers ba sila para sa samples?
The conversation went on and I tried my best not to show any expression on my face. I was laughing real hard inside of course.
Female staff person (to the Lab Assistant): Tawagan mo nga ang LTO. Kailangan natin magpagawa pa ng mga LTO IDs. Sabihin mo anim!
*Ting*
Ohhhhhh. So it IS all linked together. The fixers are now legitimized thanks to LTO IDs. Now and then, I saw "official" LTO personnel "guiding" other saps like me to this particular clinic. One particular girl who was now in the clinic, I remember being referred to by the LTO guy behind the counter! I remembered her name too, so I guess she wuz surprised when I said "Hi, Ate Brenda!"
Finally, right before lunchtime, I got the urge, so I approached the lab assistant. I engaged her in small talk as at that moment, I still couldn't "go." We talked about her course, and my job ("kaya pala ang pluent mo"), and the difficult people who she deals with who do not fill the bottle completely.
Remembering her pet peeve, I filled my bottle to the brim and even showed it to her before closing the bottle. She sealed the bottle professionally with a tamper-proof seal (aka masking tape) and asked me to sign it (naks, CSI). Then more small talk before I realized that all offices closed at the strike of 12! I asked her sweetly if I had to come back after lunch. She smiled back and said no need, she'd print out the results right away so that I didn't have to come back (yay!).
I left the clinic with all the papers that I needed. Then I proceeded to my fave barber shop (Y2cut) to have a haircut. That license picture was going to be stuck there for the next 3 years, so it HAD to be good.
After a refreshing haircut, I went back to LTO. While walking towards the office, 5 different fixers approached me at varying times. I felt like a celebrity (wehehe)!
There, I had to wait for my name to be called, paid (TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY-TWO PESOS AND EIGHTY CENTS, AND I DIDN'T GET BACK MY TWENTY CENTS CHANGE. HMPH), waited to be called again, had my picture taken (it was fun joking around with the lady photographer... bentang-benta hehe), waited to be called again, waited... waited...
AND THEN!!!!!!!
This really cute girl entered the LTO building!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everything was forgotten. All the hardships and waiting and frowns and heat and sweat and... EVERYTHING was just washed away :)
And I happily stole glances at the cutest person I have ever seen in years (besides my one-and-only S... but no one compares to S).
I'm now smiling goofily as I type this, hehe.
ANYWAYS...
So after talking with the people I was waiting with, I had my picachure taken a 2nd time and then finally got my license!!!! At 2:30 in the afternoon!
Unfortunately, I had to leave :(
So driving home, pleased at my glasses-less inspired by cutie picachure, all is right with the world. I happily let pedestrians cross all the lanes that they want. And then someone rams me from behind.
The girl is apologetic, and even if it was her fault, I felt real sorry for her and I just let it pass. This "awa" is going to cost me some bucks..... sigh.
Anyways, I texted my dad and told him to just charge me as I let the girl go. He understands, but not enough to let me off the hook (and the paying).
And that leads me to this blog entry.
What a long long day, with amusing situations, a depressing car accident, and a meet-up with the girl I'm marrying because S doesn't like me.
I feel renewed :)
What a cool blog title!
A few hours ago, I just renewed my driver's license at the Pasig branch of LTO. I got there at about 10:30 am. A lot has changed since I last renewed three years ago. For one, there's now a parking fee of 20 pesos. After parking, a guy (fixer) approached me. Funny, as I just came across some signs saying NOT to go through fixers, and to just approach any LTO staff that can be recognized by the LTO IDs that they wore. Impressive, I thought to myself. The signs were so many, that you wouldn't miss 'em. It's cool that there is an info campaign to make people aware that there are LTO staff persons around to help.
Anyway, "my fixer" said that he wuz there to "guide" me throughout the renewal process. I politely declined, saying (in Tagalog of course) that I've been doing this for years, but he wouldn't hear any of it. Like a lamb being led to the slaughterhouse, he brought me to the clinic for drug testing. I entered cheerfully, saying good morning to the expressionless faces of the clinic staff. I asked how much the test was and holy batman, it wuz TWO HUNDRED FIFTY BUCKS!!! I smiled, asking if there was a discount since I was Pinoy. I don't think they found my joke funny.
After paying, I was led to the "lab," which wuz nuthin' more than a makeshift receiving area along a corridor leading to gender-specific comfort rooms. I just finished weeweeing before leaving the house, so I told the "lab assistant" (naks) if I could proceed to the other steps 1st as I still didn't feel the "urge." She told me to take my "medical exam" first. Brrrrrrrrr.
Having come from our company's physical exam some months back, I prepared myself for a grueling day of testing and extensive check-ups. I shouldn't have worried. Following cute explicit little signs posted on the walls of the mazelike center that reminded me of a morgue ("diretso hanggang dulo, kaliwa tapos kanan"), I found myself ready to take my medical exam. Of course the very first question I asked was "how much?"
I entered the doctor's room and she asked me to read the last line of the eye chart with one eye closed. I covered my right eye 1st (the one that's nearsighted) and read the letters perfectly. Then having memorized that line, I "read" the letters again, this time with my left eye covered. Perfect! 20/20 vision hehehe. Once again, I am happy to say that I could have my license picture taken without my dorky glasses.
I thanked her sweetly and proceeded to pay. 50 bucks for a medical certificate, stating that I took this-and-that test (Short term memory loss? I don't remember having my ears checked).
Going back to the drug testing clinic, I took a minor detour to a small (and this is an overstatement) sari-sari store and bought a bottle of mineral water that suspiciously looked like it was just refilled from the gripo. After buying my 2nd bottle (10 pesos each by the way for chilled tap water from the pipes of Pasig), my suspicions were confirmed. I saw a few plastic coke bottles containing water in her cooler. Amused, I smiled and said thanks as I handed her my money.
Soon after, I went back to the clinic and stayed in the "air-conditioned waiting area" (which was indiscreetly advertised by the way, outside the door) while willing my _ _ _ _ _ to pee. I'm glad I did, as the conversation between the clinic staff more than made up for the wait.
Female staff person (who looked like she was the senior of the bunch): Nakakainis talaga ang DOH. Magbubukas na sa kabila. Kokonti na ang makukuha natin.
Lab Assistant: Tinignan ko nga kanina, mukhang bukas na sila.
Female staff person: Ang daya talaga ng DOH! Malakas kse sila sa DOH eh. Nung tayo, ang dami pang tanong!
Lab Assistant: Wala pa silang gamit, typewriter lang.
Female staff person (snootily): Typewriter?!?! Wala man silang computers! At may freezers ba sila para sa samples?
The conversation went on and I tried my best not to show any expression on my face. I was laughing real hard inside of course.
Female staff person (to the Lab Assistant): Tawagan mo nga ang LTO. Kailangan natin magpagawa pa ng mga LTO IDs. Sabihin mo anim!
*Ting*
Ohhhhhh. So it IS all linked together. The fixers are now legitimized thanks to LTO IDs. Now and then, I saw "official" LTO personnel "guiding" other saps like me to this particular clinic. One particular girl who was now in the clinic, I remember being referred to by the LTO guy behind the counter! I remembered her name too, so I guess she wuz surprised when I said "Hi, Ate Brenda!"
Finally, right before lunchtime, I got the urge, so I approached the lab assistant. I engaged her in small talk as at that moment, I still couldn't "go." We talked about her course, and my job ("kaya pala ang pluent mo"), and the difficult people who she deals with who do not fill the bottle completely.
Remembering her pet peeve, I filled my bottle to the brim and even showed it to her before closing the bottle. She sealed the bottle professionally with a tamper-proof seal (aka masking tape) and asked me to sign it (naks, CSI). Then more small talk before I realized that all offices closed at the strike of 12! I asked her sweetly if I had to come back after lunch. She smiled back and said no need, she'd print out the results right away so that I didn't have to come back (yay!).
I left the clinic with all the papers that I needed. Then I proceeded to my fave barber shop (Y2cut) to have a haircut. That license picture was going to be stuck there for the next 3 years, so it HAD to be good.
After a refreshing haircut, I went back to LTO. While walking towards the office, 5 different fixers approached me at varying times. I felt like a celebrity (wehehe)!
There, I had to wait for my name to be called, paid (TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY-TWO PESOS AND EIGHTY CENTS, AND I DIDN'T GET BACK MY TWENTY CENTS CHANGE. HMPH), waited to be called again, had my picture taken (it was fun joking around with the lady photographer... bentang-benta hehe), waited to be called again, waited... waited...
AND THEN!!!!!!!
This really cute girl entered the LTO building!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everything was forgotten. All the hardships and waiting and frowns and heat and sweat and... EVERYTHING was just washed away :)
And I happily stole glances at the cutest person I have ever seen in years (besides my one-and-only S... but no one compares to S).
I'm now smiling goofily as I type this, hehe.
ANYWAYS...
So after talking with the people I was waiting with, I had my picachure taken a 2nd time and then finally got my license!!!! At 2:30 in the afternoon!
Unfortunately, I had to leave :(
So driving home, pleased at my glasses-less inspired by cutie picachure, all is right with the world. I happily let pedestrians cross all the lanes that they want. And then someone rams me from behind.
The girl is apologetic, and even if it was her fault, I felt real sorry for her and I just let it pass. This "awa" is going to cost me some bucks..... sigh.
Anyways, I texted my dad and told him to just charge me as I let the girl go. He understands, but not enough to let me off the hook (and the paying).
And that leads me to this blog entry.
What a long long day, with amusing situations, a depressing car accident, and a meet-up with the girl I'm marrying because S doesn't like me.
I feel renewed :)
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