And yet there was a difference. I did not have to go to the office. I did not have to plug in my laptop and check my email and attend to meetings. I did not have to check reports nor participate in discussions.
It was like playing hooky -- it was my birthday, after all!
Both hubby and I had plans for the day -- drive leisurely to Tagaytay and have lunch somewhere that didn't offer kiddie meals with toys, enjoy a family dinner with some cake and laughter. Oh, and I wanted to renew my driver's license first, before doing all these. After all, I had heard that the new LTO (Land Transportation Office) branch near our place was a "one-stop shop" where transactions could be done in a jiffy. Wow, efficiency seemed to have finally reared its head!
That was quite an assumption.
We arrived at the said new LTO branch before 8:30, and I was heartened that there were only a few people there. Quite the opposite of what I used to experience in other branches. Then I asked the "Information Officer" (IO) where I could renew my license.
IO: May drug test ka na? (Do you have your drug test results?)
Me: Oho. (Yes.)
IO: Kelangan mo magpa-medical? (Do you need a medical exam?)
Me: Oho, pero sabi sa akin dati magpa-medical lang ako sa kung saan ako magpapa-renew. (Yes, I do need a medical exam. I was told to have it at the LTO branch where I was going to renew my license.)
IO: Naku, wala kaming medical ngayon. (Oh, we don't have medical examinations today.)
Me: Bakti ho? (Why?)
IO: Kasi naka-leave pa yung doktor, di pa namin alam kung kelan babalik. (Because our doctor is on leave, and we don't know when he/she will return.)
Me: Wala hong ka-alternate? (Is there no alternate?)
IO: Wala e, balik ka na lang sa ibang araw. (No, you better come back another day.)
This, from a supposed "One-Stop Shop"! Part of me was having an Ally McBeal moment: blowing my top, stomping my feet, throttling the nonchalant staff, all while uttering a primal scream of rage.
But of course that was just in my mind. And so we went to another branch about an hour away. And I thought that this maybe better since it had a reputation among the drivers in our office for providing "faster" transaction times.
Another erroneous assumption.
We went through the whole rigmarole of getting a medical exam (reading the last 3 lines of a Snellen chart, having the height and weight measured, with some cursory questions on education and marital status by the medical officer), securing the form, getting a "control number", having one's photograph taken, giving the form to another officer, paying the requisite fee, and finally, finally, getting the license!
All this with huge chunks of time spent waiting. And waiting. And waiting some more.
I spent 5 hours in there. Long hours of interminable waiting.
The good thing is, I finally got my license. It will be another 3 years before I need to set foot in another LTO branch for a renewal. I do hope that the system would have evolved by then, and that the 5-hour wait would already be a 30-minute process.
I wish.
We ended up having lunch at a Chow King outlet. Which wasn't really all that bad, since the food was filling and tasty. My constant order from Chow King of sweet and sour pork was good enough. The beef mami (noodle) was quite a revelation -- with tender chunks and flavorful broth!
We then picked up 2 cakes from a Red Ribbon outlet -- Dulce De Leche and Mango Cake, and went directly home.
By this time we were quite drained.
Notwithstanding the LTO fiasco, I still think that the day was a great one:
- Hubby and I were able to take time off from work.
- I was able to get my driver's license, in an LTO branch that had an airy and spacious waiting area. There were no sweaty smells and elbows poking into one's personal space.
- We got to eat in a decent place. Sure, it wasn't the fine-dining establishment we were planning for, and it wasn't in Tagaytay. but it was a good meal nonetheless. Our hunger was assuaged, we went back well fortified for another round of waiting (we were caught by the lunch break at LTO).
- Hubby was extra patient chauffeuring me around, waiting with me, and asking the LTO officers about the status of the license.
- Friends and family sent greetings my way, which were much appreciated.
- I got a very sweet early-morning present from our older daughter -- a colorful drawing of a rainbow and a cheerful sun, which was part of the wrapping for her gift (a book) to me.
- We got to share a quiet family meal at home, with the toddler and the little girl.
- I was able to take stock of all the blessings that have come my way, with another year to look forward to.
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