Livin high and takin it easy

After many, many, many months, or perhaps years, I finally got myself a student driver permit! I have been asking Ryan for a long, long, long time to teach me how to drive, I think before I even got pregnant, but we just could not find the time for it.

I remember asking my own father to teach me how to drive using his car, but he said back then, “I am surely not teaching you how to drive WHILE you are pregnant!” This inability to drive has been such a hindrance to my activities when I am in Camarines Sur. My parents have a car that I keep wanting to drive when I want to get a quick CWC fix or a little trip to Naga City, but alas, I have no license. Or more like, alas, I do not know how to drive!

So Ryan started teaching me last year, after I had the baby and every time we had some free time. At first it was just up and down the street, and then a little bit around the village, then he let me drive the car for maybe twenty kilometers on our way to Bicol from Manila last Christmas break down Almeda Highway and let me drive again for maybe almost an hour on our way back to Manila. I must say driving down that nice deserted highway was fun, only if I did not hold on to the steering wheel too tightly that it made my fingers sore! Hahaha.

Our lessons stopped in the aftermath of the great Ondoy as we did not have a car for almost three months! But after we got it back, I drove a little bit every now and then, in little increments at a time, like from the house halfway to the village gate, then up to the village gate, then up to Ortigas Avenue and then the farthest so far within Metro Manila, from Red Ribbon in Libis all the way to U.P. Yup, I have been driving around a stick-shift car without a license. *straight face goes here*

Actually, about a month or so ago, I went to the Land Transportation Office satellite in SM Hypermarket Pasig and was told I am supposed to go to the office next to the Ynares Sports Arena. I made it there two weeks ago, with my daughter in tow, and was told that the person in charge of permits and licenses only go to work in the morning. I was like, WTF?

So anyway, today I finally made it to the LTO office in the morning!! In less than an hour and P318 poorer (plus P25 for the plastic case) later, I had my student driver permit in hand! In a month, I intend to have my non-professional driver’s license in my hand, gleaming and proud!

A portion of the student driver permit

This is the procedure for Student Driver Permit application as published on the LTO website:

1. Proceed to the Customer Service Counter to have your documents checked for completeness, and secure a Driver’s License Application Form. (This form is available for download here. You can accomplish this form prior to transacting your business at the LTO.) Get a queue number and wait for your number to be called.

2. When your number is called, proceed to the transaction counters to submit all required documents to the Evaluator.

3. Proceed to the Phototaking/Signature Area to have your picture and signature taken when your name is called.

4. Proceed to the Cashier when your name is called to pay the necessary fees and obtain an Official Receipt.

5. Proceed to the Releasing Counter, present the Official Receipt and claim the temporary student permit/license.

This is the procedure I went through:

1. Get an application form from the guy on the table outside and fill out. Attach photocopies of NSO-issued Birth Certificate and NSO-issued Marriage Certificate. Present all forms to guy on table outside, who looks at original copies of NSO, takes the photocopies and application form and staples them all together and stamps them with, I assume, something that says “Authenticity verified” or maybe just “Verified.” He does not give them back to me but instead hands it himself to person in glassed-in counter.

2. My name is called out on the loudspeakers telling me to go to “Photographer A”. I see a sign overhead that says “Photographer A and B” with an arrow, and so I walk over. Get my photo taken, wherein guy actually says “SMILE!” and thus the big smile on my permit, and walks over to (wow, so sosyal!) WACOM tablet to give them my signature. I then walk over to waiting area to wait for my name to be called.

3. Person on loudspeaker calls out a list of names, including mine, to go to Cashier: Window 7. I go over to Cashier and pay P318.00. I walk back to seats and wait for my name to be called.

4. A person calls out my name in Window 8, no loudspeaker this time. She gives me my printed out student driver permit, along with my receipt and asked me if I wanted to buy a plastic case for my paper permit for P25. An image of Lia crumpling my permit and/or munching it in her salivacious mouth flashed in my head and very quickly, I say yes.

That had me walking out of the gate into the hot street that is Shaw Boulevard in less than an hour. Wow, that was really quick! I loved it! If only all government office transactions were as quick as that.

Related links:
* LTO services
* Quick link to the LTO’s Requirements for License/Permits Applications

I was watching the news today about the usual, the elections, and of course, NAMFREL has something to say about missing registered voters’ names as well as un-updated voters lists, and someone was interviewed about checking his registration status online and not finding his name on the database… and we were like, “Wha…? You can now check your registration status online?!?”

But then I went back to my room, went back to processing and uploading photos and forgot about the whole thing.. until I went on my Facebook and saw my friend’s link on making sure one is on COMELEC’s registration list and checking one’s name online. Yahoo! I got the link and went on to check my name.. and this is what I got. *straight face goes here*

Well, so much for endeavoring to make it to until the May 10 elections, from my April 22 arrival (hopefully) with my daughter who I will be away from for three whole nights this weekend as we will be going on the Travel Factor trip to Calaguas Island. It’s going to be the longest time yet that I will be away from her. You would think this time I should be used to it but no I am not. The longest so far I have not been with her was two nights! My in-laws are picking her up Friday afternoon as we are leaving by bus Friday night going to Daet and we will be back Monday morning as the bus leaves Daet Sunday night. Technically, we will only be sleeping in the island one night but two whole nights are spent on travel alone. I really wish I could take Lia with me to the island (Calaguas) but we will be sleeping in tents and the boat ride might not be very safe.

I will, though, try my hardest to take her with me to El Nido on the 22nd. We are attending my students graduation. They were my students when they were only in 2nd grade, ages 7 to 8, and now they are graduating from grade school (ages 11 and 12). I wouldn’t miss their graduation for the world. It turns out though I don’t have to stay there until May 10th, as my registration has been deactivated for….

No, I have not been court-sentenced!! I came “home” late in 2007.. instead of making it to the May 14th, I arrived May 25th. I really don’t remember why. I do remember why I did not make it to the October 29th baranggay elections, I was a few islands away, in Coron! Oh my. Hahaha.

Oh well, next elections I guess….

So I tumbled on to the sites Lizzie recommended and tumbled on and on, until I got to this one site and something caught my attention. I have always been a fan of South American writers. I love this idea…

Sometimes you encounter beautiful passages from a favorite novel that you want to share with your friends or loved one. Why not inscribe them on a personalized greeting card?

These days who actually sends out greeting cards?

But I do love those lines.. it wasn’t really the lovely cards, but the lines… you know I’m all about words lately. I have never had my own copy of any of Coelho’s or Marquez’s books but I have read a good many of them.

Oh I remember, I did buy that “Veronika Decides To Die” but some guy borrowed it and he didn’t get the chance to return it to me before he hid from everyone he knew and the world [as we know it].

As I was writing this, and adding links as is my usual practice, I googled the book and found out that it was adapted into a film in 2009 starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. I wonder if it will be released here in the Philippines. Here is a link to the film’s entry on Wikipedia.

During my boring little parts of the day, I take a moment to find some inspiration from either Stumbleupon dot com or  Tumblr (specifically this one particular site that I’ve blogged about before) and from then on, just tumble onto one website to another.

Today I tumbled on to this site and was just simply blown away. This is also because we are buying a house soon and I am always on the look out for design ideas. Just like that Ligne Roset Togo sofa I got from Summit Media‘s Real Living magazine.

Walls and more walls.. simply inspiring simple walls in wonderfully refreshing designs and colors. Oh, love!

This, I think would be really nice for Lia’s bedroom…

Moon Girl

… Or this one perhaps….

Moon Boy

I was thinking this would make a nice accent to my home office wall because I like those splashes of red on the birds. I was thinking the little splashes of red would make me feel hungry every time I look at them – and that should be good because sometimes I forget to eat when I’m working.

Birds on Branches

This one should make a great accent on any wall! Maybe a random hallway or the stairs landing. The color reminds me of my friend Mia who was my awesome seat mate in Natural Science class in college, who loved the color purple and who just got married recently and will soon be a mom! (Welcome to the mommy club Mia!)

Flowers on the Wall

Maybe this one on the dining area wall..? I just love how those branches cascade.. I love anything that cascades in fact.

Weeping Willow

This also made it to my short list but I’m thinking that it’s too feminine. I’d rather have a more neutral design. If I were single and childless and living in a tiny condo, I’d definitely get this instead of the one with the birds.

Plum Flower

Lastly, if we had a living room wall to spare, I’d definitely put this up, but our living room will have lots of windows on one side, the door on the other and the other wall should be reserved for that 32-inch LCD television set I am just dying to mount on the wall. Hahaha. Hey, dreams are free, aren’t they?

Golden Calla Lily

So, to see more of these beautiful wall decors, you may click on the images. Or may visit the following sites:

Wow Wall

and

OrqueShaw’s Wall Decors

June 20, 2008

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Gateway Mall, Cubao

Potter’s Place Elementary School Batch 2005 finally came together, in Manila no less, three years older (and hopefully wiser) to catch up on how life has been over tea and coffee.

This was us then:

From left to right: Armie at Balay Tubay on one of our many nights spent there; Armie at Rose’s house on the hill playing with the apples; and, Armie and I on the boat to Miniloc.

I got lots of pictures of Eric! Hahaha! From left to right and top to bottom: Eric in the boat to Miniloc; Eric and Armie “hanging out” on the boat; Eric, the sea urchin and I having fun after a dive at Twin Rocks; Kuya Mezach (the greatest boatman in the whole wide world), Joy and Eric during dinner at Miniloc; Eric, the bloated cowfish; Kuya Tani, Eric and Kuya Bong making music at Balay Tubay; Eric and I in Derrick’s boat at the Big Lagoon; Joy, Grace and Eric on the boat to Miniloc; and, best friends shadows.. Eric and I.

From left to right and top to bottom too: Grace, wet from swimming in the river at the farm; Grace and I hanging out at the beach at night; Grace and Joy hanging out at Kevin’s house in Caalan beach one sunny afternoon; Grace and Joy about to snorkel in Miniloc; and Grace, Cecille and I hanging out on that happy night at the beach.

(The usual scheme): First two pics are of me and Joy getting drunk at Balay Tubay before we all flew out and back to Manila for sem break; Joy and I when we weren’t really sunburned yet and I was still really skinny, May 2005, first plane ride to El Nido via ITI, photo taken by Grace’s instamatic; Joy sitting on Kuya Loy’s boat on the beach outside Rose’s house; Joy and I while waiting for the other paddle boat one Saturday morning; and, Joy and Armie on top of the limestone cliffs on another Saturday morning.

These photos of me are taken by Eric. On the left was while we were hanging out at Lugadya Beach one boring Sunday afternoon and the one on the right was taken in Miniloc. I’ve got the walkway coming out of my ears. Hahaha. I wonder too when I’m gonna be as healthy-looking as I am in this picture. (ponder.. ponder..)

Female faculty on Recognition Day; Ryan, some of our local friends and us at the foot of taraw after that rigorous climb; Armie, Grace, Vorjan and I in a picture that Joy took one sunny Sunday morning, in our messy room and in our messy selves; and us (sans Grace) at the bar in Miniloc.

That third picture above is in keeping with the “we are so into blurry pics of ourselves” theme. And this last picture is Eric’s way of saying he missed me and taking pictures of me when I’m not looking. Hahaha. This is us now: Teacher Virgie is married and being plain housewife (as of the moment), Teacher Joy is having fun with her absolutely gorgeous and adorable expat little kids in Singapore, Teacher Armie is on her way to Slovenia (deservingly happy and in love), Teacher Grace is back to teaching high school Chemistry near her house (for a change) and Teacher Eric is still living the artist’s life! I really did miss Armie my groovy roommate, Eric my best friend, Joy my laughing buddy and Grace my computer games buddy.

This was originally posted in my Multiply site on July 16, 2008. I am reposting it here as I am moving stuff out of my old site. I do regret what happened to the photos here as they are a bit deformed or something. This was made back when I had not a slightest bit idea about html..

I am taking a moment from all these writing, typing and being a mom who is feeling all guilty about not giving her daughter the usual amount of attention the past few days and even guiltier about not being able to stay in the house with her for the next four full days because of a work-related workshop somewhere in Quezon City to post something that should be inspiring, thought-provoking or at the very least, eye-pleasing.

I found another site that inspires me. I guess right now I can say I am in love with photos and words – which is never a bad thing. *smiles*

I would like to thank Eshei Mesina for introducing me to Stumbleupon.

And for my very first stumbled upon site, here is a site where you can listen to the sounds of the rain, thunder, the ocean, songbirds, gulls and even chimes and vibes!!

This brings back memories of being The U.P. Repertory Company‘s Sound Manager and combing the collections of the College of Mass Communications for sound effects for our plays and full-length tula dulas like U.P. ng Ina.