As previously mentioned, I seeked assistance from my driving school to get my student's permit. A decade ago, I think, you don't need to have a personal appearance to get a student permit, this time around, you need to have your picture taken in order to just get the permit.
As instructed by my school, I was at the meeting place (SM Southmall) at 1130 am. They made me fill up the LTO application form and submitted my requirements. We left for the Land Transportation Office at around 12 pm.
Upon getting there, there were lots of people milling around the windows. Apparently, it was lunch break. We were given instructions to wait for our names to be called at Window 9 to have our picture taken and our signatures captured. Afterwhich, we just need to wait for our permits. He did not give a specific turn around time but I figured, since we already asked for "assistance", it won't be too long.
Of all the days, I don't know why the sun chose this specific day to shine so bright and so hot. It was so overcast the previous days that I thought today would be a repeat of the other days. Since it was after lunch, the sun was at its zenith and we were sweltering outside at the waiting area. Moreover, you could smell the sweat of other people mixed with the dust. Definitely not a pleasant experience. To while away the time, I chatted with my "classmates". One of them, a new graduate from UP Manila was a bit chatty and we exchanged basic information. She was surprised when she learned I'm already 30. She thought I was still a student. Hah! Hah! And Triple Hah! The look of surprise on her face really helped my ego. Hehehe. She started calling me Ate Sunshine. I wanted to tell her to drop the ate and just call me Shine like what she was doing before she learned of my real age. Heh.
We were called around 2:00 pm to have our picture taken. No wonder people look the way they do on their driver's licenses. Just waiting for your name to be called will leave you very harassed and wilted indeed. After that, there was another 1 hour and a half wait for the Official Receipt stamped as a temporary driver's license/student permit. My file got separated from my companions because I was called around 4 pm--another half hour of waiting. It did not help that my shoes decided to choose this day to break apart. See, I was given instructions to wear closed shoes and collared blouse. Since I'm a stickler to the rules, I followed it to the letter. I did wear jeans and flat mules (?) and a collared blouse. I did not notice that the mules were kinda old and the soles were cracked already. So while I was standing outside Window 9 of the LTO, my soles broke apart.
After getting my official receipt (with the Temporary Student Permit stamp), I unsteadily walked out of the LTO and hailed a jeepney where I was dropped off at BF Southland. Fortunately, I saw a small store selling mojos and I bought a pair, throwing off my old shoes. Since I'll be the only one here at home with Janice (my cousins went to Makati), I decided to do a bit of shopping.
I took a jeepney at Southland and I got down at Watson's Phase I where I went shopping for beauty products. My derma adviced me to change all my sponges and make-up brushes since I just had my warts removed. Moreover, I was also adviced to use white soaps since being asthmatic, my skin has the tendency to become dry so no harsh soaps for me. She also prescribed Cetaphil (as facial wash) and Neutrogena Sun Block with Moisturizer (which I still cannot find) or L'Oreal with Mexoryl (which I also cannot find) since I need tons of moisturizer to keep my face dry-free.
Burdened with my new beauty items, I went to Ruins were I bought a new pair of walking shoes. I need some flat shoes which would also double as my driving shoes. I am so prepared to drive! Although seeing the hassle which I have to go through to get a non-professional license is giving me second thoughts. I hate the feeling of being sweaty and grimy. I just wish that the government will run its offices like a private company with service very much ingrained in their system. They don't care if the lines are long and the people are sweaty and grimy. They don't care if you spend the whole day waiting in line and wasting your time when you could do something more productive. You can't afford to wander too far from the windows because if your name will be called and you're not there (at the photo window), your record will be erased from the computer and you have to reapply. So I spent four hours (half a day) at the LTO and at that rate, I already seeked "assistance". What more for those people who decided to do everything by themselves? It's really a whole day affair.
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