Last night, I started my preparation by snoozing as early as 8 in the evening. But before that I manipulated the alarm and exchanged a few phone calls to people to synchronize the activities the next day. The "next day" started as I woke up at exactly 4:45 in the morning and remembered to contact Mitch who was also leaving for the domestic airport at around 5:30ish to conduct his training in Legazpi, Albay. I prepared myself, my documents, my stuff and my morning sanity and I was out the door. I fetched him at around 5:30, took note of the time and off to the airport we went. But frankly, I was excited and eager to accomplish this hassle-hoff NBI clearance, I saw it as an enticing challenge, but it wouldn't also hurt to hope that they should set up a Clearance center somewhere nearer, like Makati perhaps?
*Going to Taft, sometimes it's great to be a woman. Love it when MRT is like this, but undoubtedly I love LRT trains more.
*My companions for the entire trip.
After dropping Mitch at the airport, I directed myself to Glorietta to park the car and take the Ayala MRT going to Taft. There was no way I'm going to bring my sister's car to Carriedo. Well, aside from the fact that I have no idea going there; and the gas would eventually kill me, I'm also doing it for security reasons. So I parked the car at Oakwood and started to walk to Ayala Station at around 6:10 am. In a span of 20 Minutes, I got to Taft and the army of people at this time were still manageable, although I felt that I'm not alone enduring this early morning ritual. By 7:15 I got to Carriedo and asked a few good souls where the NBI Office was amidst the busy, unappealing, active, palengke setup of the area. I know it is unfortunate that a popular government agency is situated in this unappealing area, but there is no room for whining and being stuck up here. You just forge on.
Upon entering the old building/mall, just a few feet away from Carriedo Station, a couple of fixers holding a handful of black ballpens and some blank sedula, which sells for 10-50 Pesos (Community Tax Certificate), welcomed me on the spot. They knew instantly I was looking for NBI and assumed that I was in such a hurry (might be because of my readily-grouchy look). They told me that I could get my NBI clearance in 30 minutes tops and I wouldn't have to line up. It would only cost me...300 bucks though. I smiled and said that I'm not in a hurry and I'm in an adventurous mood. "Okay lang po, may libro po naman ako e. Thank you." (It's okay, I have a book with me anyways). It was not your ordinary excuse, and a nerdy one, but they got the picture and left me instantly as if they haven't seen me at all.
Going up, the first first floor I was later on mesmerized by how an S-LINE would defy it's own S-LINE. I think it was saw a triple loop, and one could easily get dismayed. Even though the floor is open and well ventilated, one can't help but feel pissed and just imagine the pilgrimage of Muslims wherein they go around this artifact 7 times with literally thousands of people doing it with them. Since I'm feeling adventurous and patient, I stood by my decision only to find out that it wasn't as bad as it seems. Even though the line was insane, it only took me 20 minutes to pay the Maintenance Fee and finally go to Step 1. (Yes folks, that wasn't step #1)
*That was the and only line. It is the line prior to Step 1. This is where you pay the maintenance fees of the building (20 Pesos). In essence we're all headed towards only 1 booth. The lines curved at least thrice to manage the space.
*While waiting, might as well...I endured every step in 20-30 minutes tops and the most grueling step was the Quicksearch (Step #3) wherein they would type your name into the computer to know if you have a recod, ask you a couple of questions, and search if your record is indeed clean. By around 8:30 I got my NBI clearance and by 9:15 am I'm back at Makati.
It wasn't as BAD as I thought it would be. Probably one of my major advantages was going there earlier and having a unique name. I would just imagine Mitch's horror whenever he gets NBI. He told me, with his very popular name, it takes him about 7 days to get a copy.
At around 9:30 I dumped my documents at the car and walked to Greenbelt to somehow find airconditioning and to wash my hands thoroughly. By the time I got there, Power books was already open and I spent an hour there contemplating, reading and deciding on the perfect presents for my brother. By 11:15 I'm at Landmark and looked around at dinner wares just for the heck of it. By 11:30 I got to Diplomat Second hand book fair and got another copy of the work of Susan Howatch, one of my favorite modern epic authors. By 11:45 I went to have lunch a Mongkok and I wished I went for Tokyo Tokyo or Mexicali instead. By 12:930 I had dessert and treated myself for a great day at Icebergs and fetched Mitch, the "jetsetter," at the new airport terminal at around 2.
*JD's books. "Books again??"
*Diplomat Book fair.."Hmm....search search search"
*Susan Howatch's! Who would've thought I'd find one here...
*Care of the brilliant National Bookstore Giftwrapping Section, one of the cheapest and accommodating Giftwrapping stations. This only cost me around 40 Pesos tops, with box, paper (inside the box), wrapper, card, satin ribbon and inclusive of 15 pesos Labor.
*Craving for Chinese, went straight to Mongkok *(I really miss, Luk Yuen)3 O'clock marked the hour Mitch and I got back to Sun Valley and marked the hour of flawless completion of tasks. I'm proud of myself for literally being happy while everything is being done, just by not actually doing it, but being happy on the process makes a difference. It's a very gratifying feeling and it makes productivity sweeter.
*My dessert-reward (Mango and Strawberry over plain ice.) It's not heavy. It's healthier that going for that split!
4 comments:
when will you go online?
i think you add more info about it.
what happened to the other one?
Well done for this wonderful blog.
Post a Comment