hope helps

Yesterday, I finally had my license renewed. I was supposed to do it last Friday but LTO couldn't connect to their servers so the system was down, NATIONWIDE. I went back a day after my birthday, because of course I didn't want to spend my birthday doing errands. I got it renewed and paid an extra Php75 as penalty for late renewal. I was so pissed off because it was partly their fault that I had to come back today and not finish it last Friday as planned. I asked the cashier about this and this was how our conversation went:

     D: Wala po ba kayong consideration dahil nasa application for renewal ko naman po, January 27, pati medical po nung Friday natapos na.
     C: Nasa system na kasi yun. Basta late may penalty.
     D: Pero di ba kayo naman po may kasalanan bakit hindi na-process nung 27. Kasi down ang connection.
     C: (very defensively) Hindi ako ang may kasalanan, ha!
     D: Ah. O sige po, kasalanan ng LTO...
     C: Dapat kahapon ka nagpa-renew.
     D: Kasi po birthday ko kahapon, may plans po ako. Kasi nga po dapat nung 27 pa tapos.

And she scolds me, saying that I could renew my license at least 60 days (not sure) before it expires. I was angry, not because of the measly fee. I thought about how this incompetency affects the working class -- who has to sacrifice leaves, or worse a whole day's pay to take care of this things, and how we cannot do anything about it. And what about the fact that out of all the arguments I was saying, she picks up on the "kayo naman po may kasalanan" and defends herself? Shouldn't employees, both in government or private sector, be representatives of their organization, even just from 8am to 5pm?

I looked around the place to see if there was a hotline to call or an address to send a complaint to but there was none, and that made me even more frustrated. Sometimes, when we are unsatisfied with the product or service we get, it really is a big thing to have an outlet (preferably a branch manager, direct hotlines, etc) where you can give feedback to. There may be no guarantee that this complaint will be heard, much less acted upon, but at least a message that it is not tolerated was sent. I think that's one problem our nation has: we are so tolerant, so understanding that we become complacent and just take things as it is. But who can blame us? Who would want to frustrate themselves over things they know they have no power to change? I do. I hope you do. I believe we do. Because even if we complain day in and day out, I know lots of people still love this nation so much. And so we care about it. And so we hope. :)

I'm glad I wore this outfit yesterday, brightened up my mood immediately. :D

Top - F&H (very old, used to have puff sleeves but I ripped them out because they turned my arms into sausages)
Cardigan - gifted from Australia
Pants - F&H (i think they are men's pants)
Shoes - Keds (teal wedges!)

I love those shoes to death because it's so comfy to move in and it has waded with me through the thigh high flood along Espana to Taft (from Algeciras to Pedro Gil) during Falcon's heavy downpour (June 23, 2011). I had it thoroughly washed after that with lots of water and detergent, and it's still in one piece! The (half) price I bought it for was totally worth it!

Oh, it's the first day of my new work today! But I'm too sleepy to talk about it, so...

Later! :)

<3, dee