THE HELL HOLE CALLED PRC

Being a professional, dealing with PRC is a real bane for me. Every three years, I have to go back to this government office to renew my license. And everytime, I question myself why I need to go through it. WHY do I need a plastic card to affirm my existence as a teacher!?! WHY!?!?! (Yes we all know the real answer but every PRC experience brings out the existentialist in me hahahaha).

Heaving and sighing and relenting and resigning -- I went yesterday to renew my license.

*backtrack. My license then, which was ready by 2005, I only went back to PRC to get it in 2007. I was THAT traumatized to go back to THAT place. *

The first thing you notice when you enter the place is the order - it's non-existent! Nobody knows where to go and you have to ask to have a general idea of what to do to accomplish your task. Now IF ONLY someone realizes this, streamlines the process and posts it on the walls or on the website, the PRC will not be full of headless chickens/professionals running around the place. Haven't they ever heard of the word TECHNOLOGY? There is such a a thing as having a paper-less office and doing transactions online..which they are slowly attempting to do but the operative word here is SLOWLY. But no, you have to run up to the third floor to get a form, run to the cashier to pay, run up the third floor again because the imbecile at assessment wrote the wrong amount, go back to cashier again and assert that the assessment and the amount is correct as I dont need to pay for a penalty....grrrrrrrr WHY DO I EVEN NEED TO DEFEND THAT PERSON IN ASSESSMENT TO THE PERSON AT THE CASHIER THAT SHE DID HER JOB AND IN THE PROCESS I'M DOING ALL THE RUNNING AND EXPLAINING IN BETWEEN!?!?!?!?!

LOOK AT THE LTO! My favorite government office...you can learn a thing or two from them! Their concept of EXPRESS RENEWAL is getting your ID in an hour. PRC's concept of EXPRESS RENEWAL is getting your ID within the day....that means within a 12 hour period. Tama ba yun Lord?!?!?!

And this GIRL, let us call her OGRE, at the document stamps area had the nerve to be very rude and say "O bakit pa kayo naka-pila e mag-lu-lunch break na kami?" WHAT RESPECTABLE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE SAYS THAT!?!?! The thought bubble in my head is "just do your damn job and stop your bitchin!". I mean all respectable companies dont even have a lunch break. They have what you call "shifting" so the office is still up and running throughout the day and people just take shifts on their breaks. Sigh.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I'm hoping that in three years (that's 2011 for you) things will not be this bad still.

BUT the highlight of my day is that I got to test the comfort of wearing crocs. Got a pair the other day as I need to start learning how to wear closed shoes to work(being the dress code in that other school) as am used to working in an environment that has no dress codes hehe (imagine working for 8 years in schools without a uniform! this is a big change for me hahaha).

I must say crocs are really comfy. I found my current favorite work shoes... goodbye Ipanemas, you'll only see the light of day after school =)