13 June 2006
the battle for social securitylast week (or was it two weeks ago--it's so horrid i pushed the experience out of my memory bank), i had to go to sss or the social security system office at makati. in the first place, the prospect of me getting my sss i.d. was so terrifying. (was it really time to grow up? as in that much?)
second, they did not know where to put me. one man told me to go out and head over all the way to the next building. there, the cranky lady told me to go back and to line up at the cue just beside the man who told me to go to the other building. it felt like lining up for a lifeboat in freaking titanic. except that here, sadly, the first-class passengers were not given priority.
third, this middle-aged man (and you look like you're too old for this stunt. shame on you!) casually inserted himself into the cue and indicated through his lips that he knew the chimatic* beauty in front of me. i had no energy to do anything else other than to raise my right eyebrow in disgust. they, the middle-aged man in blue-grey office barong and the chimatic beauty, never said a word to each other the entire time.
i zero in on this disgusting duo (i'm still trying to analyze if they really knew each other) but the truth is, they were not the worst of their kind. i should not have been deceived by the already long line. filipinos are very organized, even if everything here seem chaotic. the principle of delegation is most of the time at play. here's the routine: one representative would wait patiently in line and when it is actually time for her (it's usually a girl) to transact in the window, her entire posse from kinder to post-grad studies, add to that her clan, her barangay and the entire purok and poblacion will all proceed before her. lovely display of unity. funny how we don't translate that to a national proportion. the philippine army will be the most feared in the entire galaxy, if not universe.
after around three million pesos worth of mobile phone calls (yeah, i had to find a distractuion lest i scream in the middle of the sss freakin lobby. i don't want to be dragged away in a straight jacket. well, not before i get what i came there for!), i finally got to transact my business. they told me to go back after three weeks not to pick up my card--to line up for my picture.
isn't SSS supposed to make life easier?
*chimatic: any person who looks like he/she is part of some master's household staff. in early american set-up, these people were called slaves. now, in the philippines where political correctness is the new protocol, they are called kasambahay--housemates, roughly translated.
* * *
i was at the university last friday to register for this semester. for three units and i was there shuffling the entire day. so starting this week, even my saturdays are no longer free. i am totally loving this life. the fast life--no time to rest.
the best part is that i chose this.
but then, these three units, plus the other three i should complete soon and another three, and i will be done with my coursework. after that, all i need is to take that foreign language test and to complete my thesis to be a certified MASTER. (lighting! thunder!) nyahahahaha
do not leave me holding a cleaver. it might end up wedged in my skull.
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