Edmund Rice Philippine Mission

Yesterday was just another day at the office, well not really, so let me tell this strange but true story as simply as I can and without exaggeration, mind you it does not need this additional form of picturesque writing, which I normally indulge in from time to time. So this is all fact with NO exaggeration allowed.  As a well known song says “Every word is true”

Carl and I arrive at the Davao airport at 5.30 am thanks to a prompt Taxi service and a wise early rising. Yippy! The plane is on time and we are off to Cebu nicely picking up our connecting flight by simply walking from one plane to the other. We arrive in Bacolod and we think this is going to be a wonderful day as it has started so smoothly that even a delay in the delivery of our luggage is not going to spoil it. John and Joe Joe (Our driver) get a little worried that we have missed the flight but no problems after picking up our luggage which is done individually and passing through security with tag matching turning out to be a little tricky we fall in to the hands of brother John Moodie. Now we think all is well and all we need do is pop around to the Traffic Branch and the License department to pick up our nice new License. Now Rod says one or two hours should do the trick and on trying to pin Rod down a little more he warns us “that it will take as long as it takes” We should have realized that meant that it could take for ever but my thoughts were that an hour or two should do it.

 Well sad to say our experience was very different. Spare a moment or three while I try to write this funny (Maybe not so funny) tail. Now Carl and Frank have already told me about this “waiting game” as I have come to call it, but poor me I have yet to really understand and even experience what they were talking about when they retold their Bank and Immigration experiences. Carl took three hours to get his Visa renewed the other day and the Banks do take their time I guess so no mistakes are made; understandable.

 Well let’s get back to the story at hand. We arrive at the Traffic Branch at 9am after our brief delay at the airport and wait for it we are directed to “Window One”. Now I am fairly astute (no laughing mind) and notice in English there are eleven simple steps in this process but I wont bore you with all that only to say it did put us on alert that something was not quite right with the predicted time, but we have faith in Rod so we don’t flinch, not yet anyway. Wait for it “Please go to Window 1 sir” Now we can see there are seven windows in all so this does spook me a bit. The lady at this window says no sir you need to go round the corner and pick up a form and fill it in then return to “Window One”. Well the three of us John, Carl and Me pick up our forms P10 each and carefully fill them in. Back to “Window One”. Please sir you need to get your Passport and Aussie License photo-copied and attached to the forms. Well off we go around the corner again and P30 each later we have our photo copies and have attached and returned them to; wait for it, “Window Two”. A little later our man and this is what I start calling him because he seems to be taking a special interest in our case, says we need your License and passports too, and we are happy to oblige. Please sit down sir and your name will be called. This becomes much like a psalm anthem as the refrain will be heard time and time again.  Just a little wait and our man comes out again and informs us we need to go out and get a full medical check. Out we go to a clinic down the street and we have a blood pressure test and a urine test (for drugs I suppose) and thankfully we all passed with a negative result and so P250 each later we are off to the Eye specialist to get our sight checked out. By the way Carl is doing all the money business which is very generous of him.

 Fortunately it’s only at the other end of the same street down a little alleyway. He looks like a kindly man so John is first followed by Carl and me. This becomes a minor circus in itself as each of us has glasses but we are asked to read the chart without them. We were also asked what grade our glasses were and none of us knew which caused some concern. John caused added concern as there are eight lines and they start with small print at the bottom and large at the top. John has difficulty even reading the numbers let alone the letters. The count down begins or should I have said count up, and it does not stop till he gets to line four. Now I can see him squinting like mad so I fear he won’t make it, not to worry with eyes half shut he just passes. (We find out later that John had done his homework and memorized line 4. Pity I did not think of that, cleaver lad John) Carl’s turn, he starts reading at six but is guided up to the very large print of three before he gets it right. Now I know Carl has better eyesight than John so am not surprised when I learn the truth about Johns memory work. He won’t be driving our car should we ever get one. Another basic pass is handed out to Carl. Then my turn, well I read seven with one mistake and am guided to six and satisfy him at this level. He then asks me how old are you people and I tell him the truth and he is quite taken aback to find that both John and Carl are in their seventies. To his credit he gives us the all clear and then asks me for a photo so he can attach it to his report. No photo and his reply to that is you are the same as the other two; you will have to go and get a photo taken and return to me. He is nice enough to give us a guide and off we go to get our photos taken for the first time. This will happen two more times. P60 each later we return to the eye specialist to have the prints attached to his report. Another P100 each later we return to the Traffic Branch with our medical report in hand.

 We hand this in to “Window Three”. “Please sit down and your name will be called Sir”. Sounds familiar. One and half hours later we are called separately to “Window Five” for our second Photo session (Cam). When that’s completed we get the old refrain “Please sit down and your name will be called Sir”. A little later over the loud-speaker system “All staff will have a half hour lunch break and business will resume at 1pm”. Shutters come down and we look at each other rather gloomily. This is in Ilonggo of course so we don’t move as John did not pick up what was said but we did add two and two together and got four alright, we just were not sure how long those shutters would be down for. Fortunately someone has mercy on us and informs us in English of the lunch break; we go off and have some lunch.  Another gentleman comes to me and shakes my hand and says in good English as I make my way to lunch “I have been here since 9am and still have not been called to Window Five” Well I stopped complaining, not that I was anyway, it seemed so pointless really.

 On our return we are called by our man to “Window Four”. “You will need to give me P305 each to progress to the next stage Sirs”. Carl gives him a nice new P1000 note and he disappears shouting out the usual refrain so that all and sundry can hear that we are not getting special treatment I suspect. Carl notices that no change is offered and I suggest to Carl let it be and things just may speedup a bit it was only P85 which would not qualify as a bribe I tell him.  Well believe it or not a quarter of an hour later we are called to “Window Seven”. This is it. We are on the home stretch, but not quite as we wait near “Window Seven” for some ten minutes until finally I hear that beautiful words Mr. Peter Thrupp; yes things are on the move again. Another photo session and a few more questions I am happy to answer and there in my little hot hand is my License, Ah! Ah! Wait a minute, “no it can not be” I yell. Yes! It is just a Temporary License please come back in May 16^th 2008 for the real one. Have a good day sir. Well I let John and Carl do their Photo session and I inform them about the Temporary nature of the license on their return. We are not amused but what can you do. John hurries us away before they find out we missed “Window Six”. All in all a Five hour experience not to be missed for quids Ha!

 We arrive in Kabankalan about 4pm. Meryendia, Rest and Tea and chat over coffee on the porch. (Tradition) We look forward to the Carol singers who are due at to come at 9pm. It’s well after 9pm and no one has arrived to sing me to sleep so I retire gracefully thanking God for a successful day even though a little trying. 10 pm the melodious sounds of Carols wake me and I dress and rush out to take the obligatory photo or two and listen to both Ilonggo and English carols. After P300 is generously donated as the music was good and the cause noble (Raising money for a Parish project) I return to my bed. I will probably miss the 4am call to the Novena; Ah well there is always tomorrow. Thank you Lord again for today.

PXT 19/12/2007