One of the things about being overseas is every so often you have to get or renew your visa. Well, in the paperwork I got when I first came it said that they only do visas here on Thursdays from 10am-12pm and if you are late getting it done you will be fined. So I planned to get mine done this last Thursday because if I waited until the next week it would be over due. I arranged with a staff member to switch shifts so I would be off in the morning.
So Thursday morning I got up and around in order to head to town. I needed a few things at the market and the market was the farthest place up the street out of the 4 places I needed to go so I planned to start there and pick up the needed items, head to the ATM to get money for the visa, then head to the visa office, then to the post office.
I found a tricycle to take me to town and on the way he picked up another passenger who was headed in the same general direction. Well, her detour took us quite a few extra minutes so by the time I got to the market (where I'd never been before and didn't know where anything was) I needed to leave for the bank. So I headed down the street a few blocks to the bank to use the ATM. I was almost there when I realized I had brought my passport, which I needed for the visa, but had somehow forgotten to bring my credit card! Well, the ATM doesn't do a lot of good without a card and by this time it was 11am.
I found a tricycle to take me back home but unfortunately he was very slow. I kept looking at my phone to see what time it was. We finally got to my apartment and I ran inside to get my card and told my roommate what happened. She said I didn't have time to go back to the ATM and then the visa office so she loaned me the cash to get my visa done and I would hit the ATM afterwards and pay her back.
So then I ran out to the street (about 2 blocks from my apartment) and found a tricycle to take me back to town but he didn't understand where I needed to go. I flagged down another tricycle and he didn't know where either, he kept saying, "In Manila?" No! Not Manila, here! One of his passengers knew where to take me and explained it to him so I got on the bike and we started down the road but within a few feet he pulled over to the side of the road again. The passenger said something to me that I didn't understand and then she told me it was a public HOLIDAY that day and the office would be closed anyways! I hopped off the bike and went back home. The Grace said the office would be open on Friday and to try it then. She said they wouldn't charge me a late fee since they were closed for a public holiday on Thursday.
Friday I got up even earlier to make it to the ATM and then to get my visa done. I remembered my credit card this time along with my passport. I got to the bank with no problems, waited in line for the ATM, got the money and headed over to the visa office. I found the post office first and in order to send my mail it was going to be 40 pisos which I didn't have exact change for but apparently needed because she didn't have enough change for the larger bill I had. So I went to do the visa first and hopefully get change in the process. I went in search of the immigration office which the post office lady said was, "That way.", pointing to the right. I went "that way" and couldn't find the office. There are a lot of offices in the Capitol area. I wondered all the way down to the far end were I found a building that looked like it should house the immigration office but it wasn't to be seen. I asked a lady there where it was and she walked me out of the building and pointed me back in the direction I had come and told me it was the second door down.
I walked to the second door down and it was NOT immigration! Where was the stinkin' office?!? I walked a bit farther and still couldn't see the office so I asked another person where it was and they didn't know. I asked another person and they pointed me in the direction I was headed. I kept walking and searching. Finally I asked some guys who were doing some construction on the sidewalk I was on. The guy pointed to the door right behind him! No wonder I missed it, they work working in front of the office that only has a somewhat small sign on the door. Guess where it was.
Right next door to the POST OFFICE where I started! So it was the second door from the far END.
I opened the door and went in. It smelled like someone was working on a car in there but there were no car parts to be seen. No one really even looked at me when I entered. The office was about 10 feet across and 20 or so feet deep. There was a woman and man there. Finally the woman asked what I needed. I told her and she asked to see my passport. I got it out and the man took it from me and flipped through it then gave it to her. She looked at it and told me it doesn't expire until next week, did I really want to do it today or come back next week? Umm, let me think..NO. I told her I wanted to do it today. She began the process and then the guy went to get a copy of my passport. When the guy came back another guy came in and did the rest of the paperwork and then had me pay. Then one of the guys had to take the paperwork to their boss to get a signature. I have no idea where the boss was but it took about 20 - 30 minutes. During this time I sat on a bench and watched the reflection of the tv in a picture. It was a daytime drama (soap opera) to begin with (I could tell by the dramatic music and they way they spoke.) and then it changed to a reality cooking show. Finally the guy came back, we finished to process and I was good to go with change for the postage.
I went back to the post office, next door, to pay for my postage and the lady was waiting for me. When I handed her the 40 pisos she said, "No, no, only 14 pisos!" I had misunderstood her. 40 and 14 sound surprisingly similar with the accent.
So there is my comedy of errors. I hope it made you smile. = P
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