one step closer

"A passport, as I'm sure you know, is a document that one shows to government officials whenever one reaches a border between countries, so the officials can learn who you are, where you were born, and how you look when photographed unflatteringly."
--Lemony Snicket

as i was preparing breakfast early today, i heard someone calling from the gate. when i went out to check what it was all about, i was delighted to see the small package that was meant for me.

my passport!

machine readable passport

finally, it got to me! it was supposed to be delivered to me last thursday but when i called the forwarder to locate my passport last friday, i was told it wasn't released as scheduled and that i needed to call the department of foreign affairs.

so...

toot toot toot toot toot toot toot toot toot (to represent the act of pressing numbers, folks, and NOT cussing). after pressing the right numbers, i was already on the line -- my call was acknowledged politely by the person on the other end. i learned that they did not release my passport because i asked for something to be resolved first.

doinks!

i had no idea what needed to be resolved because i did not ask for such a thing. so, without missing a beat, i told the person on the other line, "sir, promise po, wala po akong kinalaman sa sinasabi n'yong pina-resolve ko last july 10. i was there 9th of july and not on the 10th of july. whoever made the transaction in behalf of me the day after that, i did not authorize it. ang alam ko lang na pwedeng maging issue ay pagiging DOST scholar ko noong araw pero po i submitted all the necessary papers to support my application and nakasaad po doon that i am allowed to apply for a passport."

"don't worry. ok na siya. na-release na at i-d-deliver na siya bukas."

saturday (that's yesterday) came and, during late afternoon, i received a text from the forwarder's rep saying he was at our company's immediate neighboring facility earlier that day to deliver my passport but since i wasn't there, the next resort would be for me to get my passport at their (forwarder's) office.

doinks!

mheeeen! how many strikes do i have to endure? my reply went this way: "sir, company address po namin ginamit ko and hindi po address ng kapitbahay namin. inasahan ko pong ihahatid n'yo sa tamang address kasi po existing naman po ang building namin and may daan naman po."

i then called the rep and sought some clarification regarding the delivery. i listened to his side and i explained my stand on the matter. then, the compromise...

the compromise? he's gonna deliver my passport to my residential address here in batangas.

so...

today, all's well that ends well. my passport is already with me! yey.

oi, i know your question. am i traveling soon? that is not for me to say. when my immediate superior told me this for the umpteenth time: "wag ka nang pasaway. kumuha ka na ng passport," ayun, nagpaka-effort* na ako. madali akong kausap, di ba? hehe.

mga friends, tulungan n'yo ko mangolekta ng mga tatak sa pasaporte ko. it's about time. travel tayo. hihi. ;-)


*pa-picture sa nearest mall dito then pila sa DFA manila (kung di pagpapaka-effort ang pumila sa DFA manila, i don't know what is. also throw in to the equation an early trip from batangas to manila, okay?)