Enjoying oneself

In our lives in order to survive from sadness and depression, we usually long for someone to be by our side. Someone who's ready to listen Like a small kid who wants to feel that we're not alone while we are in the midst of darkness and emptiness.

It's very tough for an individual not to express his/her true feelings especially when he/she is facing a big trouble or worries. They may think of some undesirable idea in order to escape from that pain. Some chooses to hide it, because they doesn't want others to be bothered. Yet in some part, its not a great idea.

It's undeniable that in every test or every problems occur in our daily lives, are totally difficult. Sadly, other people chooses to give up easily without even trying something just to overcome it. On the other hand, there are also people who can be considered as brave that can't be frightened or the ones who doesn't want to accept defeat. They'll fight til the end just to win the battle.

Facing problem is like facing in a battle or you can even describe it when you play games. There are different stages of complication. In every stage you have to fight with all your might in order to survive. If you're too weak, you'll only be eaten and lose. In contrast, you'll earn extra strength and will learn new strategy. If you're going to give up in the middle of the battle, then how can you overcome the next hard ship? Can you be able to win the fight? Can you finish the battle alive?

Just remember and keep in mind that you're not the only one who is having a difficult time in overcoming problems. Regardless of how difficult it is, we must not give up. If every decision we made fails, we should still stand up and start to create new strategy in order to win.

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My experience at DFA

Last April 3, 2009, we went to Manila to get a passport. But before that, I have read some experiences of other Filipino people in the internet. I was googling til I've found some forums regarding the experiences of some Filipinos in getting their passport in DFA.

I've read some revealed topics about how difficult it was to get a passport there because they have problems regarding their picture, some people there were insisting them to correct their photo and making them believe that they doesn't meet the standard photo requirement. I don't know who were those people they were referring. They have the same complaints about the people there, many says that their I.D. photo should be like this or like that! And it costs P150.00 when you get another. Some readers felt doubtful because they might experience what the other Filipino people have experienced.

When I went there, I am with my mother and my brother. We were at the back of DFA, there are so many people there. While passing through, someone asked us if we are going to get a passport, if we are newbie, or are we going to renew our passport? Its like he was interviewing us. He said that it was difficult to get a passport there, especially when the picture is not right. He also bragged that he will get a passport too and we have to go first in any of the stalls located at the side of the street "for the checking of the documents, filling-up of forms, thumbmark and I.D. picture".

So, when we arrived in the first stall/booth, the guy said, "sige bigyan nyo ng 3 forms yan!" Our guess was correct! Its just his style of luring other people especially newbie or innocent people who has no idea what may happen, particularly the other people who can be easily fooled. There were also 2 man standing outside, wearing a barong and black pants, pretending to be an employee of DFA. They also got a walkie talkie in their hand. Their role is to blocked people who will go inside of the DFA office then will refer to dropped by in any stalls there whose business is for taking ID picture.

I've noticed that all the stalls located at the right side and its workers has one aim and same lines to attract newbies. Their aim is to make profit through taking photo i.d. even if the prepared photo was correct they will still make you convince that it was not right and you have to get another photo i.d. The usual lines they always said: You have to fill-up your forms first, put thumbmark and attach your I.d. photo and the supporting documents such as birth certificate from NSO or local cert. with CTC, 2 xerox I.D. like SSS id, voter's id, etc. before you can proceed inside of the DFA's office. You can't go inside when your form has incomplete data, no thumbmark and no attach photo or else you will only be taken outside of the DFA's office.

My mother is very sensitive when it comes in that situation. She's very bold and direct. She wants to guarantee if the transaction is legal before making a move. She doesn't want to be victimized by it. So, she asked them if they were a part of DFA, and if they were an official employee. They told us that the stalls are the extension of DFA and they were an employee. They have shown us their huge size I.Ds.

The woman there insisted us to show our photo i.d. to her. She said, she have to check it if it is correct and have meet the standard requirement. When she saw mine, she immediately bragged that my background color is wrong. Its very irritating, especially when you have an idea that they just want to get money from you so, I told her that it is right because it is royal blue like the other picture displayed to her desk. Then she again insisted that it was not because of my hair, covering my right eyebrow. My forehead should be visible. However, whatever she says, we don't want to approved it. Because we're sure that its correct.

Inside the DFA compound, we saw the long lines at gate 2. We asked the security guard, the route for the government employees. She direct us to proceed at the 2nd floor.

The line for the government employees is different from those people who are working in private companies/organizations. The government employees have the great opportunity to be assess immediately.

Arriving at the second floor, we filled-up our forms at the canteen then attached the supporting documents. After that, we proceeded at window one. We gave our forms to the lady wearing an eye glass, she checked it one by one. She said that we have to make one photocopy of our form (just the front). So, we go downstairs to photocopy it. Then, when we return back at window one, the lady gave us an appointment. A schedule for the processing of our documents. my brother informed her that we came from Oriental Mindoro and we'll go home the same day. So she referred us to the director - Mr. Gaspar, she instructed us to make a request to him. Then, we followed what she have told us. The director seems kind and understanding. He approved and let us not to be scheduled on Tuesday. Our documents will be processed right away.

Then, we moved on at window 2, the lady gave us the receipt with the amount to be paid for the passport. She put P750.00 in the receipt yet, we asked her why did she already put the amount without asking us if we like to pay P500.00 or P750.00 Because we know that if we pay P500.00 the processing will take 14 days while the other one will only take one week. She impolitely explained that the amount to be paid is automatic P750.00 due to holy week and they'll have an overtime. We have no choice but to paid it. So, we waited there for about 15 minutes, then our names were called by her, we checked our names, address, place of birth and date of birth if correct to avoid double pay. It was the last step, we signed it and put our thumb mark. Then its done. She gave us a schedule on when will our passport be release. We can pay the LBC for the delivery of our passport, its worth P100.00 so we're not bothered in going back there.

That's so easy! I suggest, if you are planning to get a passport, don't be seduce by the people outside the DFA building. Whatever they say, just ignore them! Or just tell them that you have already an appointment. I'm sure they will stopped. One more thing, the security guard inside the DFA office told us that all DFA employees have an ID unlike the fixers outside, they have none.

So be careful! Don't be victimized!

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My Fact: NO one was born STUPID!

While I was having a thought about my nephew's performance in his class, I came to realize that its truly a fact that no one was born stupid. I came up with that conclusion due to that, on my nephew's case, he often got low grades and his performance in class is not quite good. But when I started guiding him, gave him lectures about their lessons tackled the whole day, I've seen and proven that he can also passed his all subjects. Patience and devotion are the keys that will help us achieve our goals.

Some people believes that if a certain person is not smart enough to answer simple questions or they can't easily get the idea, they will simply consider him/her a dumb right away. But have you come up with the idea that we're not perfect at all. As a human being, its natural to us that sometimes we cannot give the right feedback to our colleagues, friends, or anyone whom we're communicating with due to interruptions. Some says that if both parents were less smart then their child may inherit it as well. Well, its not true. Even if parents were not too intelligent, that's not a basis that their child became dense. They are just lacking something.

No one was born stupid and I believe that. Human brains are not all the same. We have different characteristics and personalities. Some may have the ability to memorize and learn from what he/she just saw for just a short time. Some may not be a fast learner, but needs to develop and understand the things he/she wants to know in a slow process. Or even may take time to answer back. Some people lacks of nutritious foods that causes memory gaps.

And do you know that there is something within us that make us feel that we are left behind due to the attitude we have? Especially when we abuse it and practice it gradually. In lieu to that humans has a common attitude that can't be taken away that easily. I know all of us wants to have a better life, a life full of enjoyment, satisfaction, and to live without burden, struggles, and hard ships. We always wish that we can be able to live a good life, away from agonies and depression. We sometimes dreamed that we're just sitting in our favorite chair beside the window, taking a glimpse in the outside, seeing the beautiful scenery while listening to soft-mellow tune of music with our love ones. Its truly a pleasant feeling! Having those experiences seems relaxing. It's like that our other part will begin to tempt us to be like that forever saying "Let's do this tomorrow, and to the next day, and to the next next day...Don't go to your work. Don't go to school." Until we become lazy.

Being lazy can be harmful when it is practice daily. We can't recover from it easily because it can make us addictive and unproductive. It can also make us empty, fruitless or even left behind in terms of knowledge and skills when we let our selves be tempted to be in a room with nothing. So if we stay there, our life will not be progressive and we can't attain our goals.

One who haven't been able attend schools, because they can't afford to pay can learn various things from their environment. They can somehow learn how to survive through to their experiences encountered. Those who are an undergraduate does not means that they are dumb. They've just let them selves be eaten by their laziness, so they didn't make it except for those who can't be able to pursue their education due to financial problem.

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