Now what?

It's been three days since the last exam, and somehow, I'm still finding myself.

I've been doing basically nothing but read, sleep, smoke, drink tea and coffee for so long that, now, after the event I have been preparing for has lapsed, I'm struggling to figure out what to do next.

I'm not due to go back to work until next week, so I guess I have this week to do some soul searching, and to catch up on some things that I have been putting off for some time now.

On Monday evening, after sleeping for what seemed to be the entire day, I was extended an invitation to watch Melay, a former officemate, and her band perform at a cozy watering hole along Katipunan, about five minutes away from where I live. They were pretty good, and I'm not just saying that. I guess it was kinda nice being able to watch a live acoustic band and down a few beers at the same time. It's been quite a while since I did the same, and I was able to catch up with some friends that I haven't seen in several months.

I guess the highlight of the evening was when Jomari Yllana, a known local TV and movie celebrity who was having a night out with some friends of his, sang a couple of songs with them. It was amusing to see how starstruck they were in the presence of the ruggedly handsome actor who was nice enough to pose for some photographs with the group. Needless to say, I was the one who took the picture, so I have no proof of my own. Not that it matters though, I'm not really the type of person who's awed by actors, no matter how handsome. Of course, if we're talking gorgeous actresses, that's a different matter altogether...:-)

Yesterday was far more mundane. I cleaned my room, which hasn't been cleaned in...well...months, boxed up what seemed to be tons of reading materials, and had my expired Solo Parent ID and driver's license renewed. For accomplishing the latter, I had to take a drug exam and a physical.

The drug exam was pretty straightforward, you pee in a cup and that's about it. I was given a questionnaire to fill up, and I could help but be amused at the question "Have you taken alcoholic beverages in the last 24 hours?". Slightly grinning to myself I checked yes, though I'm not really sure what it had to do with anything. The physical exam was a bit of a sham though. I only filled up a form, read a couple of letters off a chart, and that's about it. Not even a weigh in, or at least a check of my blood pressure. But then again, it cost only P50.00 (about 1 USD). I guess the physical exam requirement happens to be one of those regulations which look good on paper, but in reality, is probably just supporting an underground industry supplying cheap (and in all likelihood grossly inaccurate) medical certifications. Needless to say, I passed both. If only the Bar was this easy to pass.

Oddly enough, the LTO had this regulation which prohibited anyone wearing slippers or shorts from entering its premises. It was apparently strictly enforced that I was advised to take a cab going in, since I was only wearing slippers (I had long jeans on though). Thinking it was a rather stupid rule considering that the LTO is a government office that should be open to the public, I walked straight in. For some reason no one stopped me, even though there were a lot of other people complaining that they weren't let in.

I got my license in about half an hour after submitting all the papers and having my picture taken. I remember the days when I had to go back after about three or four months just to get my license. I guess a little improvement is inevitable, even in a country like this one.

Today, I engaged in the rather unglamorous task of scrubbing my bathroom which hasn't seen a brush since...well, let's not get into that. To liven up the atmosphere, I booted up a nearby computer and just played some MP3s. Let me tell you, there is certainly some surrealism in scrubbing a filthy sink with an old toothbrush while bobbing your head along to Haddaway's What Is Love.

Now, after that, I'm writing this blog entry. It's been a while since I posted anything sensible on this blog, and truth be told, I'm still drawing a blank, so I'm pretty much stuck doing this noodle post. Maybe I'll come up with something better soon.

Not much else to say. I'm going back to work in a few days, and honestly, I'm not really looking forward to it. During my leave what seemed to be tons of administrative cases were rearing their ugly heads left and right, and a number of people I've known have already been fired because of the cases filed against them. While I'm not in any way privy to whether they actually deserved the penalties meted on them, the thing is, the current atmosphere in the office now is one of distrust and suspicion, with a witch hunt of sorts going on for supposedly corrupt employees and officials. While this may be a good thing, especially if you're looking at the big picture, in the short term it makes the office a rather unpleasant place to be in, with accusations and cheap shots being hurled however which way, and people under suspicion being reassigned or suspended.

Shades of McCarthyism I suppose, only the targets aren't communists, but unscrupulous public servants. Well, you can't make an omelet without cracking a few eggs in the process, so I guess it's about time the office takes on a "cleansing" of sorts.

As for me, well, let's just see. The results of my exams won't be coming in for at least six months, so I might as well get settled in for the rather long wait. Besides, there's no guarantee that I'll pass, so I better come up with contingencies in case the worst happens. Using another egg metaphor, it probably isn't wise to put all my eggs into one basket.

Which brings me back to the question. Now what? Oh well, I'll probably think of something...somehow I always do. :-)