'Never Mind... i'll just go and eat'

All I wanted was to be able to get a Philippine Passport -- just so I can stay in Manila longer than the 21 days am able to with my US Passport... 21 days is more than enough for most of the time.... especially since my busy work and travel schedules allows me only a week at the most each time I visit... But bow and again, XMAS and VACATION Holidays, I would love to spend a longer time... to hang and be with family and friends, as they have more FREE time, as well....

So I inquired with our lawyer in Manila how to go about re-acquisitioning a Philippine Passport for me... and was told that it is a fairly simple procedure, as long as I have my Philippine Birth Certificate as Proof of Birth in Manila - I should be able to get one.... and was given the TIP to do so outside the Philippines as the Philippine Embassy in Manila is just too crowded and too slow.... that I should be able to do this at any Philippine Embassy nearest me....

Today, since I had some FREE time, I went early to MECO (Manila Economic & Cultural Office in Taipei)... only half an hour away from where I live..... got there early enough and already was happy to see that there was not a lot of people.... then I got my # and it was #215, saw that #208 is being helped, so I was ecstatic even more.... this will be FAST, I told myself..... WRONG!!!!!

After 20 mins sitting around waiting, it was still #208 being served... so I took a better look and I saw that there was no one at the windows at all.... no one... and no one around even to ask what was going on..... not even a sign to say they were on a coffee break or something.... and the Ates and Kuyas all seemed restless, but were already resigned to waiting..... so I figured I had no choice but to go with the flow.... another 15 mins had passed before #209 was called.... and it must have taken another half an hour before it was my turn!!! already this is a big FRUSTRATION for me... as most people who know me well, knows that there is nothing I HATE (with a capital H-A-T-E!) more than to wait for anyone or anything!!!

Still I went up to the counter.... and still with a big smile and told and explain the person what I wanted to do.... right away he cut me off and mumbled soooo many papers that I have to have... And still with a smile, i pulled out of my bag and provided him with my US Passport, my US NATURALIZATION Certificate... and my Philippine Birth Certificate.... after looking them over a few minutes, he looked up to me and said - that they needed to be AUTHENTICATED.... "Authenti-effing-what?" I mean, how much more authentication do you need.... the papers were all ORIGINAL.... Notarized.... and signed by the POWERS that be during the times I was born (Birth Cert) and sworn to be a US citizen (Naturalization Cert)... Then he went on to say the even my PASSPORT needed to be authenticated.... never mind that it is CURRENT... full of STAMPS from all my travels - including many from my numerous trips to MANILA the last few years....

At this point, my PATIENCE was long gone.. I asked to speak to someone higher..... was told that it is not possible.... instead he went back and I was told he will speak to them for me.... when he returned, I was informed that I would need to go back home to AMERICA, go to the Philippine Embassy there.... tell them what am wishing to do... get my papers authenticated by them in the US... then bring them all back to the TAIWAN office for processing that could take about a couple of months.... LOLs!!! (WTF!!!)

At that point, I just gathered all my papers and put them all in my bag and simply walked away..... as much as I would love to get this passport and be able to stay at a longer length of a time - NEVER MIND... the HASSLES is just NOT WORTH IT for me... there's got to be an easier and better way..... and until I figure that out, I will just stay my allotted time of 21 days or less each trip to Manila.