I drove home very excited after going to the administrator’s office of the city hall. Finally, I was granted full business permit after I accomplished and submitted all the requirements they asked from me. Praise God!

Well, it was a probationary business permit until the 30th of June this year. Regardless, it’s already a hurdle I crossed. The renewal would just be a “walk in the city hall”.

It’s only the BIR documents I’m waiting for from my former regional office, 025. They have to send it to my new RO 080, so that I can process my registration. When? I don’t know. No one knows until now. But, I’ve already notified them, through my mom.

I’d like to treat my self to a movie today. I’d ask my wife if she’s up to it. Anyway, there’s this local comedy film I’ve been waiting for starring a local megastar and comedy queen.

The movie’s trailer never fails to make me laugh every time I see it on TV. I gotta have to see this movie.

It’s a relief after almost a month of processing this business permit.

It’s not easy to get a business permit, if you’ll do it the right way and if you’ll do it by your self.

However, the rewards are manifold. Along the way you’ll get to know and see the people you need to see to process every detail and requirement of each requirement. Sounds confusing? Well, every requirement to your business permit has a lot of hidden requirements as well.

You have to go through a lot of things to accomplish one. That’s why, it took that long. I guess, at least to NEW applicants.

I’m done now, probably I can now attend to my long-neglected bike, whew!

Fairly a good day today, concerning my business permit application requirements. Yeah, I’m still in the process of completion.

I went to the City health office and followed up on the inspection that should happen last Friday.

The inspector gave me an excuse. It was the City Hall’s fiesta celebration and they got a lot of invitations they can’t refuse that Friday.

I only waited the whole morning for their arrival. And I stayed home the whole afternoon. I gave them the benefit of the doubt that they’re still coming.

I left the City Health office with my Sanitary Permit. ‘nuf said!

Next in my agenda is the BIR office. People are nicer and more accommodating here.

Explained to me everything I need to register my business.

I’m now waiting for response from Mom, because she’s the one who closed my business in Luzon.

In between, I was able to squeeze other things such as having my daughter’s certificate of live birth authenticated in Cebu City Health Office. Then, paid my wife’s insurance monthly due before going home for lunch.

Just after 1pm, I went to the SSS office in Lapulapu City. We all wondered why I’m living in Mandaue and I’m required to process my SSS requirements in Lapulapu City.

The officer I was looking for finally reported for work and issued SSS clearance for me. But, not after filling up new forms because they don’t accept forms filled up with blue ink and a lot of photocopying of many pertinent documents.

I left the SSS office with my clearance and new schedule of paying my monthly contribution………whether I like it or else.

Then, all these crazy things were erased when my 8-month old daughter stood unassisted from her crib.

Another milestone on her physical growth. My wife and I were ecstatic!

Praise and Glory to God our Father in heaven! I was able to accomplished a lot today.

I’m still in the process of securing my business permit, and it’s been……..I don’t know how many days or weeks ago since I started this ordeal.

Anyway, I didn’t do anything about this thing yesterday even though I have a lot of appointments yesterday; the lawyer who do my affidavits, claim my sanitary permit, pag-ibig clearance, philhealth, etc.

I just entertained friends who came here for an overnight stay instead. After all, they treated me to sky walk, edge roller ride and international buffet at Crown Regency.

I thought, why not spend time with them and be their driver for a while. They’re worth my time.

God is great and gracious to me all the time.

After another frustrating morning last Tuesday, A long-lost friend called and told me they’re here and staying overnight. They just came from a rafting trip in Cagayan de Oro.

I met with them in the hotel, rode the edge roller and did the skywalk and ate at the buffet, ain’t it great! Sorry for repeating my self.

They even gave me copy of photo taken while we were at the sky walk, which is expensively bought at the hotel.

God gave me a breather from the suffocating bureaucracy I get from government employees.

We had fun catching up on life, reminiscing our youth, talking about our families and the changes in our lives. We also talked about common friends, living and gone.

And on the way to the airport, we were looking forward to see each other again soon.

In countries like Japan and USA, when public officials are implicated in scandals, these public officials resign from their posts.They have delicadeza!

In the Philippines, either they cling tightly to their posts or run for public office! Wahahahahahahahahahuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu!

Guess no one’s gonna log in to wordpress.com today.  At least not much today. Paquiao and Hatton will be taking it on each other today, 8 am Manila time.

I was surfing the net on a free match viewing, but I couldn’t find the same website I used when I watched the Paquiao-Dela Hoya fight.

It’s a good day to ride today. No intense heat, cloudy but not dark, the wind blows and, I don’t have my helmet, damn!

I should be visiting my friend Mel, who has my helmet. He had an accident recently while in the mountains of Kitanglad and Dulang in Bukidnon. A length of stick entered his palm up to his wrist when he slipped while trekking. That hurts, man.

But I heard, he’s somewhere in Leyte or someting, riding his folding bike with his group. I don’t really know.

Had a breakfast of mikey D’s pancakes and lukewarm chocolate.

The neighbor brought us some spring rolls and a brewing gossip straight from their house. funny!

Guess, our neighbor just wanted to release some steam and the only people she can relate to outside their house is my wife and I.

I had to break the bad news to her when I arrived from mikey D. That we can’t make it to their planned beach outing on the 16th of this month because we’re attending a seminar sponsored by our D-group leader. Gee, it escaped me. It was a prior commitment I just remembered last night while eating out.

It’s only half past morning!

Have I told you about that something I saw in the terminal while waiting for our flight back to Cebu? No?

I saw this man, probably in his 50′s, 2 seats to our back on the right-most row of seats, trimming his toenails.

He looked a very respectable gentleman had he wearing formal clothing. He was in polo shirt and denim shorts, then. It’s going-home time anyway.

It was a full-packed terminal used for three flights; Iloilo, Bacolod and Cebu. There were even people sitting on the floor because there was no more vacant seat. And this old dude is trimming his toenails in full view of the public.

Call me cynical or a snobbish fool, but I was so disgusted by it. I even blurted out some words of disgusts towards the asshole and he just turned a deaf ear to me.

Hey, he must have had a very busy trip in Manila that he didn’t have the time to trim his toenails while there. Who knows? But trimming his toenails in public???!!!!

I commend his attention to hygiene, however, I despised his lack of sensitivity to others. It’s the airport terminal for pete’s sake. People are there, boring themselves to death waiting for their freaking flights and there you were trimming your freaking dead toenails in full view, complete with all those ticking sounds!!!!!!

Isn’t it something that should be done in the confines of your own home, or garage, maybe? It’s much like picking your nose or wanking in public.

I grew up hating long nails, be it on fingers or toes. I always trim my finger and toenails once I see white growths.

But, I never trim nails in public places. I have a photo taken trimming my fingernails in downtown Cebu with a plaza as background. But, it was very much tongue-in-cheek. Just for effect.

And after trimming toenails, the brick-faced gentleman was back to waiting for his flight like all the normal people in that terminal.The nerve!!!

Though some acoustic ceilings occasionally fall in that airport, it’s squeaky clean. There were a lot of trash bins everywhere and trash collectors roam around constantly.

Ok, he trimmed his toenails in public and all. He didn’t even have the sense to collect his trimmings by placing a paper or magazine under his feet. He just let his filthy, dead toenail trimmings fall on the shiny terminal floor. Insensitive butthole!

I pointed him to my companion and sternly warned him not to do the same or I’ll squeeze out all the oil in his fat body.

I was disgusted and angry, I admit. But, right now, I can’t find any reason to give him the benefit of the doubt as to why he did just that. And again, but that’s me.

Are we getting to be a nation of pigs? It’s good we haven’t got the swine flu just yet.

And what’s more? I paid only a very small fraction of what I used to pay in Sta. Maria, Bulacan. It didn’t even reach 1k. I can’t believe it considering that this is a big city.

The city hall people are very busy today. There’s a preparation for a big celebration and excitement is in the air. I was told to park on the side road because the parking lot will be used for the festivities.

Before I pay for my business permit, I had to go to 3 offices for my application to be signed by 3 officers.

They’re not busy today, probably because of the festivity going on.

The first one whom I talked to on the phone before I went to the city was playing solitaire on the computer. But, he was very accomodating and the first one to sign my final paper.

The second and third were reading tabloids. They signed without asking any question. Thanks to you folks.

After paying, I was told I can claim my business permit tomorrow. However, the city hall would be very busy this week and I’m advised to just claim either o Monday or Tuesday the next week. Fair enough, I went home with my business plate number already. It’s classy compared to what I got before in Sta. Maria.

I’d like to go ride my bike. It’s been a while since I last rode, t’was in Bohol.

I’d like to go and laze in the beaches of Cebu or Siquijor. I was  in the beaches of Bantayan in December of last year, with my cousins.

I’d like to wash my underwears and hang em under the sun, so they’d smell great when dried.

All these I can’t do right now. This summer!

It’s been raining since Sunday and when it’s not raining, clouds covers the whole island. At least that’s what I thought.

Maybe I was just feeling lethargic and disinterested. I have ridden my bike before in total downpour and I remembered enjoying all the mud. I even liked the dirt that stuck to my bike.

Not only once that I went to the beach during typhoons. I was in Moalboal when a strong typhoon hit this part of the world and Meo and I enjoyed the big surf. I remembered we were the only people who stayed in the water that day.

T’was just two San Mig Grandes that we drank.

Many times I washed my clothes during bad weather. It really made no difference with the smell. I used fabric softener.

Hah! I’m just hungry and saying excuses. Everything I wanna do can be done, rain or shine. It’s just a question of whether I’d like to them or not!

Half past two in the afternoon today, I returned to the city hall to see what happened to my business permit application. There was preparation for a merry-making on the grounds. I saw that the city fiesta is forthcoming.

I claimed the application I left at the zoning officers and I was told to bring my application, the papers are in a white folder, to business application assessment office. That was after I had two papers photocopied, outside.

In the business permit assessment office, I was asked for a photocopy of my business permit application with the sketch of my place of business at the back. I’m told, just one copy.

When I returned, the lady on the desk wrote a phone number and a name. I should call the said number tomorrow for follow up, that’s what I’m told.

I realized, working in a government office, any government office, must be very difficult and very busy. You see, nothing can be finished in a day in a government office. I’m talking about things tax payers applies for, in my case, a business permit.

I just wished there were more employees in a given public office and each is given high salaries for the hard work they extend. That way, they wouldn’t dare think to steal from the public coffer. And, tax payers’ need will be addressed immediately. So, no more long waiting in line and follow ups, and we can all attend to our businesses without interuptions.

Yesterday, I went to our local city hall prepared to collide with any form of corruption I might encounter during the course of processing my business permit.

A couple of weeks ago, the zoning office scheduled me for a zoning inspection of my place of business. I was in Luzon last week.

Two zoning inspectors rode the car with me, because they don’t have the city hall’s service vehicle. I overheard them talking that it was used by the son of some official they can’t say NO to. It’s for official use, anyway.

I brought them home, there is where my business address is, they measure the floor area and wrote something on my paper. Then we proceeded back to their office in the city hall.

Before leaving the house, I already prepared a two-hundred peso bill in a bill envelop, the kind you’d see during Chinese new year, it’s not red though. And I inserted it in my back pocket for easy picking.

I didn’t expect that two officers will go with me for a ride.

It wouldn’t be  for a bribe. I intend to hand it to the officer after the inspection and say it’s for snack of lunch.

In the car, on the way home and back to the city hall with these guys, my mind is racing. No, I wasn’t afraid to any of them. I was constructing words of replies in case they try to extort from me in exchange of easy processing of my application. Thank God, nothing came out of their mouths. Otherwise, I’d stand firm on my plan of doing business God’s way.

How’s that? If they’d asked me for money in exchange of a swift processing of my application, I would have replied in this manner, “I’m a believer of Christ and if I have to wait long for my application to be processed, so be it. But, I will not tolerate corruption”. I can’t be bothered to think how’d they react.

I believe that if I started doing business the right and honest way, God will bless me. I don’t know how, but I’m sure He will. I also believe the opposite. I heard and saw a lot of business gone wrong or closed down because it was started on the wrong foot, corruption from the beginning, e.i. bribery and extortion.

Back at their office, after a desk officer verified the report written by the inspectors, I was asked to pay for inspection and zoning fee together with the documentary stamps. It meant, my application passed the first hurdle and it will be processed. I’m told to return today at 2pm to claim my paper from their office to proceed to the next step.

I thank the Lord I was not asked for money and bribery by those officers. Thanks and praise be to God, He didn’t allow things like that to happen to me. It’s really difficult to trust people who works for the government, but I don’t lose hope that someday I’d begin to trust them again.

I expect that if I’m faced with such corrupt practices and I showed radical Christianity, their hearts will convict them of their wrong-doings and refrain from their practices.