Reason to Madness
Posted under: I’ve always remained optimistic about our country and government offices. Despite the overwhelming beaurocracy that stares me in the face, I’ve always thought there is a solution. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve encountered government offices wherein the process takes so fast I was actually amazed that I barely even had time to send out an SMS at how fast the service was. That time I got my passport renewed was so awesome that I didn’t mind having to go all the way to the DFA office because the service was good and efficient.
Today I was reminded that DFA is only an exception rather than a rule. I had to renew my license today. Apparently, the Ayala renewal center is the fastest. They are for a number of reasons I think.
One is that they cut off the morning session at 10:30 AM! I mean wtf. You only have 1 hour and 30 mins from the time they open. The next session is at 2:00 PM. If you have work and have to come in and then go the LTO center, you are basically screwed.
I hate how nothing works in the Philippines. If I haven’t really noticed how things really don’t work in the Philippines, but after Singapore I am both in an utter state of disgust and humiliation. Why can’t we do it. What exactly is so different?
I’ve always stood by my principle that I will not leave the country because I believe in the Filipino people. But I’ve found a better world. I’ve found a place that makes me happier. Do I compromise my principles?
Things like these, the LTO shit, make it hard for me to keep hoping. They are literally bastions of hope-draining structures erected in different areas. Whether it be the traffic, the unrelenting undisciplined masses, or the joke/carnival called our presidential elections, they just drain my hope from under me. I want to keep hoping. I want to keep believing but maybe there comes a point wherein we just have to cut our losses and walk away.
Albert Einstein defined madness as repeating the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. It is so sad that I have this sinking feeling that I am expecting a different result. But a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche’s Reading and Writing offers some semblance of what others would call a “ray of light or glimmer of hope”. He says:
There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness
I love my country. I am mad. But amidst my madness, there lies the reason. I have yet to find it though.
ei carlos,
I think the problem with our country is that we always go for the complicated side of things. laganap din yung pagkarebelde natin na kapag ipinagbabawal, saka natin gagawin. Kapag ine-encourage, di tayo mag-budge. I think it will take a very long time before things change around here. It might take too long na posibleng di natin maabutan ang pagbabago. I’m still hopeful. I love it here kahit medyo stressful paminsan-minsan. It’s okay to leave, just make sure you are coming back. kahit ganito dito, gaya mo, I’d rather be here din, be a Filipino, kaysa iba pa.
WOW! First time pre! You read my blog pala!
Sa DFA lang ako naimpress. Thumbs up!