September 30, 2012

Well, here we are once again, and we finally found something besides that "short" broom to clean with - check out the "long" brook I am holding in the picture below.  I just have to be careful not to sweep the ceiling fixtures down with the handle.  Love this country and all of it's innovative cleaning items.

 

Speaking of innovative ideas . . . . .

 

Anyone who knows Carol, knows she LOVES to bake and cook.  Soon after we arrived here, she decided she needed a kitchen timer so that she would not have to try to remember when she put the cookies into the oven.  We found the perfect timer, but unfortunately, she could not hear it beep without wearing it on her ear.  It is very convenient, but perhaps not too stylish.

 

 

We don't have the drive "thru" car washes as in the States.  But we have personalized car care at the local car wash, where we can sit and watch our car being washed for at least two hours.  On the lower right side of the picture you will see a boom box (for us to listen to), and they serve a variety of refreshments while we wait.

 

 

Here we are, waiting for our car to be cleaned inside and out.  They are very particular, and make sure that everything, including the car mats are immaculate.  This is the cleanest we've ever seen our car.  It only cost 140 pesos, which translates to about $3.36 U.S. dollars.  Wish I could hire him to come and clean our apartment.  Colorful setting, isn't it.

 

 

Penafrancia is an annual parade which goes down the main street,  right in front of our Mission Office apartment.  Penafrancia is an annual week-long celebration, where they have parades starting at 5:30 in the morning, every morning for six days.  We know they started at 5:30 in the morning, because the drums of their marching bands would wake us up, as it seemed as though they were marching right through out bedroom.  The parades would last until about 2:00 in the afternoon.  

 

 

They consisted of marching bands, floats, military marching bands, majorettes twirling batons.   Boy Scouts with FULL uniforms, Girl Scouts and their leaders in FULL dress uniforms lined up just as straight as the military cadets pictured above.   The colors of the costumes, and the costumes themselves were fantastic.  We were so amazed at how disciplined and dedicated all of the participants were.   Filipinos are very patriotic and family-oriented people.

 

 

And the Driver's License Saga continues . . . . .

Pictured above is the is the outside waiting area (there is no inside waiting area) to get a Philippine drivers license in the city of Iriga.

 

 

 

Carol is sitting on one of the benches, waiting and waiting to find out if she is going to get her drivers license.  She looks a little bored and is probably thinking, "this, too, will pass".  Not too happy at this point in time.

 

We arrived at the Naga Drivers License Division on Thursday, September 6th @ 8:00 a.m.  Waited until 9:30, when they told Carol that she could not take the written drivers exam that day, because it had not been EXACTLY 30 days plus one day since she first took the test, and failed it, (in the test, they use words like "infiltrate" for pass, and several Tagalog words, which she was not familiar with). We decided to drive to the city of Iriga, arriving at about 10:15 a.m. to see if she could get a drivers license there.  We arrived at the Iriga Drivers License Division, handed in her paperwork, and waited and waited.  Then, she was called into the manager's office, where she was told that if she had a copy of her Visa they would process her license.  It is a 45 minute, taking your life in your own hands, drive from Naga to Iriga.  So, we headed back to Naga, got a copy of her Visa and drove back to Iriga, fully expecting to get the license.  Well, once we handed that document to them, we waited and waited again.  Once again she was called into the manager's office and was told that they could not issue her a license because she had not been in the Philippines for 90 days, and that her Utah driver's license was still valid.  She was told they have their laws, and that they could not get around that!  She would have to come back after the 20th of September.  So, on the 24th of September we drove to the city of Iriga AGAIN, and once again handed the paperwork in for approval.  We sat and waited and waited, and finally she was called into the office again.  This time, they told her that she would have to be in the country for five months before they could process a drivers license for her.  Well, luckily, we had Willie, the security guard at the Mission Home with us.  He bantered back and forth with the office manager, stating that we'd been told 90 days was the limit for getting a drivers license.  Finally, the office manager said they would process the license,.  Here's where it gets pretty "funny", if that's what you want to call it.  Carol waited AGAIN and finally was called up to have her photo ID taken for the license.  Finally, we figured we were making headway and we'd be leaving soon with a drivers license.  Oh, not so!!!  Again, she was asked to come to the photo window.  The gal there said that Carol didn't have an endorsement from Iriga on her medical form and that we would have to walk to the County Health Department and have another physical, get the endorsement and then come back.  Sounds pretty simple, right?   Well, that building is about 2 blocks away through some paths and weeded areas.  She gets there, is weighed and measured for height.  Then, she's told that she needs a "blank" medical form for them to fill in, and that she'd need to walk back around the block, across the highway to a drug-testing room, pay 2 pesos for a blank form, and then take it back to the health department.  This she did, then she has her bloodpressure taken, which they said was high (what would you think after all of the stress she's been through).   She was asked to read an eye chart - which she had a hard time with, too, but they said everything was good, endorsed the medical form and sent us on our way, after giving a 50 pesos donation.  OK, so we're jumping through all of their hoops and finally are on our way back to the drivers license area, where she, once again, hands her paperwork in and hopes this is nearly over.  Then, she had to have her photo ID taken again (they don't save anything) and sat down on the lovely wood-slatted benches to wait again for the call to the cashier's booth.  FINALLY, she got the call . . . . . .  . . after waiting from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

 

 

AND, the wait was worth it!!!!!

There's a happy Carol who can now drive legally.  No more being a student driver!!!!

 

THE DRIVERS LICENSE SAGA HAS ENDED!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 9, 2012

 

We drove 160 kilometers south of Naga to a city called Sorsogon, which is right next to the ocean.  Our purpose for this trip was to bring supplies, including a bed, mattresses, and other miscellaneous items to Sisters and Elders in the area.  One of the apartments needed an air conditioner installed. Jerry, being the handy man that he is, handled this task.  This air conditioner is the only one in all of the Naga Mission.  Needless to say, it will be the envy of every other missionary.  The apartment it was put in has no cross ventilation, and with the humidity and temperatures in the 80+ degrees, it was necessary.   The area is spectacular with all sorts of beautiful trees, bushes and flowering plants.  We stayed the night at a hotel called The Santa Clara Park Hotel.  Below is a picture of Jerry standing on the steps in front of the room we stayed in. 

 

 

 

This is Carol standing close to an old structure which is in the hotel compound. Even though it is very old, it is well maintained. All areas of the compound have security guards watching over the vehicles of the guests and safeguarding the surrounding areas.

 

 

This is another view of the Hotel, but the room that we stayed in was a 2 apartment bungalow and was not connected to this part of the hotel

 

 

This is part of the area as seen from our apartment. This is a cute little gazebo, and those trees you see to the left of it are bamboo trees. All the grounds are meticulously maintained. They don't use lawnmowers to keep the grassy areas trimmed. They use weed whackers and are continually trimming. Everything grows so fast that it is just one continual cycle. They take great pride in the beauty and cleanliness of their structures and grounds.

 

 

If you look close, you will see a branch connected to a board that is sticking out of the back of a dump truck. Instead of fastening a red flag to it to alert motorists, they just put this branch there. This is VERY typical. We have seen this kind of warning notice more than once. Sometimes, they even attach a plastic grocery bag to the end of the pole. It seems that anything works.

 

Today, Jerry was sustained as the Elders Quorum President of the Pamplona Branch.  Now, I guess he has to be called, "Elder President Campbell".  HeHe

 

Carol is still trying to get her Philippines drivers license.  On Thursday, September 6th, we once again went to the transportation department for her to take the written test.  After waiting for two hours and having her picture taken twice (she closed her eyes on the first one), she was informed that she could not take the test that day because it had not been a month and a day since she took it last time.  They don't count the day that she took the test, so Friday, September 7th would be the day she could take it again.  Well, as it would happen, they would be closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  This meant she would have to come back on Monday the 10th.  She was kind of upset, to say the least.  Well, Willie, the security guard for the Mission President said that we could drive to Iriga City, (which is 36 kilometers away) and apply for the license there.   He said they would for sure issue her a license without having to take the written test.  We drove for 45 minutes to Iriga City only to be told that she needed a copy of her Visa and if we'd bring it in, they'd process her paperwork and give her her license.  So, we drove back to Naga, got a copy of of her Visa and drove back to Iriga City.  She took the paperwork in and sat for a little while, expecting to be called in to have her picture taken for the license.  Well, she was called into the office and was told that her Utah drivers license was valid for her to drive in the Philippines for 90 days.  Her 90 days had not expired yet, so she was told to come back on the 20th of September.  We're wondering what they're going to come up with this next time to delay her getting it.  Just by way of information, out of ALL of the Senior Couples and Elders who work in the office who are from Utah and have Utah drivers licenses, she is the only one who has been required to spend a month as a student driver and has to take the written test.  There must be some kind of logic here, but we can't see it yet.  Perhaps it is to help her develop patience. 

And the Drivers License Saga continues.