Applying for Student’s Permit from LTO

I went to LTO East Avenue to apply for my student’s permit this week. Admittedly I am scared out of my wit to drive and it is just out of necessity as requirement at work that I am even considering learning how to drive. Anyways, from past experience, I know I have to brace myself to having to get into a long line when doing transactions with government agencies. So as a preventive action, the first order of the day is to get there early. I got there at 7:00 in the morning and true enough, there was already a long line. I finished my transactions at around 9:30 a.m. At that rate, I’d say the service could still get better and should get better. It was only bearable because I met someone while waiting whom I was able to exchange conversations with.
If you want to apply for student’s permit the requirements are the following or you can check the LTO website. Student permit is a prerequisite when enrolling in a driving school and in applying for Non-Professional or Professional Driving license.

(1) TIN (Tax Identification Number)
(2) Photocopy of any of the following
a. Legal or Philippine Government issued ID ((SSS ID, PhilHealth ID, GSIS ID, TIN ID, Pag-ibig ID, Office ID)
b. NSO authenticated Birth Certifate
(3) Parents consent if you are 16 to 18 years old
(4) Php318.00 for payment of processing and permit.

How to get to LTO East Avenue Office
(1) Coming from South (Makati/Mandaluyong/Cubao)
a. Ride the SM Fairview Bus Route from any bus stop along EDSA going north and get off at LTO bus stop
(2) Coming from North (Fairview,Caloocan,Valenzuela)
a. Ride the Baclaran or MIA Bus Route
Nearby Landmarks: NSO Main Office, GMA 7 Station Building, Heart Center, Quezon City Hall

Application Process
(1) Fill-up the application form
(2) Pass it to the evaluator (Window 2/Window 3)
(3) Have your photo and signature taken on Window 6
(4) Pay the processing and permit at cashier on Window 7
(5) Permit is released on Window 13

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Tour the Lopez Museum Right from Your Desktop

I am now living at a time that those places of knowledge are not buildings but intercepting networks, at least the primary source of knowledge. But I have to say that I am a closet romantic and a sucker for history and for me, a museum is the perfect romantic history. Automatically, I logged into the net to search about the Lopez Museum. And I instantly love the website. It is painstakingly incorporated with that good old Filipino-Spanish feel. The website articles though seem to be not regularly updated. But what matters though are the interesting collections of paintings of Felix Hidalgo and Juan Luna that you will find in the museum. Oh yes, it is the home of Spoliarium who won the gold medal Exposicion General de Bellas Artes in Madrid, Spain. It also boasts of the letters and writings of Jose Rizal and home to prominent contemporary painters and has a vast Filipiniana library. It is also currently showing Fernando Amorsolo’s works. The museum was established because of the huge and rare art and book collection of the late industrialist and tycoon, Don Eugenio Lopez Sr. with his brother Fernando Lopez in 1960. It is in honor of their parents. The more I’m reading from their website, the more I want to go there and personally see the museum. The website even has a Tour the Museum button. And they also have a blog. Well, why can’t I? Benpres Building, the home of Lopez Museum, is in the heart of Ortigas Center where I got my new work. I can actually walk and be there after twenty minutes. And let’s admit it seeing it with your eyes is still better than seeing it from an LCD screen. Hopefully, the coffee is still kicking when I go to the museum after a graveyard shift. Ok, getting my planner, note: visit Lopez Museum.

The Fountainhead

As I close the book, I thought-one does not read The Fountainhead without changing afterward. But I heard from many that people don't change so maybe change is not the right word to use. Maybe untouched and unviolated is more appropriate.I never liked the person who brought this book to our lives. I speak of ours because this book belongs to my sister and somehow what she reads, I get to read too.I don't like this man in a way I can't desribe that everytimeI I happen to glance at this book in my sister's book shelf, I think to myself, ah Suhas, you are a fool. The Fountainhead is his most loved book. And he shared it to my sister, like a part of himself.I always knew in my subconscious mind how I think these things toward him without reasons or justifications.So I let the book sit on the shelf for years and years. Five days ago, I picked it up from the shelf, at a most defining moment and read voraciously, continuously. Laughing and crying at the same time.
It's deplorable though to attached such romantic notion on a masterpiece. And I dissapoint myself and others deliberately, but I will not discuss the plot of the book on this entry. It's because just like Howard Roark said, the work of others is the end, the material on which we must begin to create.It is not be reused again. Howard Roark, as man ought to be.I will not discuss it but my refusal is not a big deal because I know, one click of the mouse and numerous materials will sprang out of search engines. I will not discuss it because it is now sacred to me, an offering to someone else to experience the delight, shame and violation I have felt in reading this book.
It maybe a crude analogy but there are times in many people's lives that they are confronted to ask for the grace from a person they have abused in their lives at one time or another, to ask for their understanding and even forgiveness. To plead them to look on our face and see that we could mean something too, that we are sincere to make the most of our lives. That we can be of great things. Such is the Fountainhead is for me. Or maybe I have become blasphemous in people's religious standards.
Shall I compare it to the book I loved the most? The Last Mohican by James Fenimore Cooper. It has been many years ago that I first read it but I can still reason out why I love this book. Uncas. He was good and brave. I know the same thing now, but only better. It's Uncas' core quality like what Howard possess. To live only for yourself, to love yourself too much that to depend on others is betrayal and suicide. To be self-sufficient. To ask not from others to tell you that you are a human, heroic, simply because you have yourself to say that already. To be selfish--to do everything to fuel yourself the means, any means, of your survival. But only on what you create, on what you do and not what others do for you or what others would not do for you.
But what of feeling violated? It's because the pages became blades, tearing through every garment of pretense I held and still held for that matter even in tatters, that through all these years I have been Peter Keating. Should I persecute myself? It has merit.But I choose to understand myself and how I have come to be what I have and to look inside and see if I am not as hopeless as Peter Keating had been. Hope, as far as I know, was never used as a word by Howard Roark. I wonder why.Pity too. Do you feel how violated you feel when one gives you their pity, even with the best intentions? I hate pity.It makes you feel that every inch of yourself is useless. Unable to summon a will to turn things around. One of the reasons of the outrage I feel towards myself, because I was taught that I must accept pity. Another character from the book, Dominique Francon, could relate.
Howard Roark, the orange-haired man. Uncas the savage. They gave all the will that they had, without asking for approval from others.Even the thought of asking is unthinkable. Only that which drives them from deep inside, their birthright to justify their egos. Their will to master themselves and nature and come out triumphant in the end.

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand first published 1936

Eraserheads Reunion-March 2009

So I missed the first Eraserheads Reunion Concert and all I could do was pout and bleed with envy while watching the clips on Y0utube. But by God I can't miss the second one!! The Eraserheads are set to have a reunion this year with a tentative schedule on March 7, 2009. This is in spite of the unfortunate incident on the first reunion concert where Eli Buendia, the band's front man was rushed to the hospital in the middle of the gig. The concert is said to be produced by the music video giant MTV with mobile network giant SMART. They have yet to decide the venue and are choosing between SM Mall of Asia Grounds or The Fort. The ticket prices are yet to be announced too. I will surely post an update as soon as I know of them.
On the side, Mcdonald's new commercial used Eraserhead's "Huling Bimbo" song. It was nice and really brings back nice youthful memories. I hope I can make it on Part 2 of their reunion concert.

I was stranded on a Kids' World

How can these little bundles have so much energy in their body? This is what I was thinking while I chase Kirby, my friend's 2-year old boy, around the mazes of tunnels, slides, toy horses, toy guns and rubber mats. The law that mass should equal energy seems to not apply to this 2-feet bundle of joy, because I don't know where his energy is coming from his wee little body. He was giggling, running, crawling and laughing along with the other kids in the Kidz Republic, a children's indoor play area at the Mall of Asia. It's actually a good place where the parents can leave their kids to play and interact with other kids. I volunteered to watch over Kirby since he is too little to be left alone in the play area and needed adult supervision, while his Mom and Ninang Van go to the MOA seaside to watch the fireworks. So much for volunteering. I was made to go through a tunnel that was too small for me, dive into a pool of colorful balls so Kirby won't choke himself jumping up, under and around it, and hold him while we go down a seven foot slide with his older sister and my godchild Khiara. I also made sure he does not knock his head unconscious somewhere since he was not even scared to climb or crawl something that is supposed to be too tall and scary for him .And I’m going to say this with conviction that being an adult surrounded by hysterically joyful kids is like being a person out on space, in some weird world where creatures barely resembling humans, breath under the water. I felt too big, too awkward, and too adult.
Oh of course I enjoyed myself, because one cannot help so when surrounded by the laughter and happiness of the beautiful kids. You'd think to yourself, when was the last time I felt this so much joy for myself?
And yet, when Ninang Van and Mommy Claire fetch us after one hour of chasing, I told Ninang Van, "Remind me that I'm not getting a son". Hahaha. I give a thousand kudos to the parents who can tackle this kind of challenge and so much more in rearing up their children.

Ballet Phillippines presents Coppélia

the coppelia cast

I received a most generous gesture when my friend Herlene invited me to watch Ballet Philippines' Coppélia at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) last Sunday. I was so excited as it is my first time to watch a ballet show by the most prestigious ballet group in the Philippines. So even if I was so tired and sleepy from the previous night wild partying, I dragged myself out of bed to travel three hours from Cavite to Manila to watch the show.

It's a story about an engaged couple Franz and Swanilda, the life-size doll Coppelia and an eccentric doctor who created Coppelia. The ballet is composed of three acts. On the first act, Franz and Swanilda was about to be married, but Franz had this fascination with the doctors life-size doll Coppelia. On the second act, Swanilda managed to get into the doctors house with her friends. But the doctor arrived and she had to hide in the closet where Coppelia was also hidden. Franz, wanting to see Coppelia also managed to get into the doctor's house but the doctor had drugged him. Swanilda, not posing as Coppelia managed to trick the doctor and rescued Franz. They were reconciled and ultimately, got married. You can read the complete story here of Coppelia here. Personally, I thought Franz of the story was a royal jerk. Why be infatuated with a doll and profess his love for Swanilda at the same time. But then again, I was there to watch the Ballet and be enveloped with the audio-visual treat of the orchestra and the magnificent dancing and would like to ignore Franz psychology at this point. I may not be able to appreciate ballet the way that it should be appreciated by the ballet connoisseurs but a part of me know that I am watching something really good. This are just for the reasons of how the dance are executed, of the discipline in following show schedules, and the heart-felt performance. It is for the reasons of understanding the story without lines but just music and movement that proved that it was indeed a beautiful show. A personal note though and I say it again and again, that even if Ballet is not a mainstream entertainment, it should be made available to the public. I define available as to be advertised in the mainstream media and not just in lifestyle sections of the broadsheet. So that the public will be given the chance to appreciate it. I think the masses need to appreciate art just because it makes one's life richer and broadens one's perspective. Congratulations to the cast of Coppelia and the Ballet Philippines.

photos courtesy of this cute girl , ;)