My day started at 7:30 am -shoot, I'm running late! I was supposed to leave at 8:00 to go to the LTO and get my driver's license. I quickly got up and got showered, dressed, and dolled-up.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! 7:56... I'm really running late. I opened the door and saw my mom.

"Ready sweety?" she asked,

"Yup. Just gimme a sec." I have yet to apply mascarra on my left eye.

I finished up, grabbed my bag, ran down stairs, into the kitchen, opened the fridge for an apple and ran out to the car where my mom was waiting.

On our way, we decided to stop by Starbuck's (I should get paid for endorsing them) and grab some REAL breakfast because for sure we were gonna spend long hours at the LTO. My mom got her usual short, black, brewed coffee along with a corned beef pan de sal, while I, being the health freak that I am, got a tall Tazo and a reduced-fat turkey sandwich on wheat. (really, I SHOULD get paid for doing this)

We ate our food as we drove off and finished by the time we got to our destination. We met up with this assistant person whom we filipinos would call our "taga-lakad". Their job is to process and do all the paperwork for you; all you have to do is sign them. (Yes, life in the Philippines is awesome!)

Sadly, we had to stay, get in line to get my picture taken, wait for my name to be called to pay at the cashier, and wait until I am called in to take my written test. 2:30pm, 5 hours later, I was finally called in to take the written test. I was lead into this receiving room to wait for my turn. 30 minutes I waited in the room for all the members of the former batch of examinees to finish. I got called in, and a portly old man called my name, asked me to sign in the log book and handed me my exam papers. I looked at my answer sheet and saw tick marks on the choices. I remembered what my "taga-lakad" told me prior to the exam: "For sure they will give you a test paper with answers on it already. They will tick the correct answers but then of course they will mark to items incorrectly so that you don't get a perfect score and get accused of cheating." -i know... Although my paper was marked, I still read through the test and answered them regardless of the tick marks on the answer sheet. So far, I've shaded in all the items with the marked choices but I answered otherwise on two of the items because I thought that the ticked choice was incorrect.

15 minutes have passed and I was finished. I stood up, handed my paper over and left the room. As I exited the examination room, I was greeted by my mother and the "taga-lakad". I was told to stay a while to wait for my test results. About 10 minutes later, a thin, dark man walks towards us and smiles. "Ma'am, you perfected the test!"

I just had to laugh. Call me boastful but if you have seen the test, you'd instantly realize why drivers in the Philippines are SO stupid! Question #32. What do you do when you see a red light? a. You honk your horn, b. stop, c. blink your lights... -DUH!!! And to think that people FAIL this exam. I remember while taking the exam, I couldn't help but look around and observ my fellow examinees. I caught this guy, maybe around 23, and you can just SEE the prominent flabbergast look on his face! The best part was that he kept looking over the paper of his seatmate. (I wonder if he passes the test?)

3:45pm, my day's adventure has finally ended. I finally have my non-professional driver's license. My mom and I headed back home as soon as I got my lisence ID. I BADLY needed a shower. I smelled like sweat and cigarettes.