wasted time.

I love my country, I really do. Or at least I try to. I was born here afterall, no? So technically, I do feel a certain sense of loyalty to it no matter how much I want to migrate to Japan. But sometimes, I really feel the inefficiency in certain places.

I went to renew my passport this morning for my trip to Singapore on Thursday night. I went there at 7am, and guess what time I got home? 2pm. Noon. Thats a total of 7 hours spent to renew one passport. And the process takes only 45 minutes! The other time? I spent it waiting, and waiting, and doing more waiting.

The queue at 7am in the morning. It stretches out of the entrance to the office, and well towards the cafetaria. What's the queue for? To check your documents and make sure its all in place, and to get your number to wait to submit your application. Thats all.

I spent a total of 2 hours I think. I only got my turn at 9 something.


So we got our number, and went for breakfast at the Skypark next door. After breakfast, I came back and realized the numbers only moved forward by two spots, from 1006 to 1008. And so we sat, and we... waited some more.

Finished my book.

Mom was playing with my phone.

Stared at the wall and played with my camera.

The clock moved from 9 to 10, and so on, and it wasn't till 12 something, almost 1, did I get my turn. Thats...what, 3 hours, almost 4, of waiting? Mind you, to get the number and your documents checked took barely 5 minutes.

Okay, so your number is called to process your documents. You go there, the guy will ask for your IC and old passport, two passport sized pictures and your documents, and then he'll scan your right and left thumbs, and then get your thumb print. That took about 10 to 15 minutes. And then you're supposed to wait again, to pay and get your IC back this time.

So we waited, and waited for another half an hour, which I guess wasn't so bad as compared to the 3 hours earlier. And then you head to the counter when your number is called, to pay the money for your passport, and then get the receipt and leave to collect your passport either in the evening or the next day.

Altogether the process is... what, 30 to 40 minutes, but the waiting is the one thats bad. I just wasted at least 3 to 4 hours of my life staring at the walls of the immigration department. Blah. If it wasn't for Singapore, I'd never want to do it. =.=