ielts stupidity (iamstupid)

it felt wonderful to step into edsa shang hotel. i was reminded once again of my extravagant luxurious dream of living in a hotel, even for just a couple of days. anyway, i was worried that coming from lucena with 3.5 hours allowance for travel time, i might arrive late for the ielts exam. i didn't. i was in fact very early at 8am. at least, that was the suggested time of arrival on the mailer they sent to ielts takers. the first thing i did upon arrival was register and deposit my cellphone to the baggage area at the 2nd floor. then i checked my seat number and assignment. all was done in about 15 minutes. with so much time to spare, i decided to walk around. good enough, the poolside was just outside the hall, close to where we're taking the test. so i walked around. (i wish i could swim. take that to mean 1. i want to go swimming and 2. i wish i KNEW how to swim.) despite the gloomy weather,
some kids and adults were enjoying the water. then a couple of guys were sun'-bathing (there's no sun friends!), one i even thought to be a woman because he had long hair and... man boobs. but when he looked up, ugh, he looked like a man in his late 30s. it only took me about 5-10 minutes to look around.

after, i went back inside and just sat on the couch. i saw some people sitting, a couple of them looked like they were also going to take the test. so i took them as signs, that once they stand up, it means that the test is about to start and therefore, i must stand up, too (and follow them). i waited and waited and waited. God knows how long i waited there. after a looong while, i thought to myself, "how could british council start late." i knew ive been waiting for more than 30 minutes and i was positive the test shouldve started then. so i stood up to ask if the test wasn't starting yet. nobody was outside. i was about to walk away to look for somebody else when to my right, i heard someone talking from one of the rooms. right beside the door, i saw the sign "ielts exam". shit, did they start already!??!!? i opened the door and there they were. people sitting down listening to the lady giving
but instructions. fuck. i came in a -minute- before the test started. i couldve missed the test. after being there so fucking early. stupid self, stupid.

what i thought about the test: stupidly easy, waste of money. or at least they charged way TOO much. a test that cost that much (P8640) shouldve been more difficult. though of course, i don't want that. :P so, they shouldve just charged LOWER. P5k wouldve been acceptable. anyway, the first part, listening, was the easiest (or was it the third, writing?). the reading was just tiiring. 3 long passages and you look for so many things, so you flip through and back to pages a
million times. after the test, i went back upstairs to pick up my phone. then this girl who was picking up her stuff, apparently was in the same room that i was. she smiled and said, muntik ka na malate noh? or was it, ikaw yung nalate noh? either way, i admitted it was me. and stupid enough, i had to explain my side, that i thought we were going to be called when the test is about to start and that i was waiting at the hall since 8am. i didn't owe her a friggin explanation!!!

in the afternoon, speaking, the last part, was done. 3 people were interviewed by 3 different people at the same time. while waiting outside, i got to chat with the 2 others waiting with me. funny enough, both were hoping to become nurses in the states. one was a doctor from nueva ecija, one was a nurse in tarlac. and yes, they're both following what everybody else is doing. although it was also sad to have such a first-hand experience of meeting people who are actually leaving to become nurses, work away from their families (the guy already has a family, 2 kids). and you know that they're leaving, as my friend pointed out, not because that's what they've always dreamt to become but because that's where money is. they're in it for the money. who knows that among the 100 other applicants, 80 more are leaving to become nurses abroad? after all, majority of those who took the test looked older.