For the first time, I needed to go to the Post Office (at Malate) to pick up a package of DVDs. Naka-pick up na ako before pero panay mga books or other printed material so hindi taxable. And usually naman kasi 1-2 DVDs lang pinapadala ko so nakakalusot sa P.O., I get it right at my address na. Pero this time I was expecting 5 dvds kaya sa laki siguro nung package hindi nakalampas.
Anyway, minalas ako and the customs guy was there. He was the one who got the package and after asking, opened it up in front of me. "Mga DVD, may tax ito", sabi niya. Then he went away to compute and get a "resibo" daw. While he was away, I paid the P20 to the P.O. lady and OK na sana ako dun, she even said "Sige, ayos na." and I could have just grabbed the package and ran (it was already in my arms). But NOOO! Good little boy that I was, I waited for the customs guy to come back. Medyo inisip ko kasi that if I made a run for it, baka ma-blacklist na ako sa P.O. at mahirap na yun.
He came back with a computed figure of P822. Siyempre hindi ako papayag dun! So napa-acting tuloy ako ng di oras. I performed the old "Kulang ang pera ko! Kailangan ko pa ng pamasahe!" routine. Pang-Oscars ang delivery ko, with matching going-through-the-poor-empty-wallet choreography. So pumayag yung guy na babaan, he asked me how much I could give. And here's the stupid part, I immediately said "P500". He accepted without blinking. Siyempre, I really regret not coming up with a lower figure for my "tax". Pero it's not too bad naman since I didn't pay anything for the DVDs in the first place (padala lang ng friend ko).