Mail Call
So I finally went to China Post today to mail some gifts I bought in Shanghai. Specifically I wanted to mail my sister and mother some Chinese clothes for them to wear to see the Peking Acrobats in Madison later this month. I included some items from Tibet last summer as well as something from Song Pan last Spring. Yeah, it is high time that some mail went out of Santai.
Nothing is simple. I’d love to tell you how fantastic my spoken Chinese is and how I get along so well in day to day life. I’d be lying.
I took off to post these items unaccompanied despite an offer of assistance. I arrived at China Post a good thirty minutes before closing, plenty of time in a small town. I had shown my ability to do this independently to a teacher by writing for him 美国, Mei Guo or America, which we both figured would be enough English for the point to be made. He said my writing was okay.
Naturally, life in a small town affords some tremendous opportunities and I was saved having to write even those simple two words when I was spotted by Liu Mei Nu and her husband. Not her real name it means, Liu Beauty and is a bit of a joke between her and my good friend Liu Nan Nan and I. She quickly took over the Chinese writing portion of this for me. With everything jammed in a box and set to go I was pleased at having come in under the budget I expected and paid up with assurances that it would be there in 七天, 7 days.
So here is the best part. An hour and a half later, I’m sitting at home listening to The Dawn and Drew Show when someone rings my bell. I go to the door to find the young clerk who helped me with a receipt for another 60 yuan asking me to pay the difference. He explains to me that it is to ensure a speedy delivery. I show off my limited Chinese and ask him if he is a cheat to which he produces his ID despite my reassurances of recognizing him. I ponied up the extra cash and chuckled at the awesome service I just got from China Post. Hooray for Santai!
Let me also take this opportunity to give thanks publicly to my sister for her continued mailings of random postcards, they make teaching that much easier and the thought really does count. Grandma, Aunt Linda and Aunt Gini for their cards and postcards. To Toni LaMaritate, my across-the-hall neighbor in Old Sac for her awesome box last year, (Danish Butter Cookies), and the Christmas card this year. Meghan from the Sports Corner who sent me a thoughtfully decorated box at Christmas 2004. Carolyn, who sent me a great Christmas box that I can still teach with, some Mac and Cheeses, (no cheese in China). Cheryl, who recently came through for the second time with another awesome box filled with more than a dozen books for me, toys and coloring books for Emily, McCormick spice packets (super score), Butterfingers and Taco Bell Fire Sauce packets that I have been treating myself to as individual snacks lately, (in fact…). Yum. Thanks to all of you, it really means a lot.
