I was just successful in my first attempt to send a postcard to my hometown - by mail. About a couple hours ago, my father called and let me know he got my postcard (that was sent Dec 23). I think soon my in-laws will call and let me know the same thing :)
I have never tried to send anything back home because others (from Indonesia) have warned me:
- I lost the book that I tried to send to my friend.
- It's dangerous to send by using regular mail (not dangerous in the US, but the packages are usually gone by the time it reaches Indonesia).
- You'd better give it to a friend who plans to go home, or try a delivery service from the Embassy. The Indonesian Post Office(s?) just could not be trusted.
Without realizing it, the statements have discouraged me and stopped me from... trying. I don't know how many times in life people have discouraged me from even trying to do something. Of course, it needs wisdom to understand what should be tried and what shouldn't. But with this case of sending documents, I felt that I need to at least try, so that I didn't only give an empty judgment about post office services in Indonesia.
And so I tried. I just sent a $14.00 worth of story books which cost me $41.00 to send.... Hahahaha.... that Mr. US Post Officer smiled at me, to which I smiled back and said: The cost is more expensive than the books. He laughed and said, yes, unfortunately.
So, dear Indonesian Post Officers, don't disappoint me, please.
You know, that news on the prison cell with Five-Star hotel facility disappointed me - http://www.mypepito.info/2010/01/hot-foto-foto-penjara-mewah-artalita.html-, but I know you won't.
Yours,
~m
Mbak Pamela, OMG....!!! You just reminded me of my package I sent home!
ReplyDeleteBefore Christmas, I sent two packages to home. One was probably considered as "letter", since it was wrapped in a big envelope. It was a calendar. The other one was a box full of stuffs for my mom, my cousins, and some friends. The envelope of calendar was sent, two days after Christmas. But the box full of stuffs, nobody at home has received.
Before I moved to Japan, I had twice sent packages to my husband (he was my boyfriend then), and he had three times (or maybe more) sent packages and letters (documents), and they were always ok. So we counted on the post service. But here we go, I have bad luck this time.
Really though, I can buy again the stuffs I sent, but it is disappointing. Those stuffs were a compilation of stuffs I got from different places. :( I don't wanna go to Nagoya castle once again just to buy a small katana for my cousin. :(
I still pray though, I still hope they would send the box. :(((((
talking about indonesian post , .. hmm . i also have a bad experience too :(
ReplyDeleteit is about 3 years ago, a company of US sent me a letter contain a very important paper for me. but almost 3 months i haven't got it. fortunately, after i contacted the company, they took an action, and i still got my right :)
Ika, that was a bad experience! I'm hoping though that your family would still get that box! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteBayu, aww... another bad experience, and it was A LETTER!
I'm wondering how the BIG POST OFFICES (Kantor Pos Besar... free translation..lol) do their work!
They don't do their work so well for sure, especially in Jakarta! i sent some packages to USA over christmas too. and i found out that it was harder to send from jakarta than from Semarang :(
ReplyDeleteBut thanks God most of them arrived well. I'm still waiting for one more news that the last package is arrived safely.
Oh, mbak pam, the cost of sending the package is way too more expensive than the price of the things we sent. I sent a box of instant coffee (kira2 rp.5000) but the fare to send it was almost Rp.200.000. My goodness!! i think for that case is the same from or to USA.
but yes, there's always possibility that we lose the things we send from other country to Indonesia. i wonser when some people will change their work ethic? hm...