Worldly Chatter

When Dutchie, my mom and I were in NYC there was a picture taken of my mom and Dutchie. When we developed the picture we saw there was a sign which read ‘because saying “I got this in Europe” never gets old.’ We got a good laugh out of it while looking at Dutchie. Saying I got her in Europe never gets old! But anyway, a while back for her birthday and Christmas we had sent her presents; clothes and jewelry that Dutchie picked out on our hunt for the perfect gifts for the family since we couldn’t be there. It was a hit! Mom got to go to work with her new clothes and jewelry and everyone asking her where she got it, “it’s from Holland!” How cool does that sound, really! So a while back my step father and mom sent us money so we could send them coffee pads and a necklace for a co-worker of hers. Coffee pads are cheaper here and better so we bought thirty bags of coffee pads and a really nice necklace for mom’s co-worker. Now her friend could say it’s from Europe and beam. It’s like saying some of the clothes I wear are from America, Europeans love hearing it! There is just something about saying it’s from a far away land. So the postal service is a part of our life as well as my families.
So we packed up the three hundred coffee pads and a necklace. It was less than five kilo so it would only cost 31.50 euro and be there in 4-6 days! Step father and co-worker would be happy people in days! No, not the case! Dutchie sends out the box on a Monday, we let them know and happy faces were worn. A week goes by and we get an email. Where is the box? So we get the tracking number and go online. It has safely left Amsterdam and is in JFK. Well it should only take a day or so we gathered. Another four days and we receive another email. So we check again and get the same message. It is in JFK. Now my mom is on the war path. She calls the postal service. They say they have no trace of the box. Are you sure you have the right information? So we send her the tracking information we have, again. We tell her it was sent overseas by the company TNT. They did their part with great speed. It’s the USPS that seems to be dragging their feet. She calls and calls. She goes online as does Dutchie. Where oh where could our box be!
It took two weeks to get to her post office! It sat at JFK for ten days! When asked why it took so long, they had no answer. The box wasn’t tampered with so it couldn’t have been security. Now we have sent boxes before and only once before did it take this long. I have received CD’s, clothes and even Easter candy from mom. Dad has sent and we have sent stuff. Because after all, saying you got it overseas never gets old! Well, don’t always expect that when you live overseas that the stuff you want to send your loved ones will get there on time! When dealing with the USPS we have learned they aren’t always reliable. Just a hunch but I bet most Americans already know that! Oh the hair we wanted to pull out but when mom checked her PO Box two weeks later and saw it she drove to her job and handed it to her friend. Everyone went, where did you get that? Well, my daughter sent it over from Holland. Ah, her and her co-worker beamed! Wow, that’s nice; I wish I could get something from there, wish I could go myself! It truly never gets old now does it!

USPS, TNT, Netherlands, USA, Expats, Packages, presents