I owe some people. And I wish I could settle my little debt to them. But my inability to do so is something I blame on India's mail system. Why? Cos it's easy to do. When something supposedly trustworthy looks like this ----> it's easy to blame when you fail to fulfill your obligations.
And when you go inside and everyone's either drinking tea, sleeping under the desk, or hiding under one of these <----- it gets harder and YES this looks like Roshni :)
When you finally get some service and can figure out what they're saying cos in a village hardly any of them speak fluent English and I don't speak fluent Bengali, it comes down to how much ---->you're willing to part with.
Then you can can post your goods in one of these <---- but good luck with that too cos any mail service employee who dresses like an anthrax handler doesn't instil much faith in the customer.
But no fear, this postman ----> will take care of it. Of course, his bewildered expression may not make you feel any more comfortable...
....cos it's unlikely he'll understand anything that's written on your parcel unless it looks like this <----- Which mine doesn't. 
In which case it will possibly end up back in my own mailbox ----> and Return To Sender looks suspiciously like it was written by the friend you mailed it to, not Indian post officials.... 
49 of you added your thoughts:
Now THAT was a super cute post! I love all the pics you included. very cool!
Holy crap! Was I actually #1? I have NEVER been #1 here. (of course, at MY house, I'm totally #1, but not here! lol)
eh the India mail..I remember well.. :-))
don' cha just love it?
The romance of India, LOL.
Lost in Indai you say?
No wonder!
You're coming to the states? Stopping in Honolulu by any chance?
Aloha my friend!
Comfort Spiral
HA! Did that guy have on a smell blocker getting the mail out of the box thing?? What on earth are you mailing to them!?
I just can't even imagine!
Yikes. I thought our mail person was bad. She mixes up everyone's mail in our park... but that gives us an opportunity to knock on each other's doors.
That Rupee is a beautiful coin. There is so much beauty where you live.
So what you're saying is........"the check is NOT in the mail." LOL
That second postal carrier? I look like that a lot, when I'm at work...
Gotta love the mail in some countries. I've had my share of stuff lost. . .and released boxes from customs by sharing the contents. Giving out some chocolate to prove its not contraband. It part of the "charm" :)
My friends make fun of me because (well they make fun of me for lots of reasons but) I am amazed that I can drop something off in that box in front of my house, and it's gets delivered to the box in front of someone else's house, far, far away. This post is further proof that I SHOULD be amazed any letters/packages ever reach their intended destination.
Oh but maybe if you post it at the box in front of the Taj Mahal...the gods will see that it's taken proper care of...do try...for Grandpa and Lady Fi's sake?
Sandi
So THAT is what happened to the HUNDREDS of dollars I sent you???
i loved that post.............
The post office is classic! You might as well fold the letter into a paper airplane and give it a good throw.
You are so funny. All I could think about while reading this post was, wow, India must be even more beautiful than I thought for it to balance out some of the silliness you just showed us. I guess everything in life has its yin and its yang.
I'm surprised my letter got through.
Very cute post.
Know what? It's been so long since I've tried to mail anything the old-fashioned way that I no longer even know the price of a stamp.
On the rare occasion that something just simply MUST go by snail mail, I give it to one of the older ladies at work and she takes care of it for me. How pathetic is that?
Snail mail is so out of fashion for the internet enabled. But for the many millions in the hinterland...this is the soul connecting piece.
And as we see the postman lugging the mail around...you wonder how big the attachments are !
:)
Hello Braja ...that did make me laugh ....
I can't really complain about the Aussie postal service ...
Haha. I'd probably just stick to the Internet then.
Seriously braja? You want a piece of me?!
GAME. On.
Ha ha! What a charming post .. geddit? Post! I crack myself up!
So - are you going to the US? What about your planned visit to Sweden? We have a great postal service - as long as you can afford it! ;-)
i was just talking about you tonight. to a nice young man i met. he's from a small town in india. ended up in fargo, nd, usa. poor boy. i don't remember where he was from. he wasn't interested in talking about life in india, though. i would've listened for hours..........
My daughter has a penpal in India, he has recently asked to see some of our money. My goodness ours is so ugly compared to theirs.
If you can't speak the language, merely do what English speakers the world over do - flap your hands a bit, slow down and speak loudly in English. Works a treat.
hello Braja thanks o much for dropping in to my page. I loved your blog. And I have visited mayapur and loved that place. Your post reminded me of the yesteryears 'ranar' or running postmen!
I discovered your blog from Elizabeth's blog (of New York fame). Loved your blog.. and the flavors of India contained.
Love the pics! You are such a sweetheart, Braja. :o)
Great post and I, too, love that old coin.
LOL Loved your pic post. I don't blame you.. I would hold onto everything until I was able get to someplace "safe" myself. I can't wit til you get here and get to meet some of your bloggy friends. I am so excited for you!
I think it's mostly junk mail these days. Or bills.
Terrible post here too, hard to rely on.
CJ xx
I was wondering where my birthday present had got to.
Chairman Bill! LOLOLOL! That is so true. Why do we do this? Or if in France just say the English word with le before it. Or if in Italy just say the English word with o at the end.
hi sweet Braja! i've come back to say hello jello! speaking of the postal system in India, I sent some mail out to family that live in Bangalore and i'm scare it won't make it!!
ps - come say hi again as i've posted about something that i'm envious that you get to enjoy, that i can't! :) cryptic sounding, i know. that wasn't intentional...hahaha...
Seriously. I hope it's a little bit better than you've made it out to be!! Being the embarassingly poorly traveled person that I am I don't really know.
I think I need to get out more.
Suddenly I'm not so jealous. . .
Dear Braja,
Haha! that is so funny. Well, maybe for me, sitting here reading all about it while our postman just delivered our mail(and bills) hmmm...maybe you are the luckier one:)
I'm glad to see your back on,I'm still having troubles but i'll keep trying, OH if it's not one thing(mail)it's another(technology)! haha!
Have a wonderful weekend.
x lori
ha. wonderfully told and accentuated nicely by the pics. thanks for the smiles. nice roast at david's place!
I really enjoyed your interview! Hope all is well, other than the postal service (or lack of) of course.
And Yet. AND YET.
I hear the chi-cheery-chi of India on my keychain, and get to see it's awesome pinks and oranges on my shopping bag. My well-worn shopping bag!
Why yes I am boasting, but pardon me, I must go cover my drink with dainty little pink frock ;)
okay, after I recovered from my fainting, all I could do was croak for sometime. Oh My Goodness!! I can't believe you compared me to Madhubala!! I am not showing this post to my husband coz I KNOW he'll die of a heart attack after laughing his guts out!! ahhahahahahahha!!!! (hysterical laughter!!!)
Thank you for being my 50th follower!! This makes the occasion even more special since its you!! :) :) :)
Ahhhh....Ann, I'm so glad you posted this info so everyone knows there IS proof that I did send things and am not just using the "lost in the mail" excuse on Lady Fi and Grandpa. Actually Grandpa got a first instalment, it's just the second I didn't get around to yet...er...I mean, which got lOST IN THE MAIL. Uh...ok....yeah
And Roshni? First glance, sorry, it DOES look like you. Wake your husband up and tell him :)
That was so charmingly funny and well written, I giggled all the way through it!
I'm just going to nod my head from side to side.
Thank goodness for the internet (Even if you can't get it to comment ;)
crisp analysis of a system gone to seed! no wonder they have lost most of their business to private courier companies! and they wonder why!
jai ho!
That's what I so love about you - you take a small incidence (though India's postal system is a big one:) out of the daily life and weave a story around it that makes me laugh or smile or cry or all at the same time. Never in a million years would thought of comparing that postman with an anthrax handler - but so fitting!.
Post a Comment
Go on, I'm waiting...