US Postal Service?

Yesterday I posted some letters.

Now, I know there is no great human interest story in that statement, but let me tell you the story behind those letters.

It started about 2-3 weeks ago. I had decided to send a friend in SA a card, and a letter to my mum in the UK. The kids had spent some time writing "letters" and drawing great works of art to add to the envelopes. So you can understand why these letters were of such importance....

Anyway, the letters were ready to send.... when it dawned on me that I had absolutely NO idea where the Post Office was.

Now I'm used to Post Offices that are brown brick buildings, dark, kind of murkyish looking, with telephones outside that haven't worked since 2001.

So, I'm not sure what I was expecting here, but I realised that I hadn't seen one anywhere, and had no idea what to look for.

Since arriving here, I have gotten in touch with a friend of mine, who I had lost contact with after she moved here quite a few years back.

So, I decided to ask her about my letters, the conversation went something like this......

Me: "Megan, how do I post a letter here in the States...?"

Megan: ".....well.....(short pause while she tried not to laugh, and regain her

composure) .....you put it in an envelope and put it in the Post Box."

Me: " Aaahhhh.....but where are the post boxes.....do they have Post Offices here or

what....is it even called a Post Office here?"

Megan: "...... (more giggling ensues) ....of course there are, and yes, it's called a Post

Office!!!"

Me: " ...oh.....OK...... (feeling rather sheepish at this stage) .......where do I find one, and

what does it look like?"

Megan: " Well, it'll probably in a little brown wooden building, stuck in the middle of nowhere,

with a USA flag flying outside."

Well, to cut a long story short, I ended up finding our local Post Office on the Internet (once again I say....thank the Lord for the Internet!!!!). And a few days later bundled the kids in the car and set off the find the local Post Office, and Hey Presto!..... there it was in all it's glory!

I was very happy with my discovery!

I boldly walk up to the counter with my very important letters, and say to the lady,

"I would like to send this one to the UK, and can you send this one to SA registered post please?"

(Anyone from SA knows that a non-registered card sent to SA from overseas will in most cases never get further than the curious SA postal clerk checking to see if there's any cash inside.....)

"Unfortunately, we do not have any more registering forms, you will have to go to another Post Office, or come back next week when the forms arrive" said the lady, much to my dismay! However, I was happy to hear, that she could indeed post off my Mum's letter to the UK.

I walked away, vaguely disappointed that I would have to come back the following week, but glad that one letter was on it's way!!!!

The following week, Andrew nonchalantly walks in the front door, and announces that I've got post.......how exciting, I think...........I wonder who it could possibly be from?

He puts the letter down in front of me....and yes.....that's right.....my eyes do not deceive me.....it's the very letter that I posted to my mother in the UK?????

Turns out, that the dear souls at my local Post Office sent the letter to the return address that I wrote on the back of the envelope!!!!!

I am happy to say, that the incredulation subsided, envelopes were re-written.....minus the sender address on the back.....and I was finally able to post off the letters without much ado!

We have since heard from the locals here, that the Postal Service is actually a misnomer, as there is apparently NO service.

However, I remain hopeful that this will prove untrue.........but....... just to be safe......I'm on my way to check my postbox.....................