So, as optimistic as I manage to usually be about life here in China, I have to be honest and say that it’s not always smooth sailing. There are days that have me on the verge of screaming and throwing someone out of a window. It hasn’t happened yet, but most of my Western friends assure me that at one time or another I will probably lose it. Each time I visit the post office I expect to have just such an incident.

To be fair, American post offices are just marginally less frustrating. Long lines, unmotivated personnel, and silly procedures are enough to drive me wild. But here, there seems to be more of all that. For the record, I have a MAJOR pet peeve for innefficiency. I’ve run a handful of business operations in my life, and I know that having a system for everything is a MUST. In any new venture, I like to find the quickest, cheapest, simplest method, implement it, and leave it alone. China doesn’t allow me to do this.

For example, every item I take to the post office must be searched. This means nothing can be prepackaged. Instead of having a neat little shipment taken to the post office to be scanned and paid for quietly and efficiently, I have to wait while the inept clerks to sift with painstaking slowness through each box’s contents. Then, they use about a whole roll of tape wrapping each box up. And it takes FOR-EV-ER. I was at the post office today waiting for 3 shipments to be sent out, and it took 45 minutes! Back in the states, I could just drop my stuff off and leave. I miss that a lot.

Sigh!