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Post Office Problems II
Monday, December 13, 2004-4:45 PM
I wasted another afternoon trying to get a package from the post office.
My problems actually started last week, when I heard I had an "urgent" package for me waiting at the post office. When I went to retrieve the notice (the notice I needed to go to the post office and get the package) from the office, David (the guy who works in the office) wasn't around. That right there was about two hours down the drain.
So, I had to try again today. First, I got on the wrong bus and had to take an extra SLOW city bus to go David's office to get the notice. Then, I had to wait for him since I arrived during his lunch. I resolved not to resort to my usual tactic for killing time in China, getting lunch at Kentucky Fried Chicken. Instead I just walked around.
I finally got the notice and headed to the post office. Fortunately, I knew where it was this time. I got there, filled out my name and passport number, and showed the lady my passport. Then, she went in the back to get my package.
She came back a few minutes later with no package and explained something to me in Chinese which was very difficult for me to understand. I think I've put together what she said. It was something like, "You got your package two weeks ago".
I think the notice I received was the second of two reminders to pick up a package I already got. Unfortunately, I only received it after I got the package and thought it was a different package.
In total, including the time I spent two weeks ago, this one parcel took me about eight hours to pick up.China is not a "tipping" country. You pay exactly what the bill comes to for cabs, haircuts and restarant tabs.
But restaurants have different ways to squeeze money out of their customers. Today, we ate at a Vietnamese Restaurant on Tian He Dong Lu. The bill we got was about 30% over what it should have been according to the menu.
How did they do this? They did a few things, some I've seen before, some I haven't. First, they charged us for the napkins and tea. That's nothing new. But, what I really didn't like, was they charged us five yuan for some cheap chips they brought us before the meal.
The rest of the overchage came from charging us different prices than were on the money.
Natasha made a fuss, and they did reduce our bill by about ten yuan, but we probably won't be going back.
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