The lady behind the counter pulled out the most beautiful stamps commemorating the World Cup - gold soccer ball stamps with the flags of each competing nation. The problem was, the stamp value was only R5,75.
After pulling out sheet after sheet of R5,75 stamps, I asked her, "Don't you have R20 stamps?" She answered, "Yes, but I want your package to look pretty. Your friends are going to love it. In fact, when they get this package they're going to phone you and tell you how pretty it looks."
She then proceeded to glue - yes, glue - 40 stamps onto the parcel. And as she glued each stamp on, she stuck two airmail stickers on either side to hold each stamp down. In the end, the parcel was covered with 80 airmail stickers and 40 stamps. She was so pleased when she finished (which took a while, I must say) and said, "There. It looks like a Christmas tree! You have to come back in when your friends receive this and tell me what they said."
I do not think she will want to know what they say when they receive that parcel, because I must say, it is a sight to behold (see above photo). On the other hand, I appreciate that she wanted to make the package beautiful, that she prized aesthetics over efficiency or time (and after all, doesn't most art?).Three years ago this would have driven me insane, but today I left the post office smiling. And giggling.
5 comments:
Good for you, gigglebox!!
Hey...I put my blog over here as well. Homeschoolblogger changed everything and squashed the creative opportunities!
i laughed SOOOO hard reading this post.. i could just see it.. i was trying to read it to rick and i kept slurring words and gasping for air cus i was laughing to hard.. (like my third read thru by that point.) again... so glad someone else out there goes thru stuff like this... i have to say though.. to be honest not sure if i would have sen the humor in it that quickly!!! (although in this instance i may have.. but there have been plenty of other "non efficiant" moments that have gotten me majorly stressed!!!)
Oh, I'm right there with you, Heather. I still have my "I hate South Africa" days, which usually involves what I deem to be inefficient bureaucracy. But... I can either beat my head against the wall or "join in the fun." I think I'm a slow learner, but hopefully I'll get there someday! :)
This is funniest thing I've read all week.
LOL! lol! lol... this was now funny...I think she had spare time on her hands [and plenty of stamps to get rid of] and just wanted to have fun...lol... I'm quite sure the last time I sent a parcel [quite a few years ago now] they weighted it and I paid the amount and a sticker was put on my parcel. It was an envelope [about A3-size].
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