Tag Archives: Post Office

Amusing, Belize

Thanks For The Smiggle Bag!

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Smiggle Bag.
Smiggle Bag.

A Big Thank-you to Ruri-chan for a late Christmas gift all the way from Singapore! Just arrived in Belize last week and it was a lovely surprise to open up a box of pressies at the post office.  As usual, I had to go through the rigmarole of opening up the package in front of the Postal Worker.

When I opened up the box with the extremely blunt knife, the worker looked at this funny looking purple case and said, “What’s that?”

Munchkin.BossieI confidently said in an even tone,

“It’s a Smiggle Bag.”

He shifted slightly, coughed politely and said,

“Yes it’s a Smiggle Bag.”

He wrote “Smiggle Bag” on the customs form and then waved me out of the postal room.  Outside the post office I just cracked up laughing because neither of us had a clue what a smiggle bag was but yet we both insisted on pretending that we knew what it was!

I had to do a Google Search on Smiggle Bag and “Smiggle” is actually an Australian based retail store that sells well, Smiggle stationery!

Thanks for the Smiggle Bag!!

Ruri.Chan.Eating.Pokky

Belize, Feedback, Our Products

A Happy Ending!

Munchkin.CuteA couple of weeks ago, I received an email from a lady in the States who had discovered our Casa Mascia products whilst on holiday in Toledo.  I think that she bought a few items but once she was back home her young daughter became enthralled by them. Anyway, after a few excited emails back and forth, she ordered a whole load of extra goodies.  I told her that the package would most likely reach her within two weeks via the Belize Postal Service.

The package was due to arrive at her address the beginning of this week.  Yesterday, I received an email from this lady saying,

“The post office lost it at the post office…”

Now I didn’t exactly get the details of the story but it sounded like a lot of back and forth trips to the post office with cries of woe and frustration a-plenty.

Now, we have never had any of our packages lost in the post and this was our first time.  So we decided that under these distressing circumstances the best thing to do was to send out a new package quick smart.  The lady was understandably stressed over the loss of the package and so I tried to console her over an email,

“…these things have a way of working out so don’t worry about it.”

She asked me if I was covered for insurance and I looked at the back of the certificate of posting and read the following:

Postal Ticket.
Postal Ticket.

The short answer was “No.”  If you actually care to read the small print it will make you laugh…it is totally archaic and out-dated and looks like it was the policy made back in the British Honduras days.

I was just about to start getting the new package together when I received the following email with “Look what we got!” and this absolutely priceless picture.

Goodies Arrived!
Goodies Arrived!

Here are more pictures with the opened package:

Goodies.Arrived.2

Goodies!!
Goodies!!

Apparently, it was a lost and found package!  I didn’t ask anymore questions.  All that is important is that this story has a very happy ending!

Amusing, Belize, Our Products

Munchkin at the Post Office.

Munchkin.Funny.Look.Yet.AnotherA visit to the Post Office in Belize is always full of surprises.  First of all, I opened up my post box to find that a Christmas Card had just arrived, 6 months late.  Inside, was written, “Hope your Christmas is full of wonderful surprises!” dated the 4th of December 2014. Wow, that was certainly a belated surprise.  I wonder where this card has travelled, in all this time from Australia to its final destination in Belize?  Mind-boggling, isn’t it?

Anyway, today I had to send a package overseas.  I need to tell you about what all this entails so that you know what it means when I send something by post.  I had been in the post office the week before with the same package to have it weighed and priced for delivery.  At this point it important to mention that there is seldom a queue in the post office but as soon as you walk into the tiny Government building, you feel time suddenly stops and everything moves at an infinitely slower pace.  Getting a package price means getting a weight done and a bizarre and mind-boggling calculation (which seems to change from week to week and is dependent on the pricing schedule whims of the clerk, the conjunction of the stars and blind luck).  You are talking about a 15 minute wait to get this information.

Upon delivery approval, I brought the package into the post office today…open..to be inspected by the postal staff.  The post clerk has to approve of all the contents and the packaging.  I am so careful to pack well because I have been sent home a few times with “inadequate packaging” and it was also a very hot Friday afternoon and they were just about to close.  I also have to go in armed with brown paper wrap, scissors and sellotape so that I can wrap up the box and have it sent on the same day.  I have learned to speed wrap within 60 seconds…not that it actually matters because the rest of the post office world is going at a snail pace. Otherwise, after inspection, you can actually take it back home to wrap up to then return to the post office for final posting!  This time, I got another surprise…the price of delivery was less than what was quoted the week before.  I wasn’t really that surprised…sometimes it is hit and miss…and most times, I actually lose out with delivery cost and have to pay extra.  Nevertheless, this time it was a positive surprise and I will have to get in touch with the recipient to tell them the good news.

Jumping.MunchkinThe postal service is one of the challenges of Belize.  It is not even something that you can complain or get upset about.  I have to like or lump it and try to work with the system.  I do still want to earn a little bit more money by sending our Apothecary items overseas so I persist with it and hopefully on each occasion, I can find something to be pleasantly surprised about.