28 May 2008

Just a few letters

Mad Mad is just awesome.... look what just arrived ...



Her writing on the top of the card reads " She's definitely mad, no?" ...

I was perplexed by the Wien (Vienna) postmark though... this package has done the full World Tour ... (George, can you translate it?) ...


Then it hit me. AUSTRIA. AUSTRALIA. Only 2 letters difference! Mad Mad got it right, of course - but some bozo in the United States Postal Service clearly doesn't know his (let's assume it's a guy called Al, shall we?) geography. At all.


But the main event is the wonderful book and card. Dotter and I both really love them, and what can I say? You are totally and completely awesome, MadMad!! We're still needing the 'pick me up' value of such a gift, and it is just perfect.
Thank you!!!

9 comments:

  1. You are still belly dancing, right? that will help you both stay cheery, and it brightens up those gloomy winter days.

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  2. Austria, Australia, they both have -- hm, er, no; they both, uh, hm. Huh. Letters. In their names. Sheesh.

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  3. I have American friends here in Vienna who reckon a lot of their mail goes via Australia - don't know how the problem in the US Postal Service can be so prevalent! As for the German on the label I reckon it means that the letter was sent to the Central Post Office (Briefzentrum) because the postcode/address was not recognisable(gestellungsfrei) - but my German is very rudimentary and I can't guarantee that!!

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  4. I've had that before. A magazine subscription from the US actually had me on file as being in Austria - eventually it used to make it to me but not after going round about. I even tried telling the company I was in AUSTRALIA and they never changed their records.

    And Rachel is so very cool.

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  5. Lovely cheering-up gifts!

    Penny is right about Briefzentrum, and I went to the source (Beloved) for Gestellungsfrei. It has him stumped too - he thought it might be a peculiar Austrian phrase, but now he thinks it is to with customs: "to waive requirement to submit goods". Which I think means is cleared by Customs.

    Typically German - they love to use one big composite word where in english we might use 3 or 4 or more! (crosswords in german - now there's a brain twister!)

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  6. See, you have made the assumption that it was a mistake that your package went to Austria instead. As if the US education system has prepared it's students for recognizing geographical locations. Most US citizens I don't believe know all 50 states. Half the people I talk to ask if I need a passport to travel home or to the lower 48.

    That is an awesome pressie.

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  7. Hunh. My letters from California are frequently sent via New Zealand. No, I don't understand that one either!

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  8. I once had a letter that was going to England delayed by the British post who mistakenly thought my distinctly written Road was Drive (or Street, I forget which) and delivered the piece way off base.

    Just goes to show ... there are dunces everywhere!

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  9. I have been telling EVERYONE this story - the worst part is the three other packages I sent off to AustrALia - at the very same time! - made it, so how could this one have gone the wrong way? It's completely nuts! Kind of like when I first moved here from South America and everyone wondered what it must be like for me "now that I had to wear clothes all the time." Can you believe it?

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