Hello from Amoy!
Mail is much better in China today than it was 20 years ago, when it would take a month or two to get a reply to a letter--if we ever did get the reply. Censors often ripped out the letter, then stuck it back in the envelope without sealing it, and the letter would fall out and we'd end up with an empty envelope (stamped in Chinese red, "Missent from Manila).
Or sometimes they'd seal it with rice glue, but probably use a house-painting brush to do it and the entire envelope would be so stuck to the letter that even an archaeologist could not open it.
Wooden Crate for Silk Tie? There were also endless rules. Anything but actual letters had to be mailed from China in either a wooden box, nailed shut after it was inspected (so you had to carry your own hammer and nails) or a cloth bag sewn shut after inspection. A friend mailed a silk tie back to the U.S and was forced to send it in a heavy wooden crate (to protect the silk tie, as the post office did not want to risk it being damaged, though I've no idea why, as they never took responsibility).
Today, mail from China is fast, efficient--and Chinese postal offices are open long hours, 7 days a week! They still have some strange rules, but overall, Chinese mail is much better, and reliable. But I've found something better: mailing letters through the U.S. postal service (USPS) right here from China!
After trial and much error, searching the internet for online mail services, I finally found www.mailaletter.com, which is a great online mail service based in Seattle.
I did test other services, always looking for better and cheaper, but always came back to www.mailaletter.com, as other services, even in my small test mailing, messed up the mailing addresses, or put the wrong letter in the wrong envelope. But www.mailaletter.com is rapid and reliable. I simply upload my letter (Word file, PDF, Text--about anything) to their site and within 24 hours they mail out from Seattle a high quality COLOR letter to anywhere in the world (for as low as 1.52 USD).
It is as cheap as sending it from China, once you factor in the cost of color printing here. More importantly, it's faster, reliable and secure--and I don't have to bother with printing the letter, sealing it in an envelope and affixing postage.
And in case you're wondering--No, I'm not a partner with them (or anything else I recommend, though this blog does make a small income from the Ads). I just appreciate the professional, quality service, and think you will too.
Enjoy Amoy!
Dr Bill
Mail is much better in China today than it was 20 years ago, when it would take a month or two to get a reply to a letter--if we ever did get the reply. Censors often ripped out the letter, then stuck it back in the envelope without sealing it, and the letter would fall out and we'd end up with an empty envelope (stamped in Chinese red, "Missent from Manila).
Or sometimes they'd seal it with rice glue, but probably use a house-painting brush to do it and the entire envelope would be so stuck to the letter that even an archaeologist could not open it.
Wooden Crate for Silk Tie? There were also endless rules. Anything but actual letters had to be mailed from China in either a wooden box, nailed shut after it was inspected (so you had to carry your own hammer and nails) or a cloth bag sewn shut after inspection. A friend mailed a silk tie back to the U.S and was forced to send it in a heavy wooden crate (to protect the silk tie, as the post office did not want to risk it being damaged, though I've no idea why, as they never took responsibility).
Today, mail from China is fast, efficient--and Chinese postal offices are open long hours, 7 days a week! They still have some strange rules, but overall, Chinese mail is much better, and reliable. But I've found something better: mailing letters through the U.S. postal service (USPS) right here from China!
After trial and much error, searching the internet for online mail services, I finally found www.mailaletter.com, which is a great online mail service based in Seattle.
I did test other services, always looking for better and cheaper, but always came back to www.mailaletter.com, as other services, even in my small test mailing, messed up the mailing addresses, or put the wrong letter in the wrong envelope. But www.mailaletter.com is rapid and reliable. I simply upload my letter (Word file, PDF, Text--about anything) to their site and within 24 hours they mail out from Seattle a high quality COLOR letter to anywhere in the world (for as low as 1.52 USD).
It is as cheap as sending it from China, once you factor in the cost of color printing here. More importantly, it's faster, reliable and secure--and I don't have to bother with printing the letter, sealing it in an envelope and affixing postage.
And in case you're wondering--No, I'm not a partner with them (or anything else I recommend, though this blog does make a small income from the Ads). I just appreciate the professional, quality service, and think you will too.
Enjoy Amoy!
Dr Bill
Amazon eBooks
"Discover Xiamen" $2.99
"Fujian Adventure" $1.99
www.amoymagic.comBill Brown
Xiamen University
www.amoymagic.com
No comments:
Post a Comment