Around this time last year, I wrote here about a package that got sent from the U.S. to Senegal, and turned up there a full year later, via a sidetrip to the Bahamas. Last week, a package showed up at home, over six months after my dad originally sent it. Thanks to La Post's love of official stamps, I know the package went from the U.S. to Dakar, then back again, without reaching even Tamba. I also can't miss the obvious signs that my package made it all the way to Senegal - the tell-tale SENEGAL tape, always a bad sign when receiving a package.
Although it would have been stellar six months ago, now I am stuck with a crumbling, riffled package, with, amongst other things, Girl Scout cookies from last February. The post officials were kind enough to open up the package for me! Some more of what would have been the perfect Peace Corps care package:
- Magazines - The Economist, The New Yorker. A little dated to be reading now, and I don't have my villages to give the old copies to. Of course, my villagers were a lot more interested in my copies of Vanity Fair and US Weekly than they were in the tiny print of the Economist.
- Clif Bars. I survived last Ramadam thanks to them.
- Fly tape. My hut really could have used it earlier.
- Flea and tick collar. Hopefully Jerry the Wonder Mutt is getting along ok without one now. More to the point, hopefully she is still alive.
- Aveeno Skin Relief Lotion. For some reason, my skin was in a state of constant irritation. Maybe it was the bad water, or maybe it was just all those staph infections. Whatever the reason, this lotion was the only thing that soothed it. I guess it wasn't as valuable to the post officials as the cookies, because I have plently of leftover lotion.
The package in full glory.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
http://soleilmavis.googlepages.com
Posted by: Soleilmavis | December 21, 2006 at 02:43 AM