Last Tuesday late afternoon I've dropped off a 10 kg box at the local post office near my parents house, to be shipped to Jordan. I expected this to take at least a whole week and was counting on two weeks. Till my great surprize this morning, the school where I had sent it to got a call the parcel already had arrived (that is within (!!!) a week). So this afternoon I went there to pick it up. And of course this was an adventure in its self.
Because don't expect as in Europe, US, Aussie or Canada just to go with your passport to one desk and pick it up. Nooo, it goes a bit different here. Okay here we go.
I enter the post office and ask at a desk down stairs, I have to go up (desk 1, but okay that's normal be referred to the right desk)
I took the stairs and went up and there: desk 2, to pick up the address paper on the parcel and was sent to office one.
Office 1, registration at another desk (desk 3), sent to the hall way and wait for a view minutes, called in again same office and could pick up my parcel at desk 4 and had to take it to desk 5 (for your information desk 3, 4 and 5 are in the same office and the distance between 3, 4, and 5 is about a meter and they share the room)
At desk 5 we have arrived at customs, I had to open my box, I did, they checked, stamped/signed the paper desk 3 made. And I could put it on a shelf (still in the same office, within 4 square meter I have already moved my box, two times, in total I think about 2 meters, it's like lifting it up from desk 4, putting it on 5 and storing at the shelf).
Than I was sent out of this office and was sent to to "office number 3", another guy, reading stamping, signing (and everywhere they wrote down my first and last name, what of course they couldn't read on the box, so I helped them showing my passport). We are at Desk 6 now.
Than (oh noooo where are not there yet) I was sent another floor up, another office, another man, again full name/passport, stamping/signing. Desk 7
I was sent down again, to the supervisors desk. Desk 8. Same story, writing, stamping, signing.
Than again to desk number 2 (but in total steps desk number 9), some story and this I had also to pay and OMG ...1 JD (I think admin fee).
And than finally at office number 3 where I had left my parcel on a shelf, I handed over all my papers, at desk number 4 (you end up where you actually start, so there is a system), again checking, writing, blablaba and than finally I could take it. And that was in total amount of steps desk number 10.
In total I visited 8 different officers, from which two twice.
As I said before see it as an adventure. It amazes me, you wonder what on earth are they checking, writing. Some steps you understand, like the custom check, but all the others, it more about keeping people busy I guess.
But before I start being negative, the steps do go rather quick, It is not like have to wait for an hour and again just go along with it, do as they tell you, be polite, be calm, don't be arrogant. And also when they send you outside and say wait, don't forget you and call when they are ready.
Also going to a process like this and actually having no clue what they are doing and why you need all those stamps and signatures and have to pass so many desks and officers you get an understanding how corruption could work. Before I even might suggest corruption here, that is totally not the case here. I went all very smoothly and I almost had to pay nothing (yes expect that 1 JD).
Things are organized in a different way than we in the modern world are used to, but being differently organized does not equal doens't work. I have to admit it works.
Once I was out, I was extremely proud of myself.
how picking up a parcel can be a real adventure.
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how picking up a parcel can be a real adventure.
"As the sense of identity shifts from the imaginary person to your real being as presence awareness, the life of suffering dissolves like mist before the rising sun"
Harma,
I overlooked this post when you originally wrote it. Obviously, whoever developed that routine has never heard of the word "efficient". Time and labor obviously mean nothing in that system.
It sounds as though you were the only customer there. If there had been a mob of customers, I'll bet that it would have been a very time-consuming and stressful event, (as if it weren't already). 
Thanks for posting this. I thought that the postal system is sometimes disorganized in this country, but obviously, we're mighty lucky.
Tex
I overlooked this post when you originally wrote it. Obviously, whoever developed that routine has never heard of the word "efficient". Time and labor obviously mean nothing in that system.
It sounds as though you were the only customer there. If there had been a mob of customers, I'll bet that it would have been a very time-consuming and stressful event, (as if it weren't already). Thanks for posting this. I thought that the postal system is sometimes disorganized in this country, but obviously, we're mighty lucky.
Tex
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MBombardier
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