Waitin’ for your letter-

So the postal system here is interesting. I actually do receive packages, which is surprising. They manage to get half way around the world and to my doorstep (at least to this country- it takes a lot of work on my part to bring them to my doorstep). After I take a chapa to Maxixe, a boat chapa to Inhambane and then a 15-20 minute walk to the post office, I negotiate for my package  (or I should say my roommate negotiates) and then I head back home- give or take a 4 hour round trip.The Post Office recently hired a customs official to intercept our packages and apparently make life more difficult for us. A customs guy opens them up to make sure there are no drugs or illegal weapons. Then on occasion the scary customs guy decides to ask you to marry him and move your whole family to Mozambique to learn Portuguese. I politely say “no thanks” instead of “hell no” to the scary customs guy… and flash a smile. Not exactly corrupt- yet... An interesting way to waste a whole day, but hey it gives us a chance to eat chicken in town...mmmmmm yum

On a separate post office trip one of my friends went to pick up 4 birthday packages and she almost had to pay 7000 mets, which roughly is the equivalent of $241. OMG! She sat there crying and saying over and over again that their math was wrong. Meanwhile they suspected her of wanting to get out of paying customs. Finally, after hours of debating the issue, the head customs guy (chefe) came and re-calculated the numbers- only $30 actually. Happy Birthday to her and a 2 hour trip home with four packages! Easy as pie! Right?

Letters, postcards, pictures, and bigger envelopes do not have the same process. They go right to my neighboring town for me to casually pick up with no problems. Feel free to send me snail mail of any kind at:

Irma Anna Greer PCV

C.P. 31

Maxixe, Inhambane, Mozambique

If you write Irma Anna it means sister Anna and if you draw or write religious things on the outside it is less likely to get ripped open. Feel free to just write my real name too if you prefer.

If you decide to send me a package (which is completely unnecessary, but very sweet) these are the rules:

1.       Do not say that the contents are more than $50 or I will have to pay lots of customs tax

2.       Be very general- as in books $20, gifts $10, toys, candy etc…

3.       Write sister Anna Greer as person receiving package

4.       Draw/write religious things  in Portuguese (or English) on the outside to prevent opening

5.       Don’t send anything overseas that I can get here…it’s a waste of your money and time!

Wish list if you are inspired to send:

Pictures of you and your family, letters and life updates, small toys for neighborhood kids, decorations for a library or other things that would help start a library for children (in Portuguese or with no words), media (music, movies, tv shows, e-books) on a USB or external hard-drive, contact solution, sunscreen, coffee, French vanilla creamer, or whatever you are inspired to send to Africa (ask my mom as well- she always has good ideas of what I need!)

Muito Obrigada in advance for anything you choose to send or even if you briefly thought about it and decided it was a hassle (which it is!). I very much appreciate the thought (and the fact that you are even reading my blog at all!)

Gracias, Gratzie, Merci, Danke, y Thanks