Post Office Trip
We went to the post office today to reject the package that arrived but didn't belong to us and to pay our telephone/Internet bill and our electricity bill. We were ninth in line when we arrived - it was the longest line we'd seen yet but it did move pretty nicely. However, many customers seemed to have incredibly complex situations and in fact, one gentleman was at the window, tying up one of the three clerks for the entire time we were there.
When it was our turn to approach the window, a women came from outside the post office and marched right in front of us to claim a package. The postal worker helper her despite her violation of the line protocol. The people remaining in the line were not happy at all and were suggesting to me that I should be yelling at the woman because that's the Israeli way. I neglected to yell, preferring patience instead. I realize I couldn't be a proper Israeli.
The woman obtained her package and we were able to gain the (almost) full attention of the postal worker. We paid our first bill. Then, the postal worker placed our change on the counter and then proceeded to talk on the phone. We left the change on the counter to pay toward our next bill but as soon as she was off the phone, she picked up our 50 shekel bill and put it in her cash drawer and walked away to do something else. We were flabbergasted and couldn't react quickly enough in Hebrew. We thought our $11.11 was lost forever!
I scrambled in my head to find the right words to say in Hebrew to ask for the money back. It was stressful! When she returned from doing whatever she was doing I successfully told her in Hebrew that "the fifty is mine." She gave it back. I was elated!
We paid our two bills and she took the already opened package of contact lenses that didn't belong to us back, to mail back to the optical store that sent it to us. (I called the optical store and they were excited to hear from me because the person who's contacts they were really wanted them. They told me to take the box to the post office for return to them.)
Another exciting Friday day in Israel!
When it was our turn to approach the window, a women came from outside the post office and marched right in front of us to claim a package. The postal worker helper her despite her violation of the line protocol. The people remaining in the line were not happy at all and were suggesting to me that I should be yelling at the woman because that's the Israeli way. I neglected to yell, preferring patience instead. I realize I couldn't be a proper Israeli.
The woman obtained her package and we were able to gain the (almost) full attention of the postal worker. We paid our first bill. Then, the postal worker placed our change on the counter and then proceeded to talk on the phone. We left the change on the counter to pay toward our next bill but as soon as she was off the phone, she picked up our 50 shekel bill and put it in her cash drawer and walked away to do something else. We were flabbergasted and couldn't react quickly enough in Hebrew. We thought our $11.11 was lost forever!
I scrambled in my head to find the right words to say in Hebrew to ask for the money back. It was stressful! When she returned from doing whatever she was doing I successfully told her in Hebrew that "the fifty is mine." She gave it back. I was elated!
We paid our two bills and she took the already opened package of contact lenses that didn't belong to us back, to mail back to the optical store that sent it to us. (I called the optical store and they were excited to hear from me because the person who's contacts they were really wanted them. They told me to take the box to the post office for return to them.)
Another exciting Friday day in Israel!
posted by Matt at 11:57 AM
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