Re-discovering stamps and sending snail mail

I just sent out a parcel last Thursday. It gave me the funniest, tingly,warm, fuzzy, feeling ever, that I have not felt for the longest time. I used to send parcels and such, but that was a long time ago.

I must say, I was even nervous when I was sending it. I was not quite sure how I should place the stamps and what I should do. It did not make it any easier that the post office was going to close in about less than half an hour. There just simply was not enough space to put all the stamps. I suppose it was partly my fault and that of the customer service officer. Hee, we got carried away with the different designs of the stamps.

When she found out that I liked different stamps and that I knew a little about the different series (I was just pointing out the limited edition festive series of stamps) and she was so nice to decide to give me a whole melange of stamps to send to my dear friend in a far away land.

I suppose it is not what everyone would do in this day and age of digital world but I think sending and receiving a parcel is such a traditional and yet simple way of cheering oneself and the receiver. I don't know about you, but I would be cheered up no end :) In fact nowadays, receiving a letter cheers me up no end already.

The only funny thing is how they try to persuade you into paying for your mail to be registered. Another customer service officer (not the one who sold me stamps) told me that if I were to go by regular mail, then it would be impossible to trace if the parcel got lost. Slowly thinking back, I think this is a little like a slap on their own faces by indirectly telling me that there is no guarantee of good, efficient and reliant service as our parcels may get lost.

Besides, if I really wanted a guaranteed, registered mail, I would have just gone to DHL, FedEx or the likes. I would not have wasted time queueing up to buy stamps.

Anyway, I suppose this is their way of up-selling, just like how in the hotel industry (as I have learned in my course before) that you try to up-sell by suggesting similar but higher priced products.

Well, I am off to write those Christmas cards and sending them off soon! So that hopefully, I can receive some of that Christmas cheer in the mail.