FAIL BLOG: Spanish Post Office Version

I realized that I have failed to blog about the ultimate FAIL that is the Spanish post office and customs agency. My parents sent me 2 packages *weeks* ago. The boxes have my winter coat, a couple sweaters, ingredients to bake an American dessert for my co-workers, my Christmas presents and my make-up. They had to pay an exorbitant amount to the US post office to send the packages here. There was a 10 day guarantee (Ha…ha…ha.) I was waiting, waiting and finally one day I came home and there was a notice from the post office. I thought it was the notice saying the packages were in Siles and I could go to the post office to pick them up. The next day during my lunch break I giddily walked down from the infantil to go to the post office. When I got there the lady read the notice and said that the packages weren’t there. The packages were stuck in customs in Madrid. I had to fill out the form they sent me (with my personal information, name, phone number, e-mail, residency number, etc, etc) and fax it to the customs people. I did that and the lady in Correos (the post office) said that they would call me in a couple days to arrange a time to drop the packages off. I never heard from them so I eventually went back to the post office to see if she had heard anything. Nope. Nothing. She said if I still didn’t hear from them in a few more days to come back. Still nothing…back to the post office I go. Then she tells me that customs wants a list of what is in the box. Well *I* didn’t pack the boxes, so I really only had a general idea. I made a list of what I knew was in the boxes. Later I received a call from the lady in the post office saying I needed to make an exact list of what was in the boxes so customs could verify that what I *said* was in the boxes is what was *actually* in the boxes. I also needed to include the value of each item. Oh goodness gracious. So I asked my mom what my Christmas presents were, and got an exact list of what was in the boxes and their prices. I went back to the post office, filled out 2 more forms listing the information and we faxed THAT to customs. Once again I didn’t hear from them for awhile. I finally went back to the post office but she still hadn’t heard anything. She called the main post office in Madrid to see if she could get an update. The main post office said it looked like the boxes weren’t there anymore and were probably on their way to Siles. Almost two weeks later I still didn’t have the boxes in my possession. Insert profanity, frustration and astonishment here. I went back to the post office. She still didn’t know anything. Later that day I got an e-mail from the customs people. I had to pay 83 euros (over $100) in importation taxes and fees before January 23rd if I wanted to receive the packages or they were going to send them back to the US. (Sounds like a ransom notice, right?) There was an e-mail address available if you had questions about the notice. I sent them an e-mail asking for clarification on what exactly I was being forced to pay (On the notice it broke the charges down into 4 categories with various percentages based on numbers that seem to be chosen out of thin air…they didn’t correspond to the value of the packages). I asked them to clarify why I needed to pay so much for personal items (Christmas gifts and items I could pack in my suitcase without any problems) that I didn’t plan on selling or distributing. I received no response. It’s now January 26th and I still have no Christmas presents, no winter coat, no sweaters, no baking ingredients and no makeup. Spanish post office/customs = the Grinch who stole Christmas. Lame. I assume my packages are on their way back to the US. My parents are going to attempt to send me the important things in envelopes (I have no problems getting letters or large, soft envelopes. I only have problems receiving boxes). The rest of the things we’ll just have to save for a Christmas in June when I return to the US.

On another note, I sent my family and friends gifts a month and a half ago and nothing has arrived. Another expensive waste of time and money. I’ve never filled out an “hoja de reclamación” (complaint card…which are available for all business in Spain) but I have a feeling I will be filling one out VERY soon. No more Ms. Nice Extranjera.

Gym, Letters and a Visitor

I don’t think I’ve mentioned this in my blog yet, but during Christmas break a gym opened up here in Siles. I started going because I had so much free time and it was something to do. Originally I was going with Almudena, and she would pick me up in her car but our schedules aren’t meshing very well anymore. That means I get to walk to the gym and back. Really, it isn’t that far. It is however the worst part of going to the gym because after working out my body is hot and it’s really cold outside. The contrast isn’t fun, comfortable or good for me. However, I am loving going to the gym 4-5 days a week. The gym isn’t open on the weekends so I feel more motivated to make sure I go Monday through Friday since I automatically get 2 days off.

Today I did 5 miles on the treadmill. Several years ago I used to love to go run 3 miles but I haven’t been able to do it in a long time. My knees, motivation and time restraints seemed to give me a plethora of reasons not to get it done. I also did 10 minutes on the bike and my entire weight-lifting workout (upping the weight for lots of the machines). Needless to say it was a good workout day (with the exception that dropped a weight on my pinkie and am a little afraid I might lose the nail). It’s really nice because the two guys that run the gym are basically my personal trainers, except I don’t have to pay extra for them. The gym is, of course, smaller than the YMCA I go to in the US but I like it. I still have everything I need and the smaller, tighter environment leaves me more accountable and the trainers more accessible. They know when I show up and when I don’t.

It was also a good day because I got mail. Sadly it still wasn’t my long-lost Christmas packages but I was still very happy. I got Grace and Espen’s wedding save the date and I got a Christmas card from Stephanie and Kyle with the letters that Stephanie’s students wrote my students. I love seeing little envelopes in front of my door when I get home.

Also, Inés stopped in today to say today. She didn’t even know it was her last day until it was her last day. I can’t believe the turn around in those situations is so fast! It was really good to see her. The guy who replaced Inés is already gone. A new teacher named Eugenia is here now and will be teaching Inés second graders as well as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade English classes. Like I originally thought the Ministry of Education was supposed to send a replacement for Inés that speaks English, so “New Antonio” couldn’t stay. At least that makes mentioning Antonio(s) in my blog a little easier!