Several months ago, I shipped a few cases of Korean ramen noodle soup to Sam, who was then stationed in the middle east. The soup wasn’t all that expensive. In fact, the shipping cost nearly as much as the soup. She never got it, though. The Korean postal service, in all its wisdom, unilaterally decided what the postal code meant. Her military “state” abbreviation of “AE,” they decided, must mean United Arab Emirates. I mean, who cares if there’s really a “U” in front of the AE in that abbreviation? It’s close enough. So, sure enough, nearly four months later, the package of soup arrives back here as undeliverable. The good folks in the UAE had no clue where to send it, so they sent it back.
That in itself wouldn’t be so bad. But what really angered me is that the Korean postal service wanted additional funds to cover the cost of shipping it back. 50% more, in fact, than the original shipping costs. Had I been there when the package arrived, I’d have sent the delivery boy back out on his ear. Instead, our school receptionist received the package. Not knowing what was in it or from whence it came, she paid the costs. I’d rather not have her try and decide if future packages should or shouldn’t be accepted, so I quickly repaid her. This wasn’t her fault. The Korean postal service is to blame, and if their English was better or my Korean was better, they’d get an earful.
In all, I paid the equivalent of US$16 for the soup. Another $16 for the first shipping to the UAE and then another $24 for it to be shipped back. That’s some pricey soup I now own – $56 for a case of soup I bought at the corner store. But this case is special! It’s been halfway around the world and back!
Sam did receive the second package of soup I sent. But it was near the end of her tour of duty in the middle east and I just sent it to her home in Kansas. She probably could have purchased it there much cheaper. Or I could have had a friend ship some from one of the many Korean stores in Dallas. In return, she sent me a nice bit of middle eastern garb – an authentic dishdashi, complete with red checkered head scarf. Perfect for Halloween or the next time I want to play terrorist.