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Bodhgaya: Temple tour and India parcel post
Posted by daveb on December 24th, 2008
Yesterday, after leaving the Root Institute Buddhist centre, Claire and I went for a farewell drink with Andrej and Freddy from the course. Today I woke up with one of my most horrific hangover in living memory. In India, Kingfisher beer is king and they make two types: Premium and Strong. The restaurant served the bottles wrapped in newspaper, presumably so as not to alarm the local monks who try not participate in intoxication of any kind. Initially unbeknown to me, the beer was of the strong variety which I think contains about 8% alcohol, from very hazy memory. Beer bottles here are double the size of those we sip in the UK; over 600ml. Squiffy reckons that I drank about five and, not being able to remember too much from the experience, I have no grounds to appeal.
We spent the day exploring the streets of Bodhgaya, taking snaps of the many amazing temples and structures built here by admiring monks of various orders. Squiffy became a miniature celebrity with the visiting armed forces. She’s sure that the photos will be held-up as trophies back at base and we made our polite-but-firm escape as the arms and hands looked as though they might wander! This place really is amazing and a definite highlight of India for me. The begging at this time of year is relentless: according to one trustworthy source, beggars come from far and wide to be here as it’s pilgrimage time for the Buddhists, who increase their good karma by being generous to those in need. The street-vendors don’t get such a easy ride though — imagine trying to sell tat to someone was has taken a vow of silence!
Squiffy amassed a handful of Buddhist books which she wanted to post home. Cue a hilarious two hours getting the books shipped. In the West, we would buy a cardboard box and take it to the post office, who would electronically frank it before sending it off. The same process in India looks a little different: (please excuse the strange numbering…)
- Wander four stores to find a shopkeeper willing to relinquish control of an old cardboard box.
- Shopkeeper inspects and gives his measured opinions on the items to be posted.
- Shopkeeper attempts an up sell, offering chocolate.
- Take box to local tailor who inspects and gives his measured opinion on the items to be posted and then cuts box down to size.
- Over the next 30 minutes, tailor stitches together a white ‘pillowcase’ into with he slips the box and hand stitches the corners down for rigidity.
- Using biro, recipient’s address is written onto box-shaped pillowcase parcel.
- Parcel is taken to local post office counter, turn is waited and the merits of a queuing system is explained to several locals.
- Squiffy is invited behind the counter to discuss postage requirements.
- A further 30 minutes passes as five men check five lists in an attempt to calculate the postage price.
- Meanwhile, armed guard admires the handy work of the tailor in producing such a beautiful pillowcase.
- DaveB giggles at wall mounted poster offering philatelic collection, dated eight years ago.
- Five men eventually agree on price and indicate the price to the man in charge of dishing-out the stamps.
- With a completely straight face, nearly two whole sheets are offered to Squiffy who must now wet each one and attach to cloth.
- DaveB falls about laughing as Squiffy attempts to find space on the cloth for all stamps.
Parcel is placed onto empty shelf in office and we are ushered out of the building, told that it has now been ‘posted’.
We’ll let you know if it ever arrives.
Filed under India |
14 comments »
Comments
Comment from Mum N.
Time: December 24, 2008, 9:35 pm
Well, I can confirm that the tailor did an excellent job and the parcel arrived intact , much to the amusement of our postman. There were in fact 78 stamps on it, all of the same denomination.
Love Mum xx
Comment from jc
Time: March 27, 2009, 7:01 pm
My daughter in India, doing having a similar adventure, sent a parcel home hand-stitched by “wrapping wallah” as advised by locals. Arrived safe and sound complete with customs inventory, secured with copious amounts of black wax seals.
Her blog site is whoseideawasthis.com if of any interest.
Comment from H
Time: March 29, 2009, 12:26 am
But when creating this packaging system they didn’t think about the poor customs staff in the UK having to un-do the stitching on these parcels for checks and then having to attempt to re-assemble them again into a reasonable sort of state!
Comment from claire
Time: March 30, 2009, 6:56 am
C’mon, I know you just hand them back to the Parcel Force staff and leave them to do it!
Comment from daveb
Time: March 30, 2009, 7:07 am
@jc: You daughter’s blog looks great although I haven’t had a chance to have a thorough read of it yet, although it looks like she’s having a ball (even in India!)
Comment from vijeet kumar singh
Time: August 23, 2011, 11:31 pm
First let me say kudos to you that you came down this far to learn something. It is really respectful. Second, I am from the place you were. Therefore, it gives me honour that my Bihar is that much valuable. I am sorry that you face such troubles in postal department. They are somewhat less habitual of sending parcel abroad. However, in other hand it is their extra precautionary measurements of sending things that attending person will get that without any scratch on it, and I believe that is a whole point of sending someone something special. Besides, if you paid more than 50 rupees to stitch that pastry box than I am again sorry for our local shopkeeper’s (tailors) cunningness.(besides I was laughing and rolling on the ground that you actually went to a tailor to send your parcel… we just ask those guys to suggest me best options and also {here I am including also}, ask him to get it done politely)… it always worked… I have send many of packages to my friends abroad… but never put such efforts as you did)… sorry for that… In addition, in a photograph of you were u was holding that parcel box I was wondering where u wrote address of receiver and your own self. See, every country has something good and something bad. Ours is huge populations and under developing economy. However, I am sure you must have a memorable experience and might be you will come back again to India to explore more. its such a pleasure to have such devotee and committed person around us. I am wishing good health and wealth to you and your family.
Regards.
Vijeet
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Time: September 20, 2011, 12:08 pm
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