Picking up packages...the joys of the Chinese postal system.(short post - no pictures)

Ah!  I suppose every country has its own way of delivering packages.  China too.  No complaints...just an observation.  It really is quite good here, but if you are not fluent in Chinese there is a problem.  It works like this. 
  1. The package is sent to the local courier.
  2. All packages must have the recipient's telephone number on the outside of the package.
  3. The local courier receives the package, 
  4. The local courier loads up his little truck, usually a three-wheeler.
  5. He then calls the number on the package to find out if you are in
  6. If you answer the phone he will turn up outside your house and you get your package
This works well if you are Chinese.  However if you are English and speak no Chinese it is problematic.  Even more so because most of the local couriers speak dialect!  However there is a workaround.  You put down the number of a Chinese speaking friend and, in my case, put down my home address as the.  They deliver to the school but before doing so they ring the number of your Chinese friend and your Chinese friend directs the courier, and sorts out any problems.  Simple.  There is even a room at the school which receives parcels.  BUT not all the couriers know this and wont deliver to the security office of the school as this is technically insecure.  So your parcel returns to base.  This a gain would not be so bad IF there was just one or two couriers.  There are lots, spread out all over the town and nobody really knows where they are, because no one needs to visit them as everyone else can speak Chinese and can direct the courier to an alternate location.  Sherika, poor girl, didn't realise this, despite having been told many times.  She ordered quite a few items and now tries to find where all of the couriers as so she can pick up all of her parcels.  Not an easy task.  However, a very helpful and smart Chinese friend of mine, Sherrie, came up with an excellent solution. Because you cant pick which courier gets your parcel, why not get all couriers to deliver to one courier and pick up the parcels from the just one couriers office!  She caem with me to one courier, explained the situation and set it all up for me!  Excellent.  I then explained this to Sherika who now gets her parcels delivered to her hairdresser's shop!  Sorted!  Pity my boss couldn't help with this.  Too busy making rules!

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