There are a few things that a Foreign Service Officer here in Dhaka should be more grateful for then the generosity the US Government showed when it provided us with a DPO address. A DPO address is a “Diplomatic Post Office,” a mail program that allows us to receive letters and packages the same way the Military does via an Armed Forces or an APO. Bottom line is that you are still treated like you are at home, somewhere in USA. Domestic postage rates still apply, even though the item is sent all the way across the world to a corner 90% of the Americans would have a lot of difficulties pointing to on a map.
I can order from Walmart.com, ebay or Amazon and I do not pay any international postage. This is huge!!!! Without this I would always probably have to wonder whether my stuff would arrive. I still remember way into the '90s if I sent something to my parents in Romania, if I sent something that the postal worker was interested in, my parents could end up with an empty box, or if they were lucky a lot lighter. I also do not have to think about the weight of the package.
I can order from Walmart.com, ebay or Amazon and I do not pay any international postage. This is huge!!!! Without this I would always probably have to wonder whether my stuff would arrive. I still remember way into the '90s if I sent something to my parents in Romania, if I sent something that the postal worker was interested in, my parents could end up with an empty box, or if they were lucky a lot lighter. I also do not have to think about the weight of the package.
The are still a lot of restrictions on the DPO, no liquids or batteries, size, etc. I can still get pretty much everything that is not available on the local market or is crazy expensive here.
Also, receiving the mail feels like getting something for Chrismas. Mail comes three times a week and the mailroom clerk sort it out and shoot out an email to everybody in the mission. If you name has a cross check next to it, you are luck, you've got mail.
This is making living here a lot more enjoyable for the whole family and I am deeply grateful for it!
PS. OK, I did not mention the unpleasant experiences. Like the time when I ordered sugar from Walmart.com. Why would anybody order sugar online, a normal person would ask, to which I would not have a valid answer, other then the fact that I am recovering online shopoholic! Anyway, a sugar bag broke, big panic engulfed, mail room got shut down for hours. How I wished I had magic wand to make myself invisible when I went to pick up that package!
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