Friday, September 28, 2007

Addresses in Samoa

There aren't any addresses in Samoa. I have had to get everything sent to my work PO Box. The problem with that is that the guy that is in charge of the mail is INCREDIBLY lazy even by local standards. He might check the actual PO Box, but he won't ask for the big tub of mail that he knows (or should know) is there---because there is one for our office every time since about 40 people get their mail there. So many people get their mail there because there are no available PO boxes.
Our mail guy has 2 jobs. Empty our garbage and get the mail. OK, sure technically he is supposed to keep the office clean, but there's no way he can be made to do that, so he just has take out the garbage and get the mail and he has to cram both of those things into an 8 hour day (he has to clock in and out or he'd just leave at 830am). He often comes back with 3 pieces of mail for the whole office. I ask him if he asked for the rest of the mail. He'll tell me he did. This is a total and verifiable lie because I know for a fact there are Netflix movies waiting for me because I got the email that they were sent last Wednesday, and now it is the next Tuesday. The movies were there since Friday. He'll just straight out lie and then go back to making his football picks or sleeping. He has no other job to do (since he won't do the cleaning job- who could expect that anyway from someone who's job title is janitor).
Anyway, as a result I have tortured the post office guys by continually going into the office and asking if there is any mail for me. The drill goes:
"Hi, can I get the mail for Box 7- the AG's office?"
"You have to have the key."
"I know, but our guy said he got the mail and I know he didn't"
"We have been instructed to not let the AG's office pick up the mail before they check the slips in the box"
"I know, but our mail guy just won't do it and I don't have the power to fire him."
"Can't you get the key?"
"I asked for it, he said he lost it...but I know he is lying."
Big sigh, "OK, but this is the last time...I'll go look."
This drill was repeated over and over. I went in last week for the second time and tried to get the mail and the guy said that he really can't get it for me because there was a written note about our office to the post office employees to not let us do that anymore. I asked if there were any post office boxes (I knew there were not). The guy referred me to another guy to ask. I waited for 10 minutes while he helped someone fill out their passport. Maybe it was 15--it seemed like forever since I knew the guy was going to just say nope, sorry, they are all full. A lady tried to cut in front of me after about 10 minutes, but I gave her the I haven't gotten my mail in 2 weeks; don't even think about it look.
I walked up and took my turn and asked if there were any PO boxes available.
"Sorry, they are all full. There might be some available in Leone."
Leone is on the other end of the island and is not a realistic option from which to collect my mail. Plus, I know that now all the Leone boxes are full as well and I suspect that this postal worker knew that too.
I gave him my best dejected look. "Is there a waiting list or anything?" I also know that people have been put on a waiting list, but those people suspect that this list is not respected or worth anything.
He looked me over and said, "no, there's no waiting list. You kind of just have to be here at the right time."
"OK." I was defeated.
"Check back Monday, there might be one Monday. I think maybe there are a couple boxes that might get cleared out this weekend."
This was actually encouraging because usually if Samoans blow you off, there's not so much detail put into it. They just say, -yeah, Monday, come back Monday.-
I said ok, and was at least a little encouraged, and started to slowly walk out- having been beaten by the mail again.
"Wait...you work at the AG right?"
I said that I did.
"Uhhh, come back over here...here fill this out, I'll go check to see if maybe there is one."
He'd given me the form to fill out to get a PO Box. I figured if he got the form out for me, he was going to hook me up- especially since he told me how much it was ($25). After about 60 seconds, he came back and said, "looks like it is your lucky day. We happened to just have one come available."
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.
So, it is a miracle. I have a PO box of my own.
My new address is:
PO Box 8188
Pago Pago, AS 96799.

So maybe you are wondering what you tell them if you order pizza delivery if there are no addresses. Keep in mind that I live right off the main street and maybe 1 mile from Pizza Hut. There are lots of houses that are up several dirt roads in valleys.:

1 comment:

Elizabeth said...

You lucky, lucky dog! If it wasn't for the Davies taking pity on us we would still be hauling our asses out to Leone every week.

When I got here, I got a box out there. I told the nurses at work. They gave me an "Are you out of your MIND?" look. I said, "Hey, it's only 10 miles on the map, and it's a nice drive, how bad can it be?"

Bad. When you are expecting a package and they close at noon. Bad.

When you have to drive through giant lakes in the road to get there by noon.
Bad.

When you get stuck behind the slowest tin bucket on the island, Bad.

When you could be doing anything, ANYTHING, other than driving ALL THE WAY TO LEONE, it's BAD. 45 minutes one frigin' way.

Now I understand why one of the nurses, mused to herself after that discussion as she walked away, "I haven't been out to Leone in years."

Good job Aaron!

Liz
The Banyon Tree Over the Harbor
After The Korea House and New Soccer Field
Pago Pago Village
Pago Pago
Tutuilla
American Samoa
The South Pacific