So today I went to the big post office instead of my normal little one because I wanted to go to the grocery store next to it. I always go to the post office for my mail because I just know I’d get everything back if I tried to do it myself!! The lady processing my mail had to ask the manager some questions so he starts looking at my mail. Let me just say that as a teacher, I appreciate rules. Rules and guidelines are handy things. The postal rules I learned today are rather...interesting!!

Apparently international mail should be in a white or brightly colored envelope. The majority of mine are brown - oopsies! He couldn’t explain the reasoning behind that one and my normal ladies have never said a word. If anyone has ever heard that before please enlighten me!!!

He wanted me to put my phone number on the envelope under the return address as a counter-terrorism measure!!! Not a chance in hell, my man!! I kept making big eyes and doing an x with my fingers saying “Not safe!” I don’t think he quite understood why I didn’t want every random mail employee and anyone with eyes to have access to my phone number and address!!! Sorry guys, your cards might be a little delayed while they check to make sure I’m not a terrorist.

I have these new postcards from an awesome postcard book and this was my trial because I wasn’t sure if they were too big or not. Well, I wrote on too much of the card and now it is classified as a letter and has to be put in an envelope. He even printed out the postcard guideline page for me...with all of the important information in Japanese. Hello Google Translate, my dearest friend!

I have a whole new appreciation for my normal postal ladies who make cute comments about the stickers and washi decorating my brown envelopes and do not mind that I write a lot on postcards!!!

Edited to add that I live in Japan so finer points were absolutely lost in translation!!!