A trip to the post office

Among my other observations is that PO boxes don't have locks on them. More like "cubby holes" where someone "drops" your mail. No security, no nothing. Just your mail sitting out in the open for anyone to take. I was standing in line watching some bored man look through the boxes and reading mail. Nice right?

Anyway, I wanted to send a postcard back home. I arrived at the post office with my 2 postcards. It is supposed to be a 1900 riel stamp. They inform me that they are out but can give me a 3000 r stamp. I am not in the mood to be ripped off anymore so I rebel. I can clearly see that she has numerous 1000 r, 500 r and 100 r stamps. I tell her in my broken Khmer, "Why don't you just give me 1 1000 r stamp + 1 500 r stamp + 4 100 r stamps. She quickly says "no"! I am curious why and she informs me that there is only 1 stamp box on my postcard (you know the little square in the top right hand corner on a postcard). I am so utterly confused for the longest time and then it finally clicks what her problem is. I tell her that it doesn't matter how many boxes there are as long as I have the correct postage. She won't relent, so I leave. I am determined to win this battle! I go home and draw more boxes on my postcards. When I return to the post office, she seems to think that this is satisfactory and sells me my postage stamps.

This reminds me of a saying I once heard: "Simple minds require simple solutions" This is by no means limited to Cambodia, no sirree bob, it just seems more obvious here.