When many people have to use PosLaju, the plastic bags for PosLaju run out early in the morning and then we have to figure out how to proceed with PosLaju, minus the specific plastic bags. That is why I wrap each book separately in used brown industrial grade paper, in case the plastic bags run out at the counter; I can still mail the books as parcel post minus plastic wrap. Sometimes the plastic bags are not replenished and the problem goes on for a few days. Shortage of plastic bags happens because PosLaju is about the safest way to mail anything today and staff prefer this rather than normal mail. Here, I see staff PosLaju application forms (for jobs and university entrance) and food items (Aidilfitri biscuits). I carry my books to the mini PO and join the queue to PosLaju my books. I return to my office with painful arms, fingers, and legs. So I treat myself to a can of cold Milo or soursop from the coop shop on my way back to my office.
However, this mini PO cannot handle courier to overseas places. Thus, I can't send things to far away places via this mini PO.
This mini PO opens at 9.30 am till 3 pm. It is open throughout lunch time so staff can pay bills, mail stuff, etc. PosLaju leaves here at 12 noon. But Puan Zainab (47), the lady in-charge, will wait for me if she sees me in the queue. The elder Chinese Muslim man helping her at this mini post-office is Encik Ibrahim. I fill the PosLaju slips in my office (I took a roll of the slips and keep in my office). PosLaju charges are RM5.70 for a single Research book per PosLaju plastic bag and RM11.25 for a single Biography book per PosLaju plastic bag. I have mailed out (maybe) 70 to 75 copies of my books so far. I have to stop at 80 because that's my limit for free complimentary copies.
This mini PO is leaky during the monsoon season, and that was why I didn't send letters to anyone late last year. It was so bad that even the counter was flooded. The collecting bin collected rainwater overnight. They had to use a waste basket as a "pail" to collect the rainwater near the counter. It was very bad late last year in December 2012. I asked the lady operator why didn't she request a better place. She replied they had tried but that's all the place there is on campus - this lousy place. So the lady in-charge is also upset about her leaky mini PO especially during heavy rain. But that's life I guess.
There are other places which can attend to overseas courier but it is far away from my office, in the Admin section on the second floor but I have not tried that service. I have heard that this overseas service is expensive. It is used mainly for mailing small research packages and clinical materials and for sending theses to external examiners.
The main post-office is in Kota Bharu, about 15-20 min drive from my office (parking is a problem at the main PO). My yellow car was severely damaged here, so I am not too keen to go to this PO. We gave the damaged yellow car a new facelift. It was a Kelisa throughout before but after the incident, it now has an old Daihatsu bonnet with a Kelisa body! If it happens again at the PO, I will ask my son to put a BMW bonnet for my yellow Kelisa car. Poor thing!
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| Mini PO, USM Health Campus, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. This is where I mail out stuff to contributors. |
