Sounds of Romania: the Post Office

Yesterday I went to the post office in Sighetu Marmatiei to get some stamps so I can send snail mail to the home front. It was an interesting experience. I’ve never had to wait so long for stamps in my life. But then again I asked for timbri pentru Europa (stamps for Europe) and that turned out to be a difficult request.

People come to the post office for all sorts of things. Not just for stamps, but also for stamps – I mean stamps on forms. Romanians love stamps: if you put a stamp or three on an official form, that makes it a lot more valuable. Just a signature on its own wouldn’t do, I guess. A post office in Romania is much more than just the home of the postal service – it’s also where you exchange money and pay your phone bills. And probably a lot more than I’m aware of.

Listen carefully and you will hear the incessant banging of the stamps and the industrious noise of the ancient plotter printers. And you will see just how patient the Romanians are. Bun venit în România.

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