Crazy Neighbor Package Debacle

So Tom sent me a little care package in early June, including several of my DVDs to keep me entertained in my down time here. Last year when he sent me a package it arrived within about 2 weeks. However, this year I am sadly still waiting for it to arrive, over a month later. Why the slowness? Well, apparently the Mexican federal mail can be quite slow (or things get lost (or stolen) easily) so apparently this year I got the slow end of the stick.

Complicating things is the fact that I gave Tom the wrong address. I told him a house number that is two houses down from mine. Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal. You just knock on that person’s door and explain the situation to them, and ask them to put the package outside your door if they receive it. But of course this couldn’t be a “normal” situation…

When I asked Claudia to go with me to explain the situation to the neighbor and ask for their help, Claudia asked which house it was, and I told her it was the one two houses down. She got this “oh no” look on her face, and explained that this neighbor is the crazy lady of the street. Apparently the neighbor and Claudia’s mom (who lives right across the street) have gotten into an argument before about some bad things the neighbor was doing, and now the neighbor really dislikes Claudia’s family. The crazy lady also apparently has problems with many other people on the street…So Claudia said it wouldn’t be wise for her to go with me to explain the package situation, since that would probably bias her against me and she may not give me my package when she gets it. So Claudia wrote a note explaining the situation and I posted it on the neighbor’s gate, and Claudia and I also went across the street to another neighbor whom I had met a few weeks ago and chatted with on the street, and with whom I had exchanged phone numbers (she was really sweet and said to call her if I ever needed anything). We explained the situation to Martha (the nice neighbor) and the next day she and I went to the crazy neighbor’s house to talk with her, but she wasn’t there. We left it at that, since we had posted a note that day too.

Since then I’ve been spending the weeks waiting and wondering if I will get my package, given the reputation of things getting lost in the Mexican mail and my crazy neighbor. Luckily I have a tracking number and so am able to see at least some updates on where it is. It arrived in Mexico on June 22, and then was in Mexico City on June 25 (saying that it was “in transit to the destination”), but that is the last I’ve heard of it. It’s now July 17, over a month since Tom sent it and three weeks since it arrived in Mexico. I have six more days until I return home. So now I’m passed hoping for it to arrive so I can have some movies to watch in my down time; now I’m just hoping it gets here before I leave so I can take it home. If it comes after I’m gone, the crazy neighbor will get it and I’ll have to make sure to either tell her to give it to Martha, or ask Martha to still keep an eye out for it. So many complications for such a simple thing like mailing a package!