Random Post Office Question

[roddy]

Do any other counties opt to not pre-gum their envelopes and instead leave jam jars of glue lying around post offices? Wikipedia reckons that pre-gummed envelopes have been around for over a century. Are there cultural aversions to licking envelopes?

[cdn_in_bj]

I think it has to do with the Chinese obsession with 卫生 (and I don't blame them either). Who knows where that envelope has been!

[imron]

Even better are self-sealing envelopes. The ones that have a sticky strip on the back. Peel back the protective cover, close the envelope, and you're done. These have been around for at least a decade, if not longer.

[zhwj]

You'd think that, imron, particularly because practically everything these days comes wrapped in a plastic sleeve that's been sealed with a pull-off sticky strip. Even the plain, messy-glue envelopes themselves often come wrapped in sealed plastic.

[imron]

Well, one thing's for sure, whether it's for glue or tea, the Chinese love their jam jars.

[mr.stinky]

jam jars? consider yourself fortunate! we get a glob of glue-like substance dumped onto

a recycled cafeteria tray, plus a couple old paintbrushes a-lying in the goo.

[Quest]

This thread reminded me of a bball game (21/newyork) with a guy (black american). How dirty was the basketball, and how dirty were his hands... but he licked both his hands multiple times everytime his turn to shoot the ball.

[roddy]

So I'll assume Canada, the US and Australia don't have un-gummed envelopes? Europe, Africa, the rest of Asia? Come in, South America. Can anyone remember them from when they were kids.

This is in other cultures and languages, btw. Looking for a global perspective here . . .

[cdn_in_bj]

So I'll assume Canada, the US and Australia don't have un-gummed envelopes?

I've never seen them in Canada before. Our post offices will often have "water wheels" for you to wet your stamps after buying them at the counter. Can't really use them for sealing envelopes, though I suppose they assume you've already done that at home.

[muyongshi]

The US does have them...just nobody uses them...

[heifeng]

we do? i've seen the water wheel thingy so we don't have to spit in the US, and in China i've seen the cafeteria style method described above, but in BJ i mostly see the glue wheel method...

[Outofin]

I think they're just trying to save a few cents. You don't have lick pre-gummed stamps, but China doesn't have them either.

But it's true too that we avoid licking. In many times I saw some TV news hostess licking paper when they browse. A beauty, in public, licking paper. So unappropriate!

[roddy]

You don't have lick pre-gummed stamps, but China doesn't have them either.

Who's 'you'. You get lickable stamps in the UK, or at least you used to, haven't seen a UK stamp for years, bar on envelopes.

[Outofin]

sorry, typo. I meant "You don't have to", not "You don't have". I mean, people just peel the stamps off without having to lick.

[芳芳]

Well, i really appreciate you to discuss that point now.

Christmas coming next month, my dear roomate and me were in a mood for sending Christmas. And she has a huge family, a good bunch of friends, on my side I had quite a lot of people to write to (hehe, i'm not that much a card nor Chritsmas person, but you don't have so often the occasion to send Christmas cards from Urumqi right?).

So yesterday, we arrived to the post office with our 123 non pre-gummed envelopps, 5 rolls of adesive tape in case the post-office won't close the envelops for us (didn't close the envelops in advance because sometime, they want to open them before shipping to check whatever they want to check), and our naive happyness at the idea of our friends receiving the postcards.

And with a stupid grin on their face, the post office employees told us that,yes, good thing we didn't close them beore coming to the office, and haha, we have to close all the envelops by ourselves, and no, no, we shall not use the tape we brought because it would have been too easy and efficient, but use the glue jar with the stuff they call glue that doesn't stick, and yes it took us ages because the evil stuff won't go out of the pot, then won't go on the appropriate place on the envelop to contribute to the function of closing the envelop, and anyway, after 32", the envelop you just closed pops up open because the glue is not strong enough to keep it closed, but strong enough to keep two envelops you would have by mistake put too closed to each other stuck together for ever, bah it's too bad those two envelops have to go to different destinations. And the post officer with his smile from one ear to another "helping" us by carrying each "ready" envelop from the gluing desk to the stamping desk, and coming back after 32" when the envelop has poped up open.

But "When you're chewing life's gristle,

Don't grumble,

Give a whistle

And this'll help things turn out for the best.

And...

Always look on the light side of life, badam, bada bada badaam"