It is great that (at this writing, things may change), Fulbrighters to Chile are able to ship books via the pouch. Of course, the two people I know who had a grant (one in Ukraine, one in Chile) did not have good luck with their shipments. The person in Ukraine shipped 4 boxes, and received 2. My friend in Chile shipped 2, and got ZERO. He told me that Fulbright told him there was nothing they could do without a tracking number.
So I shipped two boxes today, via media mail to the State Department, with everything labeled as requested, and got a tracking number. I was very careful to tape things up with, well, gusto. I think one of the problems with this type of shipping is the very rough handling it gets (there is even a caution about this on the shipping directions). So the boxes I sent were almost more tape than cardboard. And while I do want the contents, I did not include any books that I absolutely had to have for teaching. Those, I'm including in my luggage-I will have two suitcases of books as a result, since I'm teaching a children's lit class, and I have to bring all the materials.
We'll see if and when those boxes make it-keep your fingers crossed for me!
Good luck with the diplomatic pouch! It became a running joke at PUCV: they would ask me for something and I would say, "I would love to help you, but that material was in the damn box."
ReplyDeletePaul,
ReplyDeleteI really, really hope this doesn't happen...All the books my colleagues sent me on their wish list are in those boxes!!!
Cecile