Posts, mails and couriers

World Postal Day reminds of the days postal services were when there was no electronic media.

Those were the days when we would write letters to family, friends  relatives. The expressive way of communicating or the expressive communication those days apart from the telephone that was more expensive. And to compare it to the present day texting, messaging and emailing that are instant though.

The wait in itself was a charm when the exchange of letters used to take a matter of 10- 15 days or a month. From purchasing postcards, Inland letters or stamps to put on envelopes right from the post office and then dropping the letters into the letter box. It was totally a different experience. Not only letters, even new year greeting cards and birthday cards were sent. 

Although everything has become easier and convenient with the instant messaging now a days. But it was worth the wait then. 

The postcards used to have an open letter but nobody bothered because life was simple then.  While these days postcards are used as acknowledgements with registered posts as well.

The stamps on an envelope were enticing even more to those who collected them. Postal service have taken a new shape in the form of speed posts that delivers as early as 1 day locally and nearby to three days or five days.

With time the services have also changed for the better.

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Postal Services and Courier services have become a part and parcel of everyone's life.

Sometimes in the year 2013, I  called up the courier service to check why the packet that has already reached not delivered yet? The courier agent replied, my boys went but they could not locate your house.He said we tried a number of times to your landline but there was no response.Well, the landline is out of order.So i said why don't you send it again, i am giving you the exact location with my contact number. He then said "madam, you come and collect it. we are not postman."   What is home delivery for, then? 

((this was sometime in the year July -Aug 2013))

Ordinary Post/Parcels/Speed Posts/Registered Post .Well as for post office is concerned right from the ordinary post to the parcels everything is right at the door.

As far as couriers are concerned we believe that they are home delivered except when there is bulk items that needs to be checked.

Now each services have to be so defined as to why it is home delivered and why one has to collect then. And more importantly the e-shopping and online services should clearly state but before that, it is for the courier services to state clearly regarding delivering packets at home or asking the receiver to collect it from their office.One such courier service told me that he does not rely on his delivery boys therefore he is asked me to collect it from his office. There are number of branches and sub-branches for each services but how many delivery boys do they appoint?

And if we keep on collecting it from the services/branches, what is home delivery for ??????(Well this was one of an experience which was never repeated again)

Adding to this piece of writing .With the onset of the pandemic  Covid 19 that spread across the world since  the beginning of the year 2020 the lockdown restricted the movement of people and were mostly confined to homes. This resulted with the work from home, the home delivery system grew more and more.The online shopping became the in-thing that took the postal and the courier systems to heights of of ones dependance for household essentials purchase. People started purchasing online whereby the products reached via postal service or the couriers. 

Postal service being one of the most trusted of all have become more active and have improved on their services with time more since pandemic.

At a certain period of time courier services took an edge over the postal for the fact of their quick service but postal service in the meanwhile with the speed posts parcels and services have also become prompt in their delivery within specific period.

More and more people have again started with using the postal services. 

My experience over the cash on delivery system of the courier services has been bad twice. On both the ocassions I have paid more and the delivery boy did not return the right amount of money. During the first time I paid price for four but received only one. However, I immediately contacted Amazon in that case and the money was refunded. While in the second case the delivery boy returned amount less that he should have and before we realized he had left and didnt come after we contacted him. The amount is still due to be returned.

Since posts and parcels is a part of our lives we better take care while dealing with it. We have started depending on the e-commerce life which has made it easier to shop at the click of a button right from our homes. Hence our dependence on posts and parcels. 

Say "No" to Plastics,"Yes" to handmade bags

Plastics and polythene bags are still seen to be used in many countries,despite  the devastation that it has been causing to the environment. Little does one see the adverse effect of health and hygiene, being convenient to carry and easily sealed,people just carry it along without giving a thought that it is not bio-degradable and that the blockages that we see in the drains systems and the litters around the environment are the result, thereby causing insanitary & unhygienic conditions. Who cares? Well, we all should for the reason that it has been  causing to humans and wildlife habitat. Plastic pollution has become a threat.

Well,the question is how can we stop using such plastics? It has become a threat to the environment, it is dangerous to animals on choking, it is dangerous to children its usage causes unhygenic conditions which affects the health and the environment.

SAY NO TO PLASTICS

Whereas some states have banned the use of such bags,others are yet to kick-start the drive. It is high time the people understand the adverse effects of such bags and opt out using for the much degradable stuffs like paper bags, cloth bags for carrying Stuffs. Steel, glass utensils and containers. Even wooden materials are an alternative.

These are cloth bags that can be used  during shopping and all other purposed and are a perfect replacement to the polythene bags of any kind.

This is a handmade paper bag that can be used in gift items. Paper bags are biodegradable.

Upcycle old clothes to Bags and hand bags.

While purchasing any items be it the groceries or toileteries or anything for that matter. These bags are biodegradable bags. Hence ask for such bags while purchasing and not any kind of plastic bag.

Always carry a cloth bag in ones or twos depending on the purchase of items of anykind be it groceries, fruits. 

Whenever I dont find a bag sufficient enough to carry or if the items exceeds the capacity of bag I instead ask for a cartoon packing. 

I am proud that people of our Country have become aware about the environment and are ready to do away with single use plastic. Now, when we talk of single use plastic let me briefly mention what they are.
Plastic bags, Forks, spoons, straws, glasses, plates, bottles.

Alternatives to single use plastics are  Glass, Steel,Wood, Bamboo,Ceramics, Pottery. Therefore, we should make it a point to replace the plastics with the above and make a healthy living within the house and around the environment.

Having said so much the fact still remains that unless and until we refuse to take the use and reuse of plastic will continue.

" SAY NO TO Single use Plastic "

Let the five " R's " be our Mantra towards a cleaner, safer and eco-friendly environment.
R-euse
R-efuse
R-educe
R-ecycle
R-emove

The Calculators and the types.

 

The Calculators and the types.

Calculators have been a part of human assistance since ancient time. As human beings we all calculate using our fingers. Fingers calculation is the most common of all. That’s something we start with as a child.

Abacus has been used as a calculator with the beads embedded in a rod that slides and used in performing mathematical calculations addition, subtraction and multiplication. Even abacus have been of different types. And it is the oldest of all calculation tools.

ABACUS is an acronym in which

1. A stands for Abundant
2. B stands for Beads
3. A stands for Addition
4. C stands for Calculation
5. U stands for Utility
6. S stands for System

The Abacus that is similar to the rod and beads that I found at our home which though we did not use but was used by the

Pic: courtesy google

 

Here’s above a picture of an abacus that’s in our home since years now. A handcrafted abacus with a wooden frame on all four sides with 10 lines of thin rod containing plastic beads. However, this picture shows the present form in which 2 lines are completely missing and in the third the beads are missing. Though I am trying to re assemble this to it’s original form. And will soon do that.

 

The manual calculators used since long and is also been used in many areas now a days also who do not use a computer or a mobile for the purpose but feel comfortable with a manual one.

This is a manual digital casio calculator used across various users. This is also one that I found at home.

 

An orpat mini handy pocket calculator that I used once upon a time.

 

This is a sharp pocket calculator which dates back to around three decades being at home and now I have it with me. Just thought of what to do with these and it looks like they have become antique pieces.

Now we don’t even require a calculator because the mobile and computer/Laptop comes with the features that can be easily used on the move.

 

 

 

Below is a LAPTOP CALCULATOR that’s the modern calculator used by all laptop or computer users.

 

 

Mobile Phone Calculator that comes handy with every phone and has been used by all mobile users.

A mobile these days have so many features that we hardly need to carry a manual one just a mobile phone suffices all.

Apart from the usage of these above ways human brain Is indeed the best calculator that is used all by itself without the help of any of these and no matter to some extent we all use our brain to calculate as much as we can lest we take help of these when we want to.