OK, I have been encouraging you guys to send handwritten letters and cards through the postal system to your girl in the Philippines, so here’s a few tips based on my own personal experience.
Postage: Currently, a standard first class letter to the PI will cost you $.98 for 1 oz.. Cards, because of their normal shape, will cost you $1.18. Check with your local post office or USPS.com for latest postage because this stuff changes all the time.
When purchasing your stamps at your local post office, ask them for some small Air Mail stickers for the front of your envelopes. They are free and might cut 2-3 days off of your mail delivery time.
Use security type envelopes that you can not see through.
Spend a few bucks and purchase some nice stationary and a decent pen.
DO NOT EVER enclose any cash or items of value in your mail!
For standard small cards, you can usually include 2-3 photos and stay under 1 oz.
Sequentially number your letters and cards. Keep a list of which number was sent on which date. Put the sequence number on the front of the envelope so she will know which one to read first if more than one arrives at the same time. She can also tell if any are missing.
DO NOT wait for a reply to a letter before sending the next one! Just keep them going out and she will hopefully reply to each one as they arrive.
Try to use proper standard English in your letters. That way, she can use your writing as an example of the proper way to write standard English, which will be a big help for her in enhancing her knowledge of the English language.
Depending on where she lives, your letters will take approximately 2-4 weeks for delivery. Keep in mind that if her postman is ill or goes on vacation, there will probably be no substitute mailman, so your letters may arrive late. Typhoons and storms will also delay delivery. Normally, mail to Metro Manila might take a week, 10 days to Cebu City, or anywhere from 14-21+ days to some of the remote provinces. Your mileage may vary…
Why not show her that you stand out from the rest of the e-mailing, texting, chatting bozos out there? Send her a Snail Mail letter or card today! She will love you for it!
Ray
