In other words

So, while I come up with some rhetorically witty ways to rehash life in Peru since October (and oh theres lots to tell), I thought I'd share this with you. Its a fellow volunteers perspective on the weapons of mass absorption tampons incident by Julie Fast....
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The only thing standing between me and my homemade American cookies was an evil impenetrable force called Peruvian Customs.

For a solid 23 months the Peruvian government kindly allowed my mother’s innocent care-packages to proceed unhindered to my anxious arms. For my last month of Peace Corps Service, however, customs decided to cease and desist all generosity. Arrrggghhhhhhhhh.

Three power of attorney letters later, they still wouldn’t release the package.

Then unfolded this scene, that solidified my negative impression of the evil maniacs who are most likely at this very moment licking oatmeal raisin cookie crumbs off of their chubby over paid under compassionate fingers!!

A fellow volunteer, Katie, was enmeshed in the same bothersome postal hang-up. Together we sat patiently by as the elderly worker in our local post office contacted a presumably equally aged worker in the coastal package-napping branch.

Katie’s package had already been violated and been found to contain…

“Fifty colorful glass vials that look slightly dangerous. We’re not able to release the package until the purpose of these vials is discerned.”

I arched an eyebrow in the direction of Katie. “Is your mother a chemist?”

A shake of the head…and then a wave of realization and a deep scarlet flush. “I think I know what those are…” she looked quizzically at the post office worker. “Does it say Tampax on the outside of the box?”

I doubled over laughing, forgetting momentarily my poor lonesome cookies molding from neglect.

We explained the purpose of the ‘colorful vials’ to the Chota worker on the phone with the coastal worker, between laughs and snorts. I encouraged the post office worker on the coast to try one out if he didn’t believe us, but the Chota worker refused to translate that.

The best part? They still don’t believe the story. So Katie has to travel 12 bumpy hours to the coast this weekend to personally demonstrate the innocence of tampons. I asked for a video recording.