small rant

remember my new years resolutions? one of them was to send more letters and gifts, be more spontaneously caring across the large distance that separates me from many of my friends and family. and over the past months i have really enjoyed the pleasures of doing this.

but let me just make this clear: if i send you something in the mail PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know that you received it. that way i don't have to worriedly track the package, curse the spanish mail system, get annoyed at your lack of basic human courtesy and generally ruin the entire experience for myself. a simple "got your package" email is sufficient and will make my day, i promise.

when i was a kid, i had to write a thank-you note for every gift i received. at the time it was an excruciating requirement imposed by my parents, but i now see the wisdom behind this rule. everybody likes to see polite kids and graciousness is never a bad quality in a person young or old.

but, not everybody was raised as well as i was. and one doesn't give presents to receive thanks. so i'm willing to lower the bar here. the words "thank you" are not required!

as most of you know, i am willing to make 100% of overseas phone calls and will probably travel very far to show up at your doorstep once a year. i don't think i ask too much in terms of relationship maintenance -- i am the one who picked up and left the country, so i feel like that responsibility rests more on my shoulders. so this is all i ask: please let me know when you receive something in the mail from me (this includes gifts sent by me through websites). thanks!