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October 05, 2004
One more reason to be pro-free-trade
Well, I didn't get much of a respite, despite being up early with nothing to do. I was checking email when I got a note from my program coordinator saying I had a postal invoice in his office. So I biked down to campus and picked up the notice, which informed me that I owed a customs tariff on my Amazon.com order. Highly indignant, I went over to the International Office, who called the Postal System and confirmed that I do, indeed, owe the Swedish government money for my textbooks. Grr. Supposedly, I can go to any post office (located in just about every convenience store) and pay the 6% tariff (+ additional tax on the 6% tariff). Grr. Grr.
I hung out at campus for a while, reading a propoganda piece by the State Department on the Foreign Service. It will be good information for my exam in November, but it mainly had the effect of making me want to move to Zimbabwe right now, instead of living here in this gloomy climate.
Finally, I gathered my stuff and biked back home, stopping at the Frukt Huset for some cinnamon. Unable to find any ground cinnamon (and not really wanting to grate it myself), I also stopped in at Willy:s. There I found ground cinnamon, honey, and vanilla sauce. Coming home, I sliced up a bunch of apples, mixed them with honey and cinnamon, and baked them. Yum.
While the apples were baking, I discovered that I had ANOTHER notice from the post office (this time delivered directly to my door). This time it was to notify me that my most recent Amazon.com order had arrived (DVDs this time) and that I owed ADDITIONAL money for the delivery. It turns out that my disgruntled-ness over the 6% tariff on books was nothing--Sweden's tariff on DVDs is 25%. Plus, of course, the ubiquitous tax on the tariff fee.
Extremetly irritated (why didn't Amazon disclose the possibility of an additional customs charge?), I biked down to Marieberg Livs, my local post office, and retrieved my package. I paid nearly $85 in additional fees for the DVD order, but was told that I had to go to Amiralen to pay the other invoice. So I put that paper back in my bag and went back home, swallowing a bug on the way.
So now I'm back home, pleased to have an extremely expensive set of DVDs in my possession (ooh, the 3rd season of Alias is beckoning me even now...) and with a tummy full of baked apple goodness. I've managed to read Chapter 8 of my coursebook, but still have Chapter 9 to go. Once I finish my school work, I will either continue listening to my newest audiobook (The Full Cupboard of Life--A #1 Ladies Detective Agency Book**) or watch one of my new DVDs. Oh the possibilities! And hopefully tomorrow it will stop raining, so I can enjoy the remaining daylight.
**Sidenote: I always thought "cupboard" was pronounced "cup-board" although I knew instinctively that "cubbard" was wrong. Hmph. Guess you learn something new every day.
