Comments on: On Cards http://finally-woken.com/2008/12/on-cards/ Four seasons in one day, two countries in one heart Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:03:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Finally Woken http://finally-woken.com/2008/12/on-cards/#comment-1448 Finally Woken Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:01:50 +0000 http://finally-woken.com/?p=1196#comment-1448 Sonya: I am like you now, the amount of cards I send this year is less than last year. And I know for sure next year will be much less. It’s a bit difficult though since it’s not my nature, but what I have done is not cost efficient and not appreciated so why bother? Sonya: I am like you now, the amount of cards I send this year is less than last year. And I know for sure next year will be much less. It’s a bit difficult though since it’s not my nature, but what I have done is not cost efficient and not appreciated so why bother?

]]> By: Sonya http://finally-woken.com/2008/12/on-cards/#comment-1447 Sonya Sun, 21 Dec 2008 21:49:50 +0000 http://finally-woken.com/?p=1196#comment-1447 I'm an american living in the netherlands for almost 2 years now and it's like everyone back home has forgotten about me. I make my own cards and send them to friends back home and it isnt cheap..last year I spent 45 euros shipping off cards and small packages..wat did I get back? e-cards that were sent as a mass e-mail or a card here and there. I no longer feel in the loop with things. It's hard enough living in another country but when you dont even have your friends from back home to help you along,it makes everything seem that much harder. I paid attention this year though and the amount of cards I sent off was less than half...alot of them can't handle me living away..it's to much work to keep a long distance friendship going I was told. So I do understand where you are coming from. I’m an american living in the netherlands for almost 2 years now and it’s like everyone back home has forgotten about me. I make my own cards and send them to friends back home and it isnt cheap..last year I spent 45 euros shipping off cards and small packages..wat did I get back? e-cards that were sent as a mass e-mail or a card here and there. I no longer feel in the loop with things. It’s hard enough living in another country but when you dont even have your friends from back home to help you along,it makes everything seem that much harder. I paid attention this year though and the amount of cards I sent off was less than half…alot of them can’t handle me living away..it’s to much work to keep a long distance friendship going I was told.
So I do understand where you are coming from.

]]> By: Finally Woken http://finally-woken.com/2008/12/on-cards/#comment-1446 Finally Woken Sat, 20 Dec 2008 07:36:23 +0000 http://finally-woken.com/?p=1196#comment-1446 Parvita: You and I are talking about the same thing from different angle. My Dutch friend and I both are expats and we are faced by the possibility of spending a fortune just to keep in touch with our friends and relatives at our home country. But those who are left do not think it is necessary to do the same thing, or do not take extra effort to keep in touch with us, and think it is perfectly normal for us to spend more for them than the vice versa. To be perfectly honest the cost of cards and postal charge here also kill me, but I do it anyway because I love my friends. And (unfortunately), beside yearly Christmas & Ied, there's always someone's birthday or someone's baby was just born. And on top of the card and gift, I still have to buy the packaging and pay for the postal charge, which now doesn't only measure the cost by weight but also by size. So the bigger the more expensive. And to talk about wasting money for fuel, you know how expensive the petrol here ( GBP 0.90/litre), <em>and</em> the parking fee is expensive too (GBP 2.50/2 hours). So to save some penny, I either have to walk or to take the bus. It takes extra will to do it, especially when it was pouring rain or windy cold. When I was in Indonesia, even though it was expensive for me, I still did send cards and gifts to my friends abroad or outside Jakarta. Those are the friends whom I cannot see in person. Those who were around me would have gotten their gift when I saw them, of course. Just like when you said you <em>give</em>, not <em>send</em>. If I was too busy I thankfully could ask my company driver or courier to help me posting the cards or packages (with extra tip). If it's valuable I usually went to RPX (national courier for DHL) or DHL in Kuningan. However, when I now live in a different place from my friends, those who receive the cards and gifts do not do the same thing with millions of reasons which I think are lame as there's a will, there's a way. And I get SMS and e-cards, as a return of cards and gifts :P Parvita: You and I are talking about the same thing from different angle. My Dutch friend and I both are expats and we are faced by the possibility of spending a fortune just to keep in touch with our friends and relatives at our home country. But those who are left do not think it is necessary to do the same thing, or do not take extra effort to keep in touch with us, and think it is perfectly normal for us to spend more for them than the vice versa.

To be perfectly honest the cost of cards and postal charge here also kill me, but I do it anyway because I love my friends. And (unfortunately), beside yearly Christmas & Ied, there’s always someone’s birthday or someone’s baby was just born. And on top of the card and gift, I still have to buy the packaging and pay for the postal charge, which now doesn’t only measure the cost by weight but also by size. So the bigger the more expensive. And to talk about wasting money for fuel, you know how expensive the petrol here ( GBP 0.90/litre), and the parking fee is expensive too (GBP 2.50/2 hours). So to save some penny, I either have to walk or to take the bus. It takes extra will to do it, especially when it was pouring rain or windy cold.

When I was in Indonesia, even though it was expensive for me, I still did send cards and gifts to my friends abroad or outside Jakarta. Those are the friends whom I cannot see in person. Those who were around me would have gotten their gift when I saw them, of course. Just like when you said you give, not send. If I was too busy I thankfully could ask my company driver or courier to help me posting the cards or packages (with extra tip). If it’s valuable I usually went to RPX (national courier for DHL) or DHL in Kuningan. However, when I now live in a different place from my friends, those who receive the cards and gifts do not do the same thing with millions of reasons which I think are lame as there’s a will, there’s a way. And I get SMS and e-cards, as a return of cards and gifts :P

]]> By: parvita http://finally-woken.com/2008/12/on-cards/#comment-1445 parvita Sat, 20 Dec 2008 01:57:27 +0000 http://finally-woken.com/?p=1196#comment-1445 Hey Anita, nothing against you, but a bit of a criticizm for those who think Indonesians are wierd because they don't send cards. We meet instead (which is another waste of fuel but hey, it's worth it if they are your good relatives and good friends, right?). Unfortunately, the recycled paper thingy are pricy here and not too easy to find, same for those that are sponsored by UN. Add up queuing and gasoline plus the mail system here just doesn't work out like in the west, e-card and sms is the safest and quickest, efficient way of showing that we care. With the sms and e-mail, those who don't have the luxury of time and space communicate more during the festives. It's just the matter of different ways of doing things. ps: you know how costly it is for average Indonesians to send cards abroad, right? I mean, if one uses the economic logic, e-cards versus conventional card...for me, it's the thought that counts :) <abbr><em><abbr><em>parvitas last blog post..<a href="http://parvita.wordpress.com/2008/12/16/aging-when-do-we-just-accept-it-im-40-single-and-living-in-jakarta-part-10/" rel="nofollow">Aging: When do we just accept it? (I’m 40, single and living in Jakarta part 10)</a></em></abbr></abbr></em> Hey Anita, nothing against you, but a bit of a criticizm for those who think Indonesians are wierd because they don’t send cards. We meet instead (which is another waste of fuel but hey, it’s worth it if they are your good relatives and good friends, right?).

Unfortunately, the recycled paper thingy are pricy here and not too easy to find, same for those that are sponsored by UN. Add up queuing and gasoline plus the mail system here just doesn’t work out like in the west, e-card and sms is the safest and quickest, efficient way of showing that we care. With the sms and e-mail, those who don’t have the luxury of time and space communicate more during the festives. It’s just the matter of different ways of doing things.

ps: you know how costly it is for average Indonesians to send cards abroad, right? I mean, if one uses the economic logic, e-cards versus conventional card…for me, it’s the thought that counts :)

parvitas last blog post..Aging: When do we just accept it? (I’m 40, single and living in Jakarta part 10)

]]> By: Finally Woken http://finally-woken.com/2008/12/on-cards/#comment-1444 Finally Woken Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:44:30 +0000 http://finally-woken.com/?p=1196#comment-1444 Parvita: if you're the kind of human race who concerns about the green planet, there's an option for recycled papers, which are heavily promoted here. Those which are produced by charity also a big hit. To <em>GIVE</em> a birthday present is only practical if you live in the same city, right? I don't have such luxury anymore so I <em>have to SEND</em> it, which is quite costly as well - but never mind, as long as my friends can receive their gift on their birthdays. Parvita: if you’re the kind of human race who concerns about the green planet, there’s an option for recycled papers, which are heavily promoted here. Those which are produced by charity also a big hit.

To GIVE a birthday present is only practical if you live in the same city, right? I don’t have such luxury anymore so I have to SEND it, which is quite costly as well – but never mind, as long as my friends can receive their gift on their birthdays.

]]> By: parvita http://finally-woken.com/2008/12/on-cards/#comment-1443 parvita Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:38:15 +0000 http://finally-woken.com/?p=1196#comment-1443 I'm one of those who doesn't send cards anymore. I think I cover it all though. For families in Jakarta, we visit and gather so no need for cards. For relatives outside Jakarta, I give them a call, so better communication than cards. For my gang bang or network, halal bihalal gatherings. We meet, instead of sending cards. Which, I think, is more meaningful, seeing for myself how, especially, my aunts and uncles, are doing. I don't mind getting only emails, too. That already shows that I'm in their mind. Exception for birthdays, for those who are in my inner circle, I give them birthday presents WITH a card. Note: GIVE, not SEND. On top of that, with email, SMS and phone calls, don't you think we save the forests? Isn't it a bit ironic, when people from the west promote "save energy, save the planet, save the forest etc", yet there are tons of papers wasted during Christmas for the card-sending tradition, which, I sense, is still a big deal in the west? And where do those paper come from? Where are the trees chopped from? Isn't Borneo forests one of those that Indonesians and other environment activists around the world trying to save? I guess I'm just a practical gal. <abbr><em><abbr><em>parvitas last blog post..<a href="http://parvita.wordpress.com/2008/12/16/aging-when-do-we-just-accept-it-im-40-single-and-living-in-jakarta-part-10/" rel="nofollow">Aging: When do we just accept it? (I’m 40, single and living in Jakarta part 10)</a></em></abbr></abbr></em> I’m one of those who doesn’t send cards anymore. I think I cover it all though. For families in Jakarta, we visit and gather so no need for cards. For relatives outside Jakarta, I give them a call, so better communication than cards. For my gang bang or network, halal bihalal gatherings. We meet, instead of sending cards. Which, I think, is more meaningful, seeing for myself how, especially, my aunts and uncles, are doing. I don’t mind getting only emails, too. That already shows that I’m in their mind.

Exception for birthdays, for those who are in my inner circle, I give them birthday presents WITH a card. Note: GIVE, not SEND.

On top of that, with email, SMS and phone calls, don’t you think we save the forests? Isn’t it a bit ironic, when people from the west promote “save energy, save the planet, save the forest etc”, yet there are tons of papers wasted during Christmas for the card-sending tradition, which, I sense, is still a big deal in the west? And where do those paper come from? Where are the trees chopped from? Isn’t Borneo forests one of those that Indonesians and other environment activists around the world trying to save?

I guess I’m just a practical gal.

parvitas last blog post..Aging: When do we just accept it? (I’m 40, single and living in Jakarta part 10)

]]> By: Finally Woken http://finally-woken.com/2008/12/on-cards/#comment-1442 Finally Woken Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:00:04 +0000 http://finally-woken.com/?p=1196#comment-1442 Diny: Aren't we all excited every time we see our mailbox is filled with greeting cards? Those square little things warm our hearts instantly. I do (free) hallmark e-card too, by the way :) Diny: Aren’t we all excited every time we see our mailbox is filled with greeting cards? Those square little things warm our hearts instantly. I do (free) hallmark e-card too, by the way :)

]]> By: Diny http://finally-woken.com/2008/12/on-cards/#comment-1441 Diny Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:57:07 +0000 http://finally-woken.com/?p=1196#comment-1441 I think e-card is fine, especially if you took the picture yourself or created it yourself. But hey... I'm a cheap-o. I sent ecards for free from sites such as Hallmark [dot] com and enjoyed receiving any. <abbr><em><abbr><em>Dinys last blog post..<a href="http://accordingtod.wordpress.com/2008/12/16/drama-of-the-year-vacation-gone-wild-part-1/" rel="nofollow">Drama of the Year (Vacation Gone Wild) - Part 1</a></em></abbr></abbr></em> I think e-card is fine, especially if you took the picture yourself or created it yourself. But hey… I’m a cheap-o. I sent ecards for free from sites such as Hallmark [dot] com and enjoyed receiving any.

Dinys last blog post..Drama of the Year (Vacation Gone Wild) – Part 1

]]> By: Finally Woken http://finally-woken.com/2008/12/on-cards/#comment-1440 Finally Woken Sun, 14 Dec 2008 10:33:04 +0000 http://finally-woken.com/?p=1196#comment-1440 Sweetmama: a bril idea, will apply it next year. Everybody gets precious SMS from me :) Tongue Twister: I <em>bother</em> sending them cards because I think it's a nice gesture, nicer than just SMS. I always like to receive cards rather than SMS, and I suppose my friends also like to receive actual cards rather than <em>just</em> SMS. Maybe Christmas or Ied is ok. But birthday is different altogether. Chloe: you're absolutely right. Sending thing from Indonesia is more expensive than sending thing from abroad to Indonesia - even with the conversion rate. This August I sent an invitation card from Indonesia to UK that cost me about Rp 30,000 (GBP 1.50) and if I send the same thing from UK to Indonesia it will cost half. And yeah, sadly post offices are not everywhere. Devi: I guess most Indonesians are like that. Katadia: there's a different from paper-less bank statement and greeting cards. I might settle for SMS on Christmas and Ied. But birthday? If my parents just text me and don't send me cards on my birthday, I'd be mad! :D Sweetmama: a bril idea, will apply it next year. Everybody gets precious SMS from me :)

Tongue Twister: I bother sending them cards because I think it’s a nice gesture, nicer than just SMS. I always like to receive cards rather than SMS, and I suppose my friends also like to receive actual cards rather than just SMS. Maybe Christmas or Ied is ok. But birthday is different altogether.

Chloe: you’re absolutely right. Sending thing from Indonesia is more expensive than sending thing from abroad to Indonesia – even with the conversion rate. This August I sent an invitation card from Indonesia to UK that cost me about Rp 30,000 (GBP 1.50) and if I send the same thing from UK to Indonesia it will cost half. And yeah, sadly post offices are not everywhere.

Devi: I guess most Indonesians are like that.

Katadia: there’s a different from paper-less bank statement and greeting cards. I might settle for SMS on Christmas and Ied. But birthday? If my parents just text me and don’t send me cards on my birthday, I’d be mad! :D

]]> By: katadia http://finally-woken.com/2008/12/on-cards/#comment-1439 katadia Sun, 14 Dec 2008 08:39:57 +0000 http://finally-woken.com/?p=1196#comment-1439 TongueTwister: I don't think we are "weird". But then again, I'm Indonesian so I'm probably bias. It's just different. Why would you send cards to your close relatives when you make time to visit each other and celebrate special religiuos holidays together? I guess people send cards to their bosses etc precisely because bosses are not close families. Likewise, I don't think it's "weird" that some people in Australia are so anti extended family gatherings. It's just different. :) Chloe: I've been very lucky to have post offices in handy locations in Jkt: in Taman Puring, and in Pondok Indah Mall. Anita, this posting brings back memory of what lebaran was like in junior high school! :) Cards are so very nice. I love them. Sending them, getting them. I hate those bulk SMS greetings and having to reply to each and everyone with a template :D. But yeah, in this age where the banks are encouraging us to use paper-less e-records, I guess less paper cards would be a good thing for the environmentalists. :) <abbr><em><abbr><em>katadias last blog post..<a href="http://secondaryearner.blogspot.com/2008/12/swamped.html" rel="nofollow">Swamped</a></em></abbr></abbr></em> TongueTwister: I don’t think we are “weird”. But then again, I’m Indonesian so I’m probably bias.
It’s just different. Why would you send cards to your close relatives when you make time to visit each other and celebrate special religiuos holidays together? I guess people send cards to their bosses etc precisely because bosses are not close families. Likewise, I don’t think it’s “weird” that some people in Australia are so anti extended family gatherings. It’s just different. :)

Chloe: I’ve been very lucky to have post offices in handy locations in Jkt: in Taman Puring, and in Pondok Indah Mall.

Anita, this posting brings back memory of what lebaran was like in junior high school! :) Cards are so very nice. I love them. Sending them, getting them. I hate those bulk SMS greetings and having to reply to each and everyone with a template :D . But yeah, in this age where the banks are encouraging us to use paper-less e-records, I guess less paper cards would be a good thing for the environmentalists. :)

katadias last blog post..Swamped

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