December 9th

December 9, 2021

Printers and the post office

The postal worker calls and I pop down to collect the package. It's what I expected - another piece of Poole Pottery to add to my collection. The policy I have is one in and one out, and the one going out has been bought by a collector in Australia. It's already packed up and ready to go, so the post office is my destination.

The box is sizable and it just squeezes into my canvas shoulder bag. While it's a bit bulky, it's not very heavy. It's all wrapped in thick white paper, as in the past postal clerks have told me Australia won't allow bare cardboard boxes. It's a strange rule if you ask me.

My latest purchase is slightly smaller than the other dishes I have, so it's a case of refitting one of the stiff stainless steel pegs that hold them to a plywood board: DIY time. It's just a minute's work.

I'll have lunch in town.

It must be three years since I sold my motor scooter. I don't miss it. The last time I drove a car was in the UK about 10 years ago. Cars never did appeal.

A small 1960's Poole Pottery dish that arrived today

Debbie messages the printers to ask about the calendars and they say they're ready to be collected and they tell her they close for lunch at noon, so I sling my canvas bag over my shoulder and set off. I wonder why they didn't let us know, but in a way it's not a total surprise.

Getting there is a 10-minute ride.

Only the mother is there. Not that it really matters. However, it's a surprise to have to fork out more cash when I was expecting to get a bit back, as instead of just printing the front cover photo on 350 gram paper, they've done the whole lot on that thickness. Oh well. It makes it seem substantial.

The box of 15 thick calendars is quite heavy. It goes in my pannier, but only just. The zip won't do up.

The post office is just across the railway tracks and it takes me about five more minutes to ride there. I'm unsure how much the postage will be for the box to go to Australia. The scales say it weighs 1.7kg, but the good news is the clerk asks for just over NT$800, which is less than US$30. I was expecting it to be a bit more... swings and roundabouts.

I'll be back here tomorrow to post some calendars.

Louisa Coffee is on the next corner. Guess what.

I sit outside Louisa. The weather is nice. There's hardly any wind.

My bike is nearby and the Brooks seat looks like it won't last much longer, with the leather cracked and around the front rivet its a bit torn. The thing's about 35 years old and was very cheap. From memory, it cost me a fiver from a bike shop in the town of Grantham - Margeret Thatcher's original home.

Across the street is a wooden planter and my camera gets placed on its flat rim because I didn't bother bringing a tripod and I sit back down after setting the timer to 15 seconds. That's enough time to get photobombed. It happens twice, but that's OK.

It's nice to sit and watch people walk by. My lunch is a rice burger with a spicy veg filling.

It feels hot today, but maybe it's my thick shirt. It's a good job I didn't wear a jacket.

From Louisa I pop to the bank a few blocks away and use the ATM and then walk across the road to a big stationary store and buy a dozen A4 envelops for the calendars, then set off for home.

I have to undo my shirt and roll up the sleeves. It occurs to me to take it off. I'm sweating.

The ride home is so familiar. It's a route I've done almost everyday for the past 15 years. There's not much to talk about. The shops are ones I've never been in and it's not clear what a lot of them actually sell. They're nondescript.

I spot a section of wall in some sunshine and flick down the bike's stand and walk across and take a snap, as I know there's nothing much else.

As I get close to home, the chairs I snapped a week ago are now in a bit of sun and I take a shot of them. They're a dining room set, plus two plastic ones.

My class today starts at 5:00, but I need leave home around 3:30 to ride to the bus station. The bus ride is 30 minutes. The class is at the nation's telephone company, teaching about eight tech guys. Before the class I sit in a convenience store and read for half an hour.

Today's ride: 6 km (4 miles)
Total: 985 km (612 miles)

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