I am really into mail. I love writing postcards and sending people things.
Before coming here, I did have the suspicion that the mail service wasn’t working as well as one would have thought, but that was just a theory.

About ten days after I moved to Moholt, I got a letter from Anna. So I thought, okay, everything’s working all right… I’m getting mail! most kids around here told me I was supposed to go to the post office to get registered if I wasn’t getting any, but when I mentioned I had already gotten some, it seemed like the norwegian postal service wouldn’t be a problem in my life.
Letter #2 arrives. everything fine.
About a week later, I get a notice in my mailbox about a letter for me. The notice is obviously in norwegian, but I understand from it that I’ve gotten a letter from a certain Anna from Australia (obviously the confusion between Austria and Australia is not uncommon here, either) and that I should go to the post office because I have to pay some kind of fee to receive it. Strange, but okay..
I get to the post office and, lucky me, I get the most unhelpful guy, ever.
I start off in norwegian, because I’m nice like that, but then he realises that I’m foreign so he replies in english. I show him the letter and tell him I don’t understand it all, he translates for me looking pissed off and annoyed; apparently my letter is stuck in Oslo at the customs and I have to fill out the paper with my name, phone number, date of birth and sign it, and he will send it back; when I leave the country I’ll have to pay some kind of tax to ‘export’ my letter. right, whatever.
While I’m at it I think of asking him about whether I should fill out the form about me having changed address. the conversation goes a little like this:

Me: Oh.. and also, should I fill out that form about the change of address?
Rude Guy: It’s up to you.
Me: But is it going to make a difference at all? Will I not be getting mail if I don’t fill it out?
Rude Guy: Yeah. Maybe. Maybe it will.
[silence]
Me: ok so I probably should I guess. [smile]
Rude Guy: yes. [no smile]
Me: can I get the form please?
Rude guy just stares at me blankly for like 3 minutes before turning his chair around so I can have the stupid form.

This is obviously not over. because after all that hassle at the Post Office, Anna got her letter back, with a sticker on it saying “does that live at that address”.

Tusen takk, Norge! :(