Finally, After Nine Months

It sounds like a woman giving birth after a nine months of waiting. How I wish it was the case, but it is not.

January 6th of this year, the forwarder agent picked my balikbayan box to be sent to the Philippines. According to their standard estimate, this box will be at my sister's house on the first week of the month of May, because as they explained it, it will be on the first week of February before the cargo ship will start sailing to the Philippines. Well, I didn't think it sounded bad.

Middle week of February, I heard from the agent that the shipping was postponed and will finally go sailing on the next week. I guess it did because I hadn't heard from them until the last week of May.

Last week of May, was when they said that the cargo ship finally made it to the Philippines, and that in the following days to come they will start with the door to door delivery. I was getting excited for my family to see what I got for them.

Last week of June, was when I was told that they got a problem with the delivery. The boxes were being hold by the custom because of some unsettled dues, and heard that the owner of the forwarder company was having financial trouble. Gee Whizzzzzzz!

Here comes the blow... There was a rumor spreading around that the boxes will soon be put to auction, should the deadline of the due be ignored by the owner of the company. You gotta be kidding me. This is my first time sending away balikbayan box and you are screwing me up like this!!!

Weeks and weeks followed, it was all about constantly calling the shipping lines in the Philippines to where the box was being hold, constant call and text to the agent who picked the box from our house, begging the owner of GHL (the name of that balikbayan cargo forwarder), and even my family were trying to follow up them by talking to them on the cellphone. It was such a terrible and unbelievable situation that I considered a nightmare before I sent out the box. And to make things worst, Manila was flooded for weeks that it made me worried about the possible destruction of the box.

The agent came up with the idea, to personally take care of those boxes that were his responsibility. The easiest and quickiest way to solve the situation was to pay the shipping lines in Manila (Philippines) and right after that they will deliver the particular boxes. The agent talked to me and told me that he was willing to shoulder half of the expense, and the other half will be from the customers. Of course, I agreed. All I wanted was for the box to be deliver and be done with it.

6th of September, exactly nine months after, and it was my birthday, when my niece sent me a PM on FB, told me that finally the box was in the house. Greatt!!! We set time on that night to meet up on Skype while they open the box. I was sooo relieve, and they were so happy!!!

I will still be sending box. In fact, I am almost ready for my second one, but of course, it will be to the trusted company this time.

Thank you, God, for the birhtday present!