Getting waited for something or some body makes people heart pain. The next two weeks, I received none responding from the Stamps Collection General Office, Beijing. I had to call them again. This time it was a gentleman, who answered my phone. "Ni Hao! I am calling from Shanghai, Please…" Then, I was interrupted immediately. "Just go ahead your case." He was so straight forward. "Okay, can I speak to Ms. Li?" I continued. "She is not around and you talk to me…" the gentlemen, who des not even want to be greeted by his name, spoke to me firmly. "My name is Chen, about two weeks ago I ordered…" "Yes, I know." I was interrupted again "You have ordered two sets, called He Tang Yue Se and Huang He Lou Building." "Yes, I wired money to you, but, I have not received it." It's the turn I interrupted him. "Your will get those on next Monday." The gentlemen said with confidence. I said: "Ms. Li told me it is about 3-5 days you should get the money and send those stamps by express mail to me." "Yes, we received your money. However, we are running out of those sets your requested." I asked him: "Then, are you sure you will send those to me on next Monday?" "Sure, 11 a.m. next Monday." Mr. NONGREETER answered and handed up phone...
Have you heard the word called "Punctual"? I fully understood it for the following Monday, same as Mr. NONGREETER said, at 11 a.m., I got call from my colleague that I have a courier service from Beijing. Needless to say, it must be the lovely stamps Ms Pat was anxious for. And she would be back to our hotel tomorrow.
When I hand over those stamps to Ms Pat upon her arrival, Ms Pat could not help speaking to me loudly: "William, it is unbelievable! You made it happen! Nancy (her daughter) and I are the happy ladies now!" She continued: "It will get so easy that we can collect more Chinese Memory Stamps!"
If you went to Li Jiang in Yun Nan Province, your find the green mountains and the blue lakes are not either like HuaShan Mountains in ruggedness, or like the West Lake in extreme beauty. But, they quietly remains on this ancient earth for thousands years, showing the peace and elegance to every visitor; keeping the people far away from the noise of city and any trouble in the life. It is similar with our concierge job, we are not like the hero described in movie, saving the world or securing people's life every day. However, we can help guests keeping away from those little & annoying things. Just like Ms Pat, when she stepped into the Portman Ritz-Carlton hotel, she would not worry about her cell phone minutes loading; her printing problems or any suggested restaurants she wanted to invite her business partners; now, she should not worry about collecting Chinese stamps just because of me and my colleague, who can personally handle this issue at any time for her. In next two months, once Ms Pat found any valuable stamps on the internet, she would come to our concierge desk to look for me. I helped her to check on the web site of the Stamp General Company and made order for her. Plus, the IT problem of system had been covered already, which made my job much easier. Pat could always get the requested stamps on time. However, one day, the real challenge is coming.
I still remember it was on one Wednesday morning, Ms Pat came to me and show me the picture down loaded from the internet. The picture show clearly that there are four stamps designed into one tablet. They are published by HongKong & Macau post office together to celebrate Macau return to China for 10 years. Meanwhile I noticed the picture shown on the internet was in the year 2009.
"I like those Red Bud & Lotus Patterns so much! I really want to have it! " Ms. Pat Said. I told her I will try to look for it on the website of the Stamps Collection General Company and after her coming back hotel in next month; I would tell her the news. Upon Ms. Pat leaving my desk, she re-emphasized that it should be the four stamped designed into one tablet.
I checked on the internet to look for these stamps, however, there is no such type of stamps displayed on the website. Without any hesitation, I called phone number of the website Ms. Pat Provided to me, but, it is not exist. I felt it strange, because it is obviously displayed on the internet, how come I even could not find it in the web site of Stamps Collection General Company. With my curiosity, I made the phone call to Beijing.
Shortly, some body on the other side picked up the phone, "Speak…" Oh, my god! It is Mr. NONGREETER again! Without any courtesy, I asked him whether they have this kind of stamp to sell. "No." the answer is still straight. "But, I checked out on the other company's website. There is the one existed. " "First, we are the government company under the China General Post Office, any stamp issued from our company is the real one. Second, we have never been authorized by General Office to issue this kind of stamps to public. " I know it should be the finial answer of Mr. NONGREETER. I thanked him and handed up phone.
Just after a few weeks, Ms. Pat came back. Of cause it was not the good news for her. "Oh, really… it is a little bit disappointing. But, I still appreciate you spend quite a lot of time on my entire requirement. " She said this still with smile.
After my shift, I got back home at mid night. My family was into sleep already. However, I could not sleep. In my mind, it always appeared the "Pat" smile, kindness, friendliness, but with pity. "I can not get her pity so easily. I should pay 120% efforts, even I fail again, and then, both of us will not regret." I thought. But, it seemed there was no any clue for me. I thought it over and over; I stopped my memory on the phone conversation with Mr. NONGREETER. His words "We have never been authorized by General Office to issue this kind of stamps to PUBLIC." It gave me such feeling, that Mr. NONGREETER was giving me some hint. I timely went over his words, be realizing if they do not sale it to "PUBLIC", whether they do internal exchange among the cities' post offices? When I thought it, I got excited for there was the possibility to get those stamps! But, who else can help me? Suddenly, I thought of a person, who is called…
Kevin! Mr. Kevin Miao is working in the Post Office in our Shanghai Center. I knew him months ago by chasing him for almost 2 hours and returning him the lost courier envelope. When he got the customer, he told me he even did not know how to survive if the envelope could not be found; if I need any help from him, just let him know. I nearly forgot it.
Second day, I looked for Kevin in the post office.
