Unbelievable postage increase

For the past four years, I have been corresponding with a couple of friends who live in the United States. The postage was always Rp 1,500 (the exchange rate Rp 2,800 to US$1), which means more or less 54 U.S. cents.

On July 13, I wanted to mail a letter to America at a small post office in Puri Indah, West Jakarta. I was in great shock. The clerk told me that the postal rates had increased since early July. Could you guess how much? Rp 16,000 at least. Unbelievable! This is outrageous.

I first thought I had heard it wrong. After a few stunned seconds, I asked again. No, I heard it just right. So, I decided to take my letters home and keep them for a while. It seems that it's about time I stopped having the pleasure of writing to my friends. I am so sorry but it seems a wise thing to do at the moment.

I hope things will get better because this is my country and I love it, though I was born as Chinese.

LAY LIE TJIN

Jakarta