[user_7832]

For better or worse, "person from 1st world country does what they think helps, based on their worldview - but never asks 3rd world recipient" is unfortunately a very common troupe.

(I'm from a 3rd world country and have seen it over and over again.)

[emj]

Sending things is hard, it does not help asking people in who receives the things. You need to speak with someone who has experience sending things in the way you need to do it. Getting a package from China is not the same thing as sending things from China.

I am the first to acknowledge that I know very little of how things works outside my country. The only reasons I know that is with many failures. When I lived abroad sometimes people feel talked down to when you as an rich outsider tried to understand things. I do not understand the culture or the reasons for things. It did not help asking in because I did not know how to ask the right question.

[virgil_disgr4ce]

From another comment, the author did ask the recipient, who also did not know the best way to ship the laptop

[oncallthrow]

It’s “trope”, not “troupe”

[user_7832]

Thanks! I hesitated for a moment when typing but went ahead with (apparently the wrong) spelling.

[fsckboy]

it's mostly actors who traffic in tropes, and also actors who travel in troupes... coincidence? i think not