One-Pound Notes

 040714 – One LE Notes

This is a country where you must walk around with your eyes fully opened and your faculties fully functioning! There are many funny, interesting or downright bizarre observations every day - if only we were to see them. Below are a couple of such observations I have noticed:

One Pound Notes...

where else in the world can you enter a Bank, go to a Teller and receive any amount of money in either local or USD at the drop of a hat. Each Teller has drawer-fulls at his disposal. The money is thrown into the drawers in bundles of 100 notes per bundle of whatever denomination in both Pounds and US Dollars EXCEPT, that is, for one Pound notes. Should you be so brave and somewhat bold, as to ask for 100 x One Pound notes the most likely answer you will receive is a firm 'no'.  However, perseverance and patience built upon relationships can often make the difference between a 'yes' and a 'no'. Nowadays, I can walk up to the Teller, ask for one or two hundred One Pound notes and eventually will receive my "reward". We [the Teller & I, that is] laugh that he has a drawer full of money to an amazing amount and yet to furnish my request he must ask his supervisor for one or two hundred One Pound notes. The supervisor checks out the enquirer [me] and then nods an agreement. I am asked to wait while the supervisor walks to the safe [locked, no doubt, in the bowels of the Bank] and returns with one or two hundred One Pound notes. They are usually so shabby, dirty, torn and disgusting that I am convinced he retrieved them from the rubbish bin. However, both he and I know that these pieces of paper are like liquid gold! He hands the bundles to the Teller, who must sign for them before handing them on to me. I gladly accept them, count them in their presence and then walk out smiling like the cat who got the cream! Once again I have been able to secure a bundle of One Pound notes. I cringe when I see foreigners handing them out willy-nilly, not realising the value of these pieces of brown paper; not realising the effort it took on so many people's part for me to get them; not realising their true value within the community.

… and wait there will be more stories to tell [we just have to wait for them to happen]..