print heights and I can give you no
clue or reason...but I do apologize!
=========================
NOT IN A MILLION YEARS…
The above comment has to do with
what I am currently (and have been
for quite a few months) experiencing
...regarding my “actually” obtaining
Internet service. I must say however
that I do have inconsistent service
(somewhat like pirating) by way of
wi-fi from a hotel...half way up the
street from my departemento.
Anyway not to get off the subject…
and going back in time…I had
originally “contracted” with the
premier Internet provider in Ecuador…
named “ETAPA”.
All was well until I received a call
from them stating (and without any
reason what-so-ever) they could not
install the Internet to my residencia.
Well…that was OK [then] as my free
wi-fi was working pretty good. This...
is when the “S**T’ hit the proverbial
fan and my free wi-fi…all of a sudden…
required the much dreaded…password.
Well being a guy who hailed from
Brooklyn…I took the “bull by the
horns” so to speak…went to the
Hotel-Restaurant where I was
getting my [previous “free” wi-fi]…
sat down…invested in a good but
overpriced appetizer and obtained
the much the needed “password”.
This by the way…got locked into
my computer and I was good as
gold…for a few weeks anyway.
Those few weeks became an
exercise in futility as…I never new
when and or if I would get on-line…
thus my decision…to once again
try to get ETAPA as my Internet
provider.
This time however I enlisted the
help of Martha who over time…
in Cuenca has become not only my
apartment finder…but a good friend.
That brings me to my current angst.
Please take note…that this is now
day three (3) of “trying” to obtain
service from the illustrious
organization known as ETAPA.
It seems that "their" idea of “pronto”
is M-A-Y-B-E…today, tomorrow...
or whenever !!!
Incidentally…you may have heard
of the rumor that things move slowly
here (and elsewhere) in South
America. Believe me...
IT IS NO RUMOR…IT IS
PLAIN SIMPLE… “FACT”.
PLAIN SIMPLE… “FACT”.
Anyway…
I’m getting a bit off the ‘ol track!
This latest chapter in my ETAPA
dealings started three (3) days ago
as in Monday.
After arriving with Martha (my
translator in this...adventure) at
ETAPA’s Sacred Ground (Main
Office) we finally…after about an
hour had all the T’s crossed & I’s
dotted. We were told that installation
would take place Wednesday (today).
And…off we went to our business
and I was HAPPY…HAPPY :)
and I was HAPPY…HAPPY :)
The story…doesn’t end here
(as if you couldn’t guess).
After the success at ETAPA on
Monday…Martha made some calls
(unbeknownst to me) and this was
the result:
OK…it’s now Tuesday evening
and I am now at Gringo Night at
Di Bacco’s Restaurante…having a
very good drink along with good
conversation and “here comes Martha”
like a major storm cloud about to
unleash a torrent”. She almost literally
dragged me out of the restaurant
telling me that the ETAPA installer
is waiting for me. HELLOOOO!!
WOW I thought…this is amazing
and of course I understood Martha’s
rushing me (she tried calling me
about ten (10) times). Anyway…yes
the installer was piddling around with
the building wires and I must say he
did try…but he apparently (?) ran
into a “Grande Problemo” and told
me in broken English he would
return at Ocho Media (8:30 am) the
next day (today Wednesday).
THIS DID NOT HAPPEN!.........
SURPRISE!!!!!
To continue (after a calming breath)
8:30 turned into 10:30…and beyond.
After calling Martha (many times)
we decided I should go about my
business and do...whatever.
Now…you are probably thinking
that at least I had the rest of the day
to enjoy life and I was…
[notice I said "was"]!
At about Noon I made up to meet my
friend Charlie for coffee or whatever
and that I would just wait for him
in El Parke Calderone.
This mi amigoes…is when I got
the phone call from Martha that…
they [ETAPA] were on the way
and would be there [steady now]...
in El Parke Calderone.
This mi amigoes…is when I got
the phone call from Martha that…
they [ETAPA] were on the way
and would be there [steady now]...
in cinco minutos (5 minutes).
Now…one would think that after
living in Ecuador 8+ months I would
understand the linguistic variances
of five (5) minutos…NOT!!!
I rushed home and W-A-I-T-E-D...
BTW it was about 11:30 a.m..
At 2:30 I had given up!
So…una mas vez (one more time)...
I called Martha and told her to call
"THOSE" people and tell them to
come manana as I had my
appointment to meet mi amigo
Gerard for a late lunch.
You’ll never guess what happened
next (or maybe you will)…as (and
I still can’t believe this…although
I saw it with my own eyes)…
Cammie...mi gato (my cat) is
apparently half watch dog (cat…
what-ever) as…all of a sudden she
stood up straight and statuesque….
staring straight at the door and then
ran for it.
The only thing missing was barking.
Well lo and behold I opened the
door and there stood two Etapa
Installers. After a couple of quick
calls and back and forth conversation
between Martha and the Etapa
hombres they swore they would be
done in a half hour. In they came…
started doing what they (supposedly)
do best and BAM…
they hit the proverbial wall!
It’s Mac Attack time…
“Not what you think”…
no Big Macs but the realization
that I have a “Mac” computer and
“dos hombres” have absolutely...
“no clue”.
Back on the phone with Martha (I
owe her BIG TIME when this is done)…
it turns out that she and the head
installer are good friends. Anyway
he made a call after talking with her
and to make this story somewhat
shorter…manana he…his friend
(who knows the ins and outs of
Macs) (?) and Martha are all coming
to mi departemento at 8:30 a.m.
(well see) to bring this installation
to a final…and hopefully happy
conclusion. Party time anyone?
Well…it’s now day four (4) of this
debacle and OMG…it’s 8:20 a.m…
I have one sneaker on and there’s a…
knock on my door. Could it possibly
be true…an Ecuadorian Service Person…”EARLY”?
Believe it or not…not only is he early
but there are now three (3) hombres
and uno hombre is “familiar” with
Macs.
I am UTERLLY SPEECHLESS
(but ecstatic).
They came…they fixed…and they
said adios. Time elapsed…maybe
15 minutes…and I now have my own...
wi-fi connection...YES :)
So…my first order of business was
to FINALLY secure my flight to
Thailand (for about 2 months hence).
This little jaunt is necessary...so that
hopefully one day the house in
Thailand will be sold. But…
first things first.
After about an hour of playing
"yes/no/maybe" with Expedia.com
and with some minor changes in
flight dates…Yes…yours truly has
succeeded in securing his reservation.
The only thing left now is to reserve
“local to/from” flights…both within
Ecuador and Thailand…but I have
time to get his done. The important
items were the Intercontinental Flights…
and right now I just can’t even “think”
of making any more reservations!
There will be more information
regarding these flights…as I get closer
to my actual flight date.
This by the way (if you’re interested)…
are my flight dates (excluding the
“in-country” flights).
I leave 4/20/11 and return 5/20/11.
So I guess it’s best to keep this
current Blog on the short(ish) side
and get outside for a bit and then…
yes...I can now get on mi
computadora/Internet…
anytime I wish!
Hasta Pronto y
Tenga un dia agradable
(See you Soon and
Have a Nice day) :) :)
No comments:
Post a Comment