"Squeeze the World"
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
The internet situation has yet to improve, but at least I know that the company is aware of it. Lisa called me at the Village saying that the internet guys came but didn't see a computer, so I ran back over and set up my laptop for when they came back. About ten minutes later, a man knocks on my door and speaks in Hebrew. I caught the word for computer, so I pointed it out to him, he saw it then left. For another fifteen minutes, I paced around the apartment trying to figure out what he was doing, maybe he thought I said it was fixed? If so, then it would mean another five days before I would be able to get someone to help. I tried calling Lisa a couple times, then just as I got through, another man walked through my door. Scandalous!
So he sat down and tried to figure out how to restart my computer. I was unaware that this was what he wanted, so I was busy showing him how the computer didn't recognize that the ethernet cable was plugged in, and how if we could access the router blah blah blah. Finally he said “restart? How can I?” And so I pushed the power button for him. While it was restarting, he said “this is a problem, this is a Macintosh? I only know PC, Windows XP.” Then I tried to tell him that that shouldn't be a problem because I was pretty sure that the computer worked just fine blah blah blah. I should him again that it wasn't connected, and pointed out that the cable was plugged in. He tried to open DOS, and I was pretty sure that that was a windows feature, but he thought I didn't know what DOS was, so tried to explain “black screen.” Then he said, “this is problem.”
I pointed out the ethernet cable again, and he went outside to see that it led into the room beneath me, and asked if I had the key. I grabbed a bunch of keys that I happened to find during my pacings, but none of them worked.
We went down to the Administration office to ask for a key (at least that was my intention) and I tried to explain the situation, and I thought he was saying the same thing in Arabic, but then the women turned to me and said “he says he cannot work on a Macintosh.” So I tried to explain again that I didn't think it was the computer's problem blah blah blah. Finally, after much confusion, a Sister walks in with a handful of keys. English was translated into Arabic then translated into French. The poor Sister looked so confused and handed me the keys, and the woman next to me said, “she says try them all and please bring them back.” So, we go back to my apartment and get stuck behind slow walkers on the way, then try the keys to the downstairs door. After figuring it out, we walk into an eerie abandoned room and find the cord that runs into a socket. We tried the “pull out and plug back in” technique, I run back upstairs to check, and no success. One of the guys stays behind when I go back down, which I thought was sort of creepy, but I tried to find the socket's source with no luck.
Back upstairs, the other guy was putting different numbers in the configuration and what-not, and I showed him how to check. Finally, they both say, “maybe the problem is in the cord. Someone proficient in cords will come.” So.. maybe I'll have internet in a week or so, who knows.
After they left, I walked back to the office and returned the keys to the Sister, who is probably one of the most darling nuns I've seen. She seemed very sad for me and said things in French, so I told her thank you and have a nice day.
Thus the saga of the internet connection continues.
So he sat down and tried to figure out how to restart my computer. I was unaware that this was what he wanted, so I was busy showing him how the computer didn't recognize that the ethernet cable was plugged in, and how if we could access the router blah blah blah. Finally he said “restart? How can I?” And so I pushed the power button for him. While it was restarting, he said “this is a problem, this is a Macintosh? I only know PC, Windows XP.” Then I tried to tell him that that shouldn't be a problem because I was pretty sure that the computer worked just fine blah blah blah. I should him again that it wasn't connected, and pointed out that the cable was plugged in. He tried to open DOS, and I was pretty sure that that was a windows feature, but he thought I didn't know what DOS was, so tried to explain “black screen.” Then he said, “this is problem.”
I pointed out the ethernet cable again, and he went outside to see that it led into the room beneath me, and asked if I had the key. I grabbed a bunch of keys that I happened to find during my pacings, but none of them worked.
We went down to the Administration office to ask for a key (at least that was my intention) and I tried to explain the situation, and I thought he was saying the same thing in Arabic, but then the women turned to me and said “he says he cannot work on a Macintosh.” So I tried to explain again that I didn't think it was the computer's problem blah blah blah. Finally, after much confusion, a Sister walks in with a handful of keys. English was translated into Arabic then translated into French. The poor Sister looked so confused and handed me the keys, and the woman next to me said, “she says try them all and please bring them back.” So, we go back to my apartment and get stuck behind slow walkers on the way, then try the keys to the downstairs door. After figuring it out, we walk into an eerie abandoned room and find the cord that runs into a socket. We tried the “pull out and plug back in” technique, I run back upstairs to check, and no success. One of the guys stays behind when I go back down, which I thought was sort of creepy, but I tried to find the socket's source with no luck.
Back upstairs, the other guy was putting different numbers in the configuration and what-not, and I showed him how to check. Finally, they both say, “maybe the problem is in the cord. Someone proficient in cords will come.” So.. maybe I'll have internet in a week or so, who knows.
After they left, I walked back to the office and returned the keys to the Sister, who is probably one of the most darling nuns I've seen. She seemed very sad for me and said things in French, so I told her thank you and have a nice day.
Thus the saga of the internet connection continues.
A, 7:00 AM
