12 October 2009

Internet Addiction

Hi, I'm Bonnie, and I am quite literally addicted to the internet.

Oh, sure, I can make all the excuses I want: I'm still new to the area and don't know where things are, or when they open/close, I don't have the phone numbers I need, and I'm still dealing with culture shock and lack of knowledge of things like pre-paid electrical meters - especially when they're missing their keys. I could complain that, without access to the internet, I can't keep track of the items I've purchased and which are scheduled to be delivered here within the next week (a wardrobe that was ordered by the landlady as part of our contract [actually, our contract stipulates that the wardrobe be installed when I moved in... hmmm...], a bookcase, a towel rack, a tool set so I can put said items together, etc) - especially important since, many thanks previous tenant!, the wires connecting the outside doorbell to my flat have been cut. Apparently, two different deliveries have come and gone while I have been sitting a mere flight of stairs away - one of said deliveries has already been "refused" twice, and is being sent back to the depot, where a full refund will be made. Trouble is, while I *am* happy to hear that I won't be charged for the items I never received, I STILL WANT THEM - even more obnoxiously, I don't even know what they are.

(sigh)

That said, these frustrations are no excuse for the fact that I have, for the past two days, been standing, sitting, lying down, and standing on tiptoes in every single corner of my flat, desperately trying to find an unsecured wifi network to connect to. It doesn't excuse the fact that I have attempted to use "password" as a password for each of the locked networks I've found (hey, you never know when someone is going to be uncreative). And it REALLY doesn't excuse the fact that I very nearly went into an extremely - EXTREMELY - sketchy looking internet cafe, just to get my daily jones.

I have, however, not sunk that far and, instead, registered for a library card at my local library and waited my turn for my one hour daily allowance. Having been patient, I have been able to check my email accounts, update facebook, schedule a redelivery for something that arrived this morning while I was eating breakfast (whatever it is, it won't be here until Wednesday, and only then if I manage to be looking out of the window as the van pulls up), and all those delightful things that make me feel connected to the world around me.
*Theoretically*, my home internet connection should be arriving by post within a few days - the PlusNet woman assured me that the router simply plugs into the wall and essentially installs itself; the wifi router arrives alongside it. That said, I also received a call from PlusNet three days later, claiming that a technician has been scheduled for next Monday, sometime between 9AM and 2PM. (Typical) Why do I need a technician if it plugs into the wall - especially if I'm expecting the items by post some this week? On the other hand, I cannot find one single phone outlet anywhere in the flat. Maybe I will need him after all. And how will I know when he arrives? Even being on the internet does not prevent me from getting nervous about my next fix, after all. ;)

And don't get me started about my doorknob...

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