compaq tech support rules. i’m back online.
i needed to purchase a new hd but i can send my lappy in with the dead drive (they pay the courier cost) and i should have my machine back in a few days.
the setup cd’s that came with the laptop were a dream. fully functional again after about 2.5 hours of reinstalling stuff. i had to download things (trillian, skype, etc.) from this internet connection that didn’t come with the base machine so that added to the resetup time.
crud i think i broke my laptop’s hard drive. apparently laptop hd’s aren’t built for massive amounts of video capture and processing.
more later.
woo hoo another wifi hotspot just outside (or very near) my workplace!
this one is almost on the way to work and a little more convenient than some of the others. plus the owner labeled it with ‘public’ in the name so i can assume that it’s ok for me to use — ethically.
westberry station has an ‘excellent’-connection strength wifi lan nearby — kinda flakey it seems though.
i’ll be monitoring this closely though since it’s on a DLR station that is easy to get to.
ok the wifi connection at the flat was a fluke…
who woulda thunk i’d find a broadband wifi connection in hackney?!?! on downs park road near ferncliff…
more later. en route to applying for ni number.
is it surprising that trying to get my ni number (National Insurance Number) in person was ultimately fruitless (except for the fact that i now know how to get to the social security building?
there are about 9 different numbers to ring to set up an appointment. can’t make an appointment in person (which i didn’t know until this morning), although the ni interview takes place at the social security office, which i just visited.
calling isn’t a problem… except… the lines are always busy, and the few times the phone picks up, the person at the other end hung up on me three times. making the calls from work seems to be the only way to make this happen since i’m charged 20p every time the person picks up and hangs up — or the line picks up an an automated voice tells me the line is busy and i can’t leave a message and please call back.
since i know the address to the place i need to eventually visit, my logic goes like this: i’ll stand in line and visit the folks who answer the phone, and then i’ll have priority over the callers. cost: one half-day of work.
web site says the place opens at 8:30 on mon, wed, fri. the reality is that they open at 10 am on fridays. then once i get in and see a real person, the conversation goes like this:
me: “hello i’m here to make an appointment for a ni number”
him: “sorry mate can’t make an appointment in person but you have to call first.”
me: “i understand i can’t apply at the moment but i’d like to make an appointment for an interview.”
him: “sorry mate the people who make the appointments can only be reached by the telephone. you can fax your details or mail it in”
me: “the postal address you just gave to me is this address. where are the people who get my letter? can i just go in and see them in person?”
him: “sorry mate it doen’t work like that. you mail or fax your details in and we forward the information to the chaps who make the appointments. when you get your appointment details you come back here for the interview.”
me: “let me make this clear. i have to call telephone numbers that no one answers or mail my details to you here in the office so i can make an appointment here in your office, but i can’t make the appointment here?”
him: “yes, i’m sorry mate that is what has to happen.”
me: “can i just leave my details with you since mailing them would make them appear here anyway?”
him: “sorry mate you can’t make an appointment here. you have to contact the people who make the appointments by ringing them or faxing or mailing your details to the numbers i just gave to you.”
seeing the circle of conversation starting to come round to the beginning again, i gave up and left.
funny enough, on my way back the the office i was able to get through to a real person on the phone who didn’t hang up on me, and even arranged to make an appointment. won’t it be funny if i ended up visiting with the polite yet simple gentleman with whom i visited this morning.
well what do you know… if i step outside onto my patio i can hook onto someone’s connection…
i won’t take advantage of it though because depending upon your type of service, you have limits on your internet usage… like cell phones… and pay a premium if you go over. don’t want the poor guy to have a heart attack when he gets his bill. should be ok for the occasional use or im though.
i’ll be glad when i get my home connection set up later this month.
just contacted bt (british telecommunications) and scheduled telephone hookup for apr 26th. can’t get broadband internet w/o landline, and can’t get landline before 26th.
actually broadband is not guaranteed… the line has to be activated before they can test the line to see if broadband is available. lots of hoops.
ok i found this wireless connection and it’s closer to the flat than is the sometimes-working connection at bagel factory in canary wharf. and it’s on the way to work, so maybe i can use this for awhile until i get home connection. trouble is, it’s out in the open in front of some businesses and there’s no sitting area nearby… kind of awkward… but it works so that’s a major plus!
hi all, sorry i haven’t been posting a lot of detail recently but after moving to the new flat, my internet access has been extremely limited. plus i’ve been working until 6:30 each night (normal hours) and my internet time after work is dedicated to home-based stuff (budget, cleaning out emails, etc.)
maybe tomorrow i’ll have time to journal stuff… i’ve also been having to go to the free internet locations after they close because of stuff i’ve been doing throught the week. it’s really cold outside (44F/9C) and windy most of the time.
bt (british telecommunications) offers broadband internet, and since i need an active phone line with them anyway, i may need to contact them when they are open next week.
My first week in the new flat.
I knew I was in for an adventure when I was cleaning up and saw this sign out back:
“Please place your rubbish in the skip in the bin store”
“Rubbish” I knew already. That’s what was in the bag in my hand.
But what the heck was a skip, and why does the flat building sell them in a bin store out back? Seems sketchy to me.
What else do bin stores sell?
4 day holiday for easter!
it’s amazing how quickly the unusual becomes normal… i don’t even notice that i’ve learned how to look the other way first before crossing the street.
still miss my family incredibly though. i worked hard on installing an online photo album and hopefully if it works well enough i’ll be able to train the family on how to update it.
woo hoo found a potential wireless hotspot in flat but it’s very low connection and may not appear again…
it’s also late and i’m very tired so i’ll try it tomorrow evening…
back online. later i’ll fill you in on the details of what exactly happens when one locks the keys in a flat on a crisp, cold saturday morning.
currently catching up on a tidal wave of email & billing statements…
got the flat (apartment) keys. will come back to document what had to take place first.
looking up the best way to get there from here. no, i won’t tell you where ‘there’ is… but i am at a bagel factory
good lord, the process of renting an apartment can make a preacher curse! in the states (texas, at least) if you find an apartment that’s available you can sign up and move in in less than a day.
i’ve been working on this process since a week ago last tuesday. that’s right — nine days ago. it’s like taking out a mortgage!
i have to hurry and get in a flat, the hotel’s going to be unavailable soon and so is the money i’ve allocated for temp housing. the apartment owner wants a month and a half up front plus the agency wants letting fees of course paid up front. all in all this has to work itself out by tomorrow midday (local time, not CST) or i’m up a creek without a paddle.
lunch break… report finished… meet w/user this pm to verify results.
also will start hounding landlord back home to respond (QUICKLY) to a request from my local leasing agent to verify rental history.
woo hoo! survived the first day of school (oops, work) and none of the other kids (oops, colleagues) beat up on me.
have a report due tomorrow. not surprising considering the nature of the business. i got the usual “business-spec-scribbled-on-the-back-of-a-piece-of-paper” thing and did the right thing by turning it into a business/technical spec. and EMAILED it for documentation purposes.
he he that probably was the first part of the test. i’ll finish the report tomorrow morning…
at 230~240v, irons get really HOT here really FAST.
(back @ the hotel) ok i’m ready for tomorrow. 8:30 am…