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Being Amish

Just over two weeks ago I moved house. I’m now in a much larger apartment, in a complex with a pool. Right beside Victoria Park, close to a great supermarket, and an easy walk to the dive shop. It’s all a bit step up from my previous place. From a one-bench kitchen with two crappy elements, to a huge kitchen with a 5-burner gas hob, and 900mm oven. My bedroom at this place is about the size of the whole old apartment. So all good. It is a bit further away from work, so now I’ve started riding to work, but that’s all good – gives me some more exercise.

But for some reason I didn’t get around to getting my phone and Internet connection sorted out soon enough. I had thought it would be straightforward, but it ended up taking two weeks to get things sorted out. I have a phone and Internet package with Vodafone – this is a problem, since Telecom operates the last mile. Dealing with extra players just makes things more complicated, and slows things down. At one point Vodafone said “your phone line is pending disconnection – you should ring Telecom and find out what’s happening.” So I ring Telecom, and after trying to explain that I am not a Telecom customer, nor do I want to be, they work out that there is no problem with my line, and Vodafone should be able to deal with it. Grrr.

Eventually things got sorted out, and I am back online! It was like being Amish, being disconnected from the Internet. You don’t realise how fundamental it is to the way you do things. Contacting people, looking up things, checking Google Maps for directions to somewhere…it’s a good thing that Section 92A has been delayed, you can’t go shutting off people’s Internet connections without following some sort of due process.

So maybe there can now be a resumption of these sporadic missives…but I need to fit it in around my latest project – becoming a Divemaster. But that’s another story.