Monday, February 02, 2004
Phone madness
Getting a phone line here is a royal pain in the ass.
Initially, I was told that, as a non-citizen, I'd have to put down a deposit of 450 euros before getting a line. Then, I'd have to sign a yearlong contract with the local monopoly, KPN. Penalty for early cancellation? The balance of the contract. The basic monthly rate (because I also want to get the internet) is 17.95 euros per month. This does not include the 45 euro installation fee, nor the cost of the calls. These can be as high as 3 cents/minute during peak, weekday times, but less than a minute on the weekends.
I'll never complain again about good ol' Qwest, where I can install and cancel on a whim.
Even the guy a KPN told me the yearlong contract thing was bad news, but "those are the rules." Damn.
I'm in my new place now, which has cable included. Pi was on last night. I've also seen The Limey (I turned it on just in time to hear the classic line: Tell them I'm coming! I'm fucking comminngg!. Gotta love Terrence Stamp). I also watched most of that lawyer movie for which Ed Norton won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. What was the name of it? Mostly forgettable.
The Brown Bunny was sold out on Friday night, by the way. For the best, really.
I mostly watch BBC and BBC World News, though Peter tells me BBC World News is just a propaganda organ of the Foreign Ministry. Hmm.
I attended a trial advocacy training on Sunday. I played a witness, and the lawyers got to practice examining and cross-examining me. Sheesh. That's all I'll say.
I'm back at the library, because today is a UN holiday (Eid) and because they have moved me to another office, location as-yet unknown. Nobody seems to know where I should be. Tuesday will be interesting.
It's raining here again. My feet are wet. I'm counting the days, the hours, the minutes until I get to go back home and see the family on February 20 (for Dari's birthday). I've realized in this three weeks that I'm really not whole without my family. It's only a fraction of me here, walking around these damp streets, cursing the wind and the rain.
I shopped over the weekend at LIDL, a cheap-ass discount retailer, based in Germany, apparently. I scored, getting enough food to last me three weeks, for about 20 euros. I'm paying too much in rent, but appreciate having a place to store food.
My minutes are running short. Better get back out into the rain. Or maybe I'll linger here long enough to read the IHT before I go. Wasn't yesterday the Super Bowl or something?
Initially, I was told that, as a non-citizen, I'd have to put down a deposit of 450 euros before getting a line. Then, I'd have to sign a yearlong contract with the local monopoly, KPN. Penalty for early cancellation? The balance of the contract. The basic monthly rate (because I also want to get the internet) is 17.95 euros per month. This does not include the 45 euro installation fee, nor the cost of the calls. These can be as high as 3 cents/minute during peak, weekday times, but less than a minute on the weekends.
I'll never complain again about good ol' Qwest, where I can install and cancel on a whim.
Even the guy a KPN told me the yearlong contract thing was bad news, but "those are the rules." Damn.
I'm in my new place now, which has cable included. Pi was on last night. I've also seen The Limey (I turned it on just in time to hear the classic line: Tell them I'm coming! I'm fucking comminngg!. Gotta love Terrence Stamp). I also watched most of that lawyer movie for which Ed Norton won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. What was the name of it? Mostly forgettable.
The Brown Bunny was sold out on Friday night, by the way. For the best, really.
I mostly watch BBC and BBC World News, though Peter tells me BBC World News is just a propaganda organ of the Foreign Ministry. Hmm.
I attended a trial advocacy training on Sunday. I played a witness, and the lawyers got to practice examining and cross-examining me. Sheesh. That's all I'll say.
I'm back at the library, because today is a UN holiday (Eid) and because they have moved me to another office, location as-yet unknown. Nobody seems to know where I should be. Tuesday will be interesting.
It's raining here again. My feet are wet. I'm counting the days, the hours, the minutes until I get to go back home and see the family on February 20 (for Dari's birthday). I've realized in this three weeks that I'm really not whole without my family. It's only a fraction of me here, walking around these damp streets, cursing the wind and the rain.
I shopped over the weekend at LIDL, a cheap-ass discount retailer, based in Germany, apparently. I scored, getting enough food to last me three weeks, for about 20 euros. I'm paying too much in rent, but appreciate having a place to store food.
My minutes are running short. Better get back out into the rain. Or maybe I'll linger here long enough to read the IHT before I go. Wasn't yesterday the Super Bowl or something?
