So in case I haven't mentioned, I hate Internet in Japan. I mean I hate it... a LOT. I have been without Internet connection at my house since I moved here, and honestly, while word processing and chess are swell, without Internet my sparkling new Mac is really just a pretty paperweight.
Yes, I can use Internet at school, and yes, other JETs in the area have offered it. But the things I desperately need to do or want to do-putting together grad applications, emailing professors, reading academic articles to keep up on coursework, chatting with friends, and playing videogames-are all time consuming things that are generally not encouraged when I'm sitting at a desk working. At the moment, I'm waiting in that 15-20 minute nexus when my contract is done for the day but I have English speeches to grade, so I say to hell with etiquette, I'm pissed.
Two weeks ago I spent my Sunday fruitlessly trudging around my capital city, a good hour train ride and $10 one way, trying to find wireless connection. Other JETs swore by both Starbucks in the capital, but I tried BOTH, and both failed. (I'm not sure if they were broken or the free wireless had been suspended... the language barrier is especially annoying in technical situations.) This was a week and a half after my supervisor said he would look into Internet, and I haven't seen nor heard hide nor hair of him. I finally got so fed up last Monday I signed up for YahooBB through yahoobbapply.com, and hoped that within two weeks or so they'd hook me up, send me a modem, and we'd be set.
But no. Of course. What was wrong with me? This is Japan. Japan hates Internet.
Today the guy in charge of YahooBB Apply emailed me and told me I was on hold to get service. See, there are only so many avaliable "ports" in my area, and they're all being used, so I can fill out ANOTHER application and wait a month to just sit here and hope somebody stops using the service, OR I can go with another service that costs about $50 a month WITHOUT "extra" instillation costs, which will be about $30-60, and that is if they don't have to ripe out any wires.
Worse part, the guy is emailing my Yahoo account, which I can read at work, but for some bizarre reason emailing BACK is prohibited, so I either have to wait until Friday when I can get to my OTHER school, OR try to text-reply on my cellphone.
This is so unbelieveably ridiculously stupid. I think if Internet service took this long and was this red-tapped in the States, there would be mutiny. I'm close to it. It's been nearly two months, and that's the longest I've gone without Internet, well.... ever. At least at camp I had the weekends or the occassional free time on Eric's. And while other people may scoff, Internet is my only connection to the outside world.
Worse yet, it seems as if everyone else-even the new JETs-have it. How did they get it so fast? Why am I having such hard luck with it? Who do I have to kill to get a modem around here?!!
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1 comment:
um. . . the Emperor?
Well, actually, someone else in your area, as that'd free up one of those ports. :-p
In all seriousness, this sucks. You shouldn't have to put up with that kind of crap.
What's the price difference between the two services?
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