Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Installed, Not Working, Soon To Be Furnished.

Such an “interesting” process.  I received a call from the Telefonica installer at 3:30 this afternoon.  He would be at the apartment around 5 or 6 in the evening to do the hardwired internet hookup.  I didn’t know anyone was coming today, but where else would we be?  So, no complaints.

WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT JUST A FEW BLOCKS FROM THE HOUSE WHEN TELEFONICA CALLED.  MAGICAL.

We contracted with Vodafone.  So, I was momentarily confused.  But then I remembered Jerry mentioning that Telefonica still had the monopoly on the phone lines. He therefore suspected that Telefonica would be doing the installation no matter who we contracted with.  I confirmed this fact with the installer.  Jerry was of course correct.

The installer got delayed on the job before ours and didn’t get here until around 8.  He was a very nice guy named Enrique, and he seemed to know what he was doing.  However, he couldn’t install a new phone outlet in the office, which is where we want the router to sit.  He said Vodafone does that.  I had asked Vodafone about this earlier in the week and was told it would be easily done as part of the installation.  He also couldn’t tell us our landline phone number, which I thought we would learn at the time of installation.  He said Vodafone would tell us.  Hmmm. So, the router and phone are sitting on the floor in the alcove off the living room plugged into the only phone outlet in the apartment.

EXCEPT FOR THE TOOL BAG WITH ENRIQUE'S FLOWER APPLIQUE,
THIS IS WHAT OUR NON-FUNCTIONING HOOK-UP LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW.

Enrique left very pleased with the signal strength, which was clearly glowing on the front of the router.  The landline phone was plugged in, too.  After he departed, I tried to call my cell phone.  I figured my mobile would display the number I was calling from and the mystery of our home phone number would be solved.

There was just one problem.  We had no service on the landline.

Jerry then tried connecting to the internet via our great new WiFi connection.  Forty-five minutes later, he hadn’t gotten very far. So, he plugged the “stick” back into the side of his laptop and connected the original wireless way.  Two steps forward, two steps back? But, we are at least not dead in the water.

We suspect that Vodafone will now schedule a separate final installation of our internet and landline.  Vodafone is much better with communications than is Telefonica (surprise!).  They texted me last week and said they (not Telefonica) would be here in about a week to complete installation.  Our assumption is that they will now be informed that Telefonica has completed our hook-up to the building’s phone lines and that will put things in motion.  We’ll see. 

I’d walk over to visit my friends at Vodafone in the morning to find out for sure, but I will instead be waiting for delivery of our furniture!!!

MY PERSONAL PIZZA CELEBRATION TONIGHT AT LA LACONDA,
A FANTASTIC AND FRIENDLY ITALIAN RESTAURANT ON LA ALAMEDA DE HERCULES. 

Ruth (remember Ruth?) phoned this morning to say she had managed to schedule us for delivery Wednesday instead of Friday.  The truck is supposed to leave Malaga around 7 in the morning, which gets it here between 10 and 11, she thinks.  We can’t believe it.  Jerry hasn’t heard back from anyone in response to his “scathing” email sent Friday night.  We think maybe Ruth moved us up as a result of that email, but we’ll never know.  What we DO know is that we MIGHT have our “stuff” Wednesday!

More or less.



12 comments:

  1. I just love stopping by to look at all your photos...and now I am hungry

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  2. Phone and internet start ups seem to be complicated and full of delays anywhere in the world. Doing it in your non native tongue just adds another layer of complication! The pizza looks delicious and the news of your impending delivery even more delicious! Best of luck!

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  3. Oooh! That building is magical, you're right. PURPLE? Ravishing!

    An Italian restaurant in Sevilla - you guys are so sophisticated! That pizza looks delicious.

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  4. Here's hoping! That pizza does look scrumptious.

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  5. ksatrtle:
    I love reading your posts, as well. Haven't figured out how to leave a comment (is it possible?). Thanks!

    Craig:
    We've had some frustrating experiences with phone and especially internet on every one of our moves. So, yep, language is not a requirement for complications! The pizza was even better than it looked!

    Judith:
    We have now been here long enough to allow ourselves to eat foods other than Spanish. So exciting.

    Walt the Fourth:
    I'm thinking again of that pizza as I sit here eating my Greek yogurt and mixed fruit. I sure hope to share some good news about "stuff" later today!

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  6. Hello Mitch:
    This is, we fear to say, an oh too familiar story. It took us over a year to effect a small change with our own telephone system, the provider of which has taken over from the State company but in name only. Good luck!

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  7. J&L:
    In the meantime, I thought Monday I would add an international plan to my mobile phone (since our international-plan landline may take a while). Ha! At Vodafone, I was told to simply send a specified four-digit code and that would automatically start my service. It didn't work. The rep tried and it didn't work or her either. She called in and learned "the system" was down She told me to try later in the day. I did. Twice. Went back in and learned the system was still down. I just tried again. The system is "up." But it requested another code from me that I was not told I needed. And since I'm now waiting for furniture to arrive, I can't walk over to Vodafone for help. It IS comical. And at least I really like the people in the Vodafone store; we've become friends. What a social life!

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  8. Still no phone? Seriously, haven't you lived there for years now? Ugh!
    m.

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  9. I think I'd go crazy with all the "Who does what" and "We don't do that' until I looked at the view or had a bite of THAT pizza.
    Then my cares would drift away.
    For.A.While.

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  10. Drooling over that pizza! Is it dinner time yet?

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  11. I think I need to go eat lunch now! That pizza looks super. May your furniture, etc. all arrive safely on Wednesday.

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  12. Mark:
    I should have had YOU take care of getting the phone, internet, and TV!

    Bob:
    Crazy is the word! And, yep, pizza can only work for so long.

    Peter:
    Returned from Carmela an hour ago. Mojitos and tapas tonight. It seems to always be time for dinner here. One day soon we'll actually have our kitchen put together enough to cook a meal (well for JERRY to cook a meal) at home!

    Kristi:
    That pizza really was the best I've had in recent memory. Can't wait to go back. And the furniture DID make it!

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