To be honest, when I first discovered that my internet was gone when I woke up Thursday morning, it didn't seem like that big of a deal to me. First of all, I wasn't sure what the problem was exactly, but I figured that a little break wouldn't be so bad - it may actually be refreshing. I had to work that day anyway, so it wasn't like I was going to have a lot of time to worry about it during the day.
As the day went on and all my troubleshooting proved to be of naught though, I started to worry. Papers due, bills to pay, business to take care of online...everything started to pile up in my mind and the stress began to mount. Thankfully, spent a while on the phone with an internet service representative and was able to deduce that my modem had gone bad and needed to be replaced. (Not surprising, since our modem was about 11 years old. Did we even have internet 11 years ago?!)
Friday, I woke up early, went to class and rushed to Best Buy after to pick up a new modem. Then I proceeded to spend the next 7 hours scrunched up under our desk, tangled amidst about 30 different wires, reconnecting the new modem in place of the old one, speaking with my internet service provider to reconnect our DSL line to the new modem, when I encountered another problem - our old router wasn't recognizing the new modem.
(I sent my father this picture and his conclusion was that it's time to switch to a mac. AMEN.)
Now, the internet rep's suggestion to me was to simply call the customer service hotline for the router and have a rep there walk me through. In hindsight, I SHOULD HAVE JUST LISTENED TO HIM. Unfortunately, my parents called me first and suggested I call up a dear family friend who's sort of a computer whiz, and have him help me. By then it had been 48 hours and I was ready to get this ball rolling again. After two failed attempts at having our friend come over, I was frustrated and decided to call the mister. At which point he also tried to walk me through several steps to get things fixed again, but it just wasn't working, and I felt like my blood pressure was about to shoot through the roof.
Finally frustrated and with no options left and no one left to talk to, I decided to pick up the phone and call my router customer support.
I was connected with a man named Alasdair, and he quickly (within about 45 minutes) was able to walk me through everything clearly, confidently, and step-by-step get me back in business! Thank God for techies! The funny thing is, during one step when I was starting up my laptop, he says to me, all professionally - "So ma'am, while we wait, would you mind telling me where you are calling from?" And I replied, "California," not being entirely sure what he was referring to. Then he said, "How is the weather there?" I laughed and replied, "Sunny but a bit chilly! Umm...where are you right now??" And he replied, "India." So I asked, "What's the weather like there?" And he replied, "Well...it is a bit chilly."
And I'm not sure why...but at that moment I just really wished I could reach through the phone lines and give him a hug. I don't know if Alasdair has ever been to California, but if he hasn't, I hope he gets to one day. I'm pretty sure California is the equivalent of paradise. (Spoken like a true California-girl huh?)
On that note, I'd like to recommend three of my favorite movies regarding the Indian people, place, and culture. All three are very different, but quite worth watching, for their own reasons.
THE NAMESAKE
Touching story of a young man born and raised in the US, and his initial disconnect and disinterest with his own culture. He fails to appreciate his parents hard work that has brought him to where he is, and doesn't appreciate what they've been through. Will he recognize the importance of our past before its too late? (And yes, for you Harold & Kumar fans out there, it stars Kal Penn.)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
There are definitely scenes in this movie that are difficult to watch because it is so heart-wrenching. Story of a brilliant young man who is determined to create his own paradise, and proof that the strength of the human spirit can triumph over all odds. Beautiful, and touching.
THREE IDIOTS
This is perhaps one of my most favorite movies of all time, and I don't give those titles lightly. My one piece of advice for this movie - STICK WITH IT. Yes, it is a bollywood film, and yes, it comes with a few typical bollywood "musical" numbers that don't really do anything for the story line. However, stick with this movie, it will surprise you and delight you like you never would have thought. What starts out as a light-hearted and somewhat, well - idiotic - comedy...quickly probes much deeper into the human heart and before you know it, you will be laughing and crying over this movie, sleeping with it in your bed, and recommending it to complete strangers in the street. Do yourself a favor - track it down and watch it!
This is perhaps one of my most favorite movies of all time, and I don't give those titles lightly. My one piece of advice for this movie - STICK WITH IT. Yes, it is a bollywood film, and yes, it comes with a few typical bollywood "musical" numbers that don't really do anything for the story line. However, stick with this movie, it will surprise you and delight you like you never would have thought. What starts out as a light-hearted and somewhat, well - idiotic - comedy...quickly probes much deeper into the human heart and before you know it, you will be laughing and crying over this movie, sleeping with it in your bed, and recommending it to complete strangers in the street. Do yourself a favor - track it down and watch it!
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