A
Spanish experience early this morning, with MoviStar (Telefónica as
was):-
Hello.
My name is Débeez. We spoke last week about an internet contract.
An
internet contract? I don't remember that. What's your name again?
Débeez.
Oh,
yes. I remember now.
You
told me the router would be delivered within 3 days and it's now 7.
And I'm leaving the country soon.
Yeah.
The problem is that your ID number doesn't coincide with the number
MoviStar has for you as a client. Can you tell me what the number is
on your bills?
[Thinking "So, why didn't you call me?" but not wanting to waste my time asking]
[Thinking "So, why didn't you call me?" but not wanting to waste my time asking]
I'll
call you back.
OK.
___________
Hello.
The number on the bill is xxxxxxxxxxxx.
No,
that's not the number they've got.
Well,
maybe they have my NIF, which I got in 2000.
What
is it?
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
OK.
I'll talk to them and call you back.
Well,
perhaps you could try to do that today as, otherwise, I'm going to
cancel the order.
OK.
I'll try.
Overview:
This is taking far more time than it should because I am an
existing customer of Movistar. Not promising, is it?
Another
Spanish experience mid morning:-
I
tried to book a ferry passage with Brittany Ferries. The page is
entirely in Spanish and doesn't offer any other language, as far as I
can tell.
I
get to the end of the process and have to pay. I use my Spanish
credit card and get the message, in Spanish:-
The
system does not accept this type of card.
So
I try with my equally Spanish debit card and get the message:-
The
system does not accept this type of card.
Utterly
bemused and beginning to worry, I use my UK debit card. Which is
accepted.
So
what the hell does this mean? That, if I were Spanish in Spain, I
wouldn't be able to buy a ticket? Or that BF know - from previous
journeys - that I have a UK card and want to fleece me on the
exchange rate? Who the hell knows.
And
here's one which justifies the claim that Europeans
are being hoodwinked into relinquishing their cherished democracy to
a rogue band of financial pirates.
And
now for something completely different . . . . . .
Some
readers may have noticed that this blog didn't appear for longish
periods over the last 15 months or so. A few may have wondered why
not. Well, it's time to 'fess up.
During
this period I've struggled with a depression which was, at times,
very severe. And this is British understatement. I believe I'm out of
it now. But I felt the same twice last year - most obviously through
the summer - and then suffered a relapse on both occasions. No one
can predict the future, of course, but, if only for the sake of my
two daughters, I hope to God that this isn't going to happen again.
Against
the possibility that it might, my daughters have encouraged me -
another British understatement - to stay in the UK until the
probabilities are favourable. Though I'll be returning to Spain from
time to time. Hence my sojourn in Leeds.
So,
if there've been times when you've felt this blog has been far from
its best, now you know why. This will have been at times when the
only positive thing happening in my mind was the posting of a blog,
no matter how much below par it was.
Why
am writing this? The 'negative' reason is that confession is not
going to affect my material future in any way. I won't ever be
looking for a job. And the 'positive' reason is that it may help
others who are struggling not only to see a light at the end of a
tunnel but the bloody tunnel itself.
And
it may just help those who are fortunate enough never to face
depression but who have to help someone who is struggling with it. If
you're one of these, a word of advice - Never, ever tell a depressive
to just pull his/her socks up. This is never possible, whereas taking
exercise, for example, really is. My daughters, I should stress, were
very much of the latter party.
One
last thing - I've been trying for the last three months to think of a
humorous angle on depression and haven't come up with one. Anyone
with any ideas might like to post a comment. Or write to me at
colindavies@terra.es
Thanks.
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