Milano – Internet – Frustrations and snow

Monday Feb 2, 2009
Today was very aggravating. I know that’s not a good way to start a post but its right on target. Work went well and although it was snowing and dreadfully cold, the day itself was pretty nice. I got to visit with some interesting people and got some office work out of the way. After work I went to the tre (3) store from whom I have purchased an internet key. After much arguing and too much frustration, I finally gave up trying to get my 20 hours of internet time back. I tried for a good 30-45 minutes and talked to four different people all to no avail. The standard answer, “No lo so.” How can you not know why 20 hours of credit is missing? Oh it just up and disappeared did it… really? Then refund it. “Oh no no, it was there. Maybe you did something wrong.” I did something wrong by following your directions? You can’t even tell me why it was used or when, or for what.

Its just not realistic that you can’t track it using the same system that tells you exactly how much credit a person has. I feel used because I’m a foreigner and I can’t fully understand everything they are saying. Instead of trying, its like they are just saying no and not going into it because they don’t want to try and translate. Bullshit 101 – but after 45 minutes of the same answer I finally gave up, paid for a few more hours and left.

As if that was not frustrating enough, it turns out that each text you get from the company telling you how much time you have left and informational numbers costs .20euro. It cost me 3 euro last time I logged on because the automated tre (3) system sent me texts. As if that was not enough, they can’t be turned off. Wonderful… as if I wasn’t aggravated enough now I know that each time I use the internet their system will cheat me out of .20 euro per text, and who knows how many the system will send me. I am furious. I went through all the steps I knew to get a straight answer about the issue, all ending in, “There is no way to turn them off.”… You know there is a way to take my number off the autotxt list. Whatever. I say this and then… boom an answer…the only way to stop it is to email the main service centre, then wait a week for them to put a stop order on all non 3 txt traffic. Which costs 2 euro. Oh wait, the txts I’m getting in system are FROM 3…so what good does turning off all non 3 txts do? Bastards.

Furious I left and took a walk, then headed to the metro and then home.

I returned home, and talked my roommates into buying Internet for the house. Shared between 4 people the cost won’t be much. I just have to use what time I have left on this key and then write it off as a mistake never to be repeated.

I can’t tell you how much I wanted to fight or wrestle or at least go dancing… something to relieve the anger and frustration from today but there was no one here that I know that I could work with. Additionally the dance club I know of is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays not Mondays… So I ate and drank with my roommates and filed it away for another time.

Work is shaping up, I’m taking more and more of an initiative. I realize that it’s only the second week but I’m learning and pushing myself. That’s what is important. I’m trying to read the Italian paper every day and take apart Italian articles. Trying to understand, already its coming faster but it seems to be taking too long. I need to learn immediately and am frustrated by the slow pace at which I am absorbing information and the language. Patience.

The snow is nice but its destroying my shoes. My right heel is separating and I need to find glue… this is also frustrating. I may need to buy dress shoes. I don’t know if I can fix it or not.

My new roommate is interesting. Graduated college. Cooked us dinner tonight. Tuna and Pasta. Good.

I miss my friends and family. I think more so because today was so damned frustrating. Tomorrow at least I am finished with running errands and problems I can just work and enjoy my evening, take a walk and finally take some pictures. Something I’ve been looking forward to for a long while.

Need to study this newspaper again, learn as much of the words and language as I can tonight so tomorrow I can read a little bit faster.

Love you,


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