Last evening, Chris came up after work to talk about the stuff that still needs to be done in Denis' apartment (we were supposed to go to the DIY store but we were too late for that when he got here) and to set up a new network on the new router that I had bought.
Despite running 'Windows' programmes on my Mac, it seems that it needed Chris' PC to read the setup programme and even then it still took us an hour or so to work out how to do it - but do it we eventually did. Hopefully my guests will once again be able to log on to the internet.
Chris happened to mention that there was a 'poker night' happening back at his flat and was I interested - well it was better than sitting here on my own.
Whilst 'poker night' conjures up images of a seedy backroom, some unsavoury characters, a smoke-laden intense atmosphere and an unfeasibly large pot of money, the reality was cheap red wine, some plastic chips, arguments over the rules and nobody being that bothered. It was a good bit of fun for a Thursday night and nobody went home poorer or with a death threat over their heads.
The only thing over their heads would be the black cloud the next day - called a hangover. Luckily for the French involved today was a public holiday, but us self-employed and expats working on building projects don't get such luxuries - so we were up as usual and battling through the pain.
It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Showing posts with label internet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label internet. Show all posts
Friday, 15 August 2008
Thursday, 31 July 2008
Offline
It has been a very frustrating week. On Tuesday evening I lost my internet connection and it took me until mid-morning today to get it working again - and even now it is not back up to full operation as my guests couldn't get access. It is extremely embarrassing to say the least that my guests have to visit the local internet cafe.
In the last two days I have spent a total of three hours on the telephone to France Telecom. Although much much better than it was, my French still let's me down and none more so than when I am on the telephone. Mind you, I wasn't helped by helpline assistants who listen to me asking them to speak slowly and then charge off again at 200mph. Our inability to communicate with each other would have made a fantastic TV sketch - at one point she asked me to unplug the modem and I unplugged the whole telephone system and cut us off - thankfully she realised what a berk I was and called me back. I think we tested each others patience to the limit but I am very grateful that she persevered with me and that eventually I understood what she was telling me do and now I am back online.
The music festival has come to a close for another year. On Monday evening we had a pretty good jazz band, who rushed off stage at the slightest hint of a drop of rain, which was a shame because it didn't actually rain and it broke up the rythym of the concert and pissed off the crowd no end. They were from New York, so were probably concerned about health and safety, but this is France, where gas engineers turn up with a fag on the go!
On Tuesday we had the Belgian equivalent of Robert Plant - I'll leave it at that and let you use your imagination, but suffice to say he had definitely smoked too many Marlboro Reds in his life and those leather trousers were just a tad too tight.
There was a very good dinner with my guests last night, when I was able to forget about my internet problems for a few hours. Sometimes the mix of people around the table just clicks and works very well and last night was one of those. We had a BA pilot and a marketing manager and a town planner and a teacher - and all were very entertaining. It didn't stop me spending all night typing my password into my computer in my fitful sleep in the hope that a magic connection would be made.
It wasn't, but I'm back now
In the last two days I have spent a total of three hours on the telephone to France Telecom. Although much much better than it was, my French still let's me down and none more so than when I am on the telephone. Mind you, I wasn't helped by helpline assistants who listen to me asking them to speak slowly and then charge off again at 200mph. Our inability to communicate with each other would have made a fantastic TV sketch - at one point she asked me to unplug the modem and I unplugged the whole telephone system and cut us off - thankfully she realised what a berk I was and called me back. I think we tested each others patience to the limit but I am very grateful that she persevered with me and that eventually I understood what she was telling me do and now I am back online.
The music festival has come to a close for another year. On Monday evening we had a pretty good jazz band, who rushed off stage at the slightest hint of a drop of rain, which was a shame because it didn't actually rain and it broke up the rythym of the concert and pissed off the crowd no end. They were from New York, so were probably concerned about health and safety, but this is France, where gas engineers turn up with a fag on the go!
On Tuesday we had the Belgian equivalent of Robert Plant - I'll leave it at that and let you use your imagination, but suffice to say he had definitely smoked too many Marlboro Reds in his life and those leather trousers were just a tad too tight.
There was a very good dinner with my guests last night, when I was able to forget about my internet problems for a few hours. Sometimes the mix of people around the table just clicks and works very well and last night was one of those. We had a BA pilot and a marketing manager and a town planner and a teacher - and all were very entertaining. It didn't stop me spending all night typing my password into my computer in my fitful sleep in the hope that a magic connection would be made.
It wasn't, but I'm back now
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
Soul Diva
Good grief! - it has been a whole week since I last got around to writing a blog - how very slack of me.
It is well into the heart of the summer season now and the last seven days seem to have been a blur of activity. I am chuffed to bits that we are pretty much fully booked for the month - although that means a lot of cleaning and room changing and ironing. Must get help.
The July music festival has started and it definitely feels like holiday season and summer - suddenly everyone has windows open rather than shutters closed and as a result there is a lot more noise on top of the usual street bustle, which itself is louder than normal because of people returning from concerts - you can listen to the neighbours music or what they are watching on TV or just listen to them having an argument and throwing things at each other - sometimes you think there is a big row and then realise it's on the TV!
The Festival kicked off on Saturday with some opera and then on Sunday we went to watch the soul diva herself - Diana Ross. She didn't disappoint at all and still has a fantastic voice that is uniquely hers, sounding just as she has done for 40 years. Of course the gay crowd were out in force to see the array of sequinned frocks and sing along to the classic anthems of the last four decades. I am still humming 'Touch me in the Morning' even now - and I'm not even slightly gay!
Guests have come and gone and the current lot all leave tomorrow, so it's all change once more in the rooms. The lovely Les and Morag have returned three months after their first visit (our first returning visitors) and they have out-concerted us by taking in both Diana Ross and ZZ Top in successive nights - what a contrast! In the other room we have our first honeymooners - last minute decision to get married after being together for 16 years - good luck to them.
I had been moaning a bit recently that the bookings seemed to have dried up and that we still had a lot of gaps in July and August - we had probably gone a week without a booking and paranoia had set in. Well the last few days have seen a flurry of activity for both the Summer months and the Autumn so I am feeling a lot better about things now. In due deference to the power of the internet, I have taken a booking from each of Australia, Ireland, The USA and Spain in the last 48 hours. we have done no marketing in any of those territories yet people still find us thanks to the wonder of the web and the fabulous reviews that guests have left on sites such as 'tripadvisor'.
I'm a bit nervous about the Spanish booking - they will be talking Spanish French which will no doubt be very different from my English French and neither will actually be French as the French know it, but I am sure with a bit of arm waving, pointing, shoulder shrugging and eye rolling we will manage to understand each other - what is there to understand anyway - key, what time do you want breakfast?, goodbye - that should do it.
Adios
It is well into the heart of the summer season now and the last seven days seem to have been a blur of activity. I am chuffed to bits that we are pretty much fully booked for the month - although that means a lot of cleaning and room changing and ironing. Must get help.
The July music festival has started and it definitely feels like holiday season and summer - suddenly everyone has windows open rather than shutters closed and as a result there is a lot more noise on top of the usual street bustle, which itself is louder than normal because of people returning from concerts - you can listen to the neighbours music or what they are watching on TV or just listen to them having an argument and throwing things at each other - sometimes you think there is a big row and then realise it's on the TV!
The Festival kicked off on Saturday with some opera and then on Sunday we went to watch the soul diva herself - Diana Ross. She didn't disappoint at all and still has a fantastic voice that is uniquely hers, sounding just as she has done for 40 years. Of course the gay crowd were out in force to see the array of sequinned frocks and sing along to the classic anthems of the last four decades. I am still humming 'Touch me in the Morning' even now - and I'm not even slightly gay!
Guests have come and gone and the current lot all leave tomorrow, so it's all change once more in the rooms. The lovely Les and Morag have returned three months after their first visit (our first returning visitors) and they have out-concerted us by taking in both Diana Ross and ZZ Top in successive nights - what a contrast! In the other room we have our first honeymooners - last minute decision to get married after being together for 16 years - good luck to them.
I had been moaning a bit recently that the bookings seemed to have dried up and that we still had a lot of gaps in July and August - we had probably gone a week without a booking and paranoia had set in. Well the last few days have seen a flurry of activity for both the Summer months and the Autumn so I am feeling a lot better about things now. In due deference to the power of the internet, I have taken a booking from each of Australia, Ireland, The USA and Spain in the last 48 hours. we have done no marketing in any of those territories yet people still find us thanks to the wonder of the web and the fabulous reviews that guests have left on sites such as 'tripadvisor'.
I'm a bit nervous about the Spanish booking - they will be talking Spanish French which will no doubt be very different from my English French and neither will actually be French as the French know it, but I am sure with a bit of arm waving, pointing, shoulder shrugging and eye rolling we will manage to understand each other - what is there to understand anyway - key, what time do you want breakfast?, goodbye - that should do it.
Adios
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