One of the best ways of communication with my deployed husband has been to use Skype. So far I “enjoy” the use of technology during this difficult phase in our lives. For my husband to see the children for two birthdays, 1 Thanksgiving, 1 Christmas, and 1 New Year’s Eve.
To have this technology working is fantastic and a super disappointment when it DOES NOT work one way or the other-for him or me. You see, technology is great when it works and only when it works correctly. I have found myself in a dilemma recently— Internet is not working at my home. Now, also, with that dilemma also comes a special issue when that Internet is connected by a different country/language.
Okay, so I am in Germany. I know how to order lunch, but I don’t know how to set up a new router when the wizard help is in German. Believe me when I say, I have been to the ‘internet company’ several times in two weeks, called three different ‘Customer Service HELP lines,’ got a new splitter, and one expensive router, and one visit (paid) from a local tech guy—and still no Internet.
By process of elimination, yes, I pay the bills, I have had internet here in this house for the last two years, the DSL cable is connected to the phone jack, etc. etc. Oh where oh where did my Internet go??? It’s really frustrating for both my husband and for me to not be able to communicate the only way most people know how to do!!
With all the iTouch, iPads, iPods, Blackberry’s, and whatever is available….imagine having all that---without the Internet. It’s worthless. Okay, I am being a little dramatic I suppose, but when I pay for something, I want it to work the way it should right??
It’s just another trial during this deployment, and I am sure that EVENTUALLY it will be corrected, but for now…it’s really a thorn at my side.
So, after all this we have resorted to having just a phone call here and there. He called me today…and it was SUPER COMICAL.
He has to dial like 25 numbers just to connect to me…he called, phone line dropped twice. Finally, I get a call back. We start to talk. “Happy New Year, Honey!” “Happy New Year to you Honey!”
Then, I started to talk about last night, about how our great neighbors, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, invited us over….
He said, “It sounds like you’re talking through a pipe.”
“Well, I am not.” “Can you understand me, now?”
He chuckled, “You sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher.”
“Can you understand me now?” “Can you hear me?”
“Yeah, I heard you say, can you hear me.”
So I started talking some more….and then with his hearty laugh he said,
“I can hear you, but I can’t understand what you’re saying…it sounds like: wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah.” (If you have ever watched a Charlie Brown classic---pay attention when adults talk---that’s what he said I sounded like)
I started to laugh, he started to laugh –Then we laughed some more.
He said, “Well, this is a challenge.” “I am having a one person conversation.”
“Ugh.”
“Well, Honey, I will call my mom and I’ll call you back and hopefully we can actually talk.”
“Okay bye.” (In a soft voice)
“Oh, I actually heard that. Say something else.”
“We went to the neighbor’s house last night and the kids had fun.”
~Silence~
“Umm—nope I didn’t understand…that didn’t help either.” As he was laughing out loud…
Good thing I have a sense of humor—is all I can say.
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1 comments:
You are not alone! I'm pretty sure Germany is jinxed when it comes to communication. My husband and I had similar problems when he was here and I was still stuck in the states dealing with a sea of paperwork. Eventually we resorted to typing through Skype's chat box. Phone calls would resemble the one you described, and the Skype calls would NEVER allow the audio to work. It was miserable. But all things pass with time. Before you know it he'll be back home and you won't have to worry about it anymore. Best of luck in the meantime!
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