Anecdotes of my passing...

For those who know me, you would have known of the fiasco I've had with the infamous monopolizing butt-plug Stream-Mix. Funnily enough, thousands of miles away I've started yet another relationship with another ISP. Only this time I got a virgin.. Yea.. a virgin. Virgin Media Ltd.

So how did our relationship started? Ah...it is like any other love story.. I came into the house all lonely, longing for some contact. I realised I had to find someone. And then I saw this flyer that had her name and face. It was love at first sight. For 10 quids a month, I will have unlimited access to her at a speed of 2mb/s. She was certainly hotter than the rest of the competition.

I took my phone and made my first call. I was trembling, to be honest. Oh wait, I didn't call...it was my housemate. O well...please allow me to indulge. Ok...where was I? Yea, she called and when the man representing her (like the merisik culture of malaysia) came to our living room we immediately signed the contract. Yea...I'll be with Virgin for 12 months. Oh yea...I've never had a virgin before. This should be good.....or so I thought.

Then I discovered that she isn't as cheap as she was made up to be. First, I had to put down a 100quid deposit. Virgins don't come cheap, yea. That was my first lesson. Oh well, I swiped my card and there. I thought I had her now... I was already anticipating with glee. I was told that a mail will arrive to announce the date that I'll finally not be alone anymore.

After much wait, that day did arrive. Imagine my happiness! I finally had someone. Then I saw the date on the letter...it was another week. :( I thought, hmm..anticipation makes the final pleasure all the more worthwhile right? Patiently, I bid my time.

The date was October 2nd. I planned to skip all my classes waiting for her to arrive. She totally made my day when the man she was with came at 8am! This will never happen in Malaysia. So, the man came into the room, made the necessary arrangements (setting up cables etc) and gave me the modem. I was all set...

I quickly went through the registration procedures. To my horror, I realised that she was not ready. I was all ready to jump into action but as it turn out, I had to wait 5 more days till the server would allow new registrations. I was so drained...all the pent-up energy needed some release somewhere. I went out and took pleasure in everything else...kept my mind occupied.

Come Saturday, I did it! We did it! I was Virgin's man. ;) Internet was right there in my room. My portal to the other dimensions.

Next came the bombshell... another man came into the picture and took her away from me. Yes, from me. My virgin.

The technician came and gave me another modem. He said that that modem was the one meant for me. But I told him, our relationship is going fine. No need to replace or bring another in. He wouldn't hear my reason...he took her away from me...just like that.

I tried to re-register my new modem but it wouldn't work. That unreasonable technician gave me the wrong pin number. I had to call for help. Only help didn't come cheap. The Customer Care line was ok but the many incompetent staff keep giving me conflicting answers. It didn't help that some of them had really annoying accent. There's a difference between an accent that you can't understand with one that you can't understand AND annoys the crap out of you. Unfortunately for me, I've met some of them. >:(

From the many conflicting answers that I got (which I had to sift through and triple-check with other sources), I realised that I had to call yet another number. Only this number was "premium rate number". Posh-sounding? It's absolutely ridiculous to have it as a helpline. I tried using my handphone (I'm using a MobileWorld simcard) and that of my friend (he's O2). We were unable to call the bloody posh number. Apparently, sometimes these premium numbers are blocked from our line and we had to go to our mobile provider shop to activate it. It's like ... @#$@%?? When I pay for a line, I expect to be able to call...charge me, I don't care but I expect to be able to call. Anyway, I thought I'd try the payphone. Only the credit disappeared quicker than free buffet in Rwanda. I had to make do with a half-call (my conversation with the technician got cut off because I ran out of coins). I spent like 6quid plus. That's like RM42?? Oh well, this was too much.

I got my friend to buy a phonecard to call from a landline. The guy who sold it said that it could call premium numbers. Oh well, it's all fine and dandy. So, I scratched the card and keyed in the password. Only to discover that I could not call a premium rate number. I would have gone screaming at the retailer except that it was not me who bought it but my friend. She was kind enough to get it so I didn't want to make a scene.

This time I went to the Virgin Media store in town. I was told that they also could not put me through to the premium rate line. I am sure you can imagine my level of "pissiness". I collected coins...this time 19 quids and 80pence. I had to make the call...

And I did, only to be told that I have to go back to the Customer Service... the call cost me 16quids..that's like RM112. Who the hell calls for that much? For customer service too! So I called the Customer Service....I've been told by the Customer service to call the Tech Support twice only to waste so much money calling them to tell me I'm supposed to go back to Customer Service. I nearly went out the roof... but when I managed to finally go home and check my Internet, i was so glad that we're finally together.

This is some roller-coaster relationship. I am not getting any younger. These relationships can take their toll on you. All I want now is a happily ever after ending...


PS. Sorry, i had to let it out my system. Managed to delete the many expletives that came out automatically. Will post pics in the next entry. Btw, I've got a cam!! :)

Ah..Finally...my Internet has arrived. Everything is falling into place. My pin number for my debit card should arrive this in a few days. My new number should also be coming in a bit. More than that, I am doing ok.

The weather here is chilly but not frost cold. Kinda like Genting Highlands. Except with a lot more wind. It's a killer the wind. You're all nice and dandy, until some gust freeze your face. That's the worst part. Your face is all exposed and icy. Generally, the weather is pretty gloomy. If it is not cloudy, it's raining. The drizzle kind, not the monsoon kind. Makes you wanna just curl up in bed and not do anything.

The house is a 3-storey typical English terrace house. From the front, it may not look like much but the exterior does not do the interior any justice. There is a bathroom/shower on each floor, and 2 kitchens; one on the ground floor and another on the top floor. Each kitchen is equipped with a freezer, fridge, microwave, stove, taps and larder. For my first few days, it was terrible because there was no hot water shower. I had to bathe in cold water. Omg..it's so cold. Bloody freezing. Also, there was no heating. Hence, my first night was like Dante's Inferno. Equipped with only a thin wool blanket, I slept only to be woken up a few hours later by biting cold. Wrapped myself like a sushi within a popiah, I tried to go back to sleep. Luckily, I managed to sleep. I think it was from the fatigue more than anything. Anyway, that was it. I went and bought my portable (it's huge anyway) heater. Henceforth, my room is now all nice and cosy. Oh yea, my room..it is pretty nicely upholstered. Will post pics when my cam arrives.

My housemates...hmm.. There are 10 others (OMG..so many right...that was my first reaction). 2 Malaysians including yours truly, (a first year law student and moi). The rest are UK people. Total: 6 guys (1 Malaysian and the rest UK) and 5 girls (1 malaysian, and the rest UK) And they can drink beer like i drink water. The guys mostly, do not really favour cleaning up after themselves when they're done eating. The only do so when they next want to use the utensils. Go figure. Oh well..

My timetable is pretty relaxed with Fridays totally free. Having said that, they would expect a lot more independent study here; hence the more free time.

The university building here is scattered. Luckily, I'm smacked in the middle. But I still have to take a walk of about 20 minutes to reach the Residences office on one end and 30 minutes to the Registrar Office on the opposite end. The school and library is pretty close by my place so I am not complaining. That much. :/

Tesco Extra (24 hours..yea...my mom would love it) and Sainsbury are my main shopping haunts. I have also found a few Chinese shops that has Adabi, Brahims and Maggie. The real deal Malaysian maggie. :) Haha..

There are so many things to write but I'm going to stop here. It's getting late and I want to rest. I will let the pictures do the talking but I am camera-less. Anyone who knows any good deals?

Till then, au revoir.

Cheers.