I don't know what secrets and/or politics lie behind our difficulty in getting internet service. I may never know. Right now I don't really care because we have it, but 24 hours ago was another story.
There are a few major service providers here: Hutchinson, PCCW and iCable. The last two also provide cable TV. Most people use PCCW for broadband cable and internet, so we gave them the first shot. That was who told me on April 7 that they would install internet and cable TV on April 9, only to tell me on April 8 that there was a problem: not enough cable. I don't even know if this is possible, but that was the story. Paul called and spoke to somebody else who hinted that the building didn't have a contract with PCCW and gave him, after about three more calls, a TENTATIVE date of May 7.
O.K., so it's our building? Paul called our building management. Nothing. Then he asked a guy at the front desk here. They seemed to be aware that people were having problems getting service, but they had no solution.
Then I went to Hutchinson (who provides our mobile phone service) in person. They don't provide cable TV, but we were figuring out alternatives for that anyway. I thought there was hope because the phone jacks in our very walls say Hutchinson right on them. So they must have the password for getting access, right? I gave them my address and they said, "We don't have coverage in that building."
This was at about 4:00 Tuesday afternoon. Soon after I tried to look up alternatives on the computer at Mix and got in a good 10 minutes before I was kicked out for not buying anything (I didn't want another smoothie!!!). Then Paul called and said he looked in his "Welcome to Hong Kong" info packet that Goldman gave him months ago, and it listed iCable, the other provider of not only internet but cable TV. He hopefully entered our address online and it came up as available. I didn't quite believe it.
A few minutes later he called and said they were coming over between 7 and 9. And somebody really did at about 9:00. And the whole time he was there I kept waiting for him to say, "I can't do this because..." But he didn't.
We didn't get the cable TV, but we have some kind of TV with, of course, about three nature stations. We are about to attempt the slingbox, so we probably won't need cable here. We hear it's not very good anyway - either PCCW or iCable. We also have a phone line because it came with the service. I doubt we'll even buy a phone, but we have the option.
So around 5:00 yesterday, I was about as dejected as I could be trying to imagine how long I would have to live without a connection. Four hours later, I had one. I have a resident's guide book with information like this, but iCable was not listed as an ISP, and nobody had suggested it before. And somehow, this was the magic puzzle piece. From near hopelessness to , "Sure, we'll be there in a couple of hours." Maybe they paid the builders the most? It's a mystery. I don't plan on calling PCCW to cancel. I'm curious to see whether they ever get back to me with a date.
I could live (begrudgingly) for 17 days without the internet, but I was most frustrated by not seeing an end to it and not getting straight answers from service providers who seem to cover everywhere but this very building.
Anyway, we're back. I hope we didn't lose our little group of readers. Now that this little kink is ironed out, I'll be giving you some more interesting stories, even if I have to make them up. I wouldn't do that.
Or would I?
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
message in a bottle
help!!! i'm forced to type with my thumb on my tiny phone screen just to get a message out. still no good news on home net install. i'm dyin' here. it's lonely on my island. not feeling positive today.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Communications Breakdown
No net. I'm back on smoothies and hanging around Mix Cafe like a public library Internet junkie. The quick story is that we moved in on Sunday, I called the Internet/Cable company Monday, the guy set up an appointment for installation on Wednesday, then he called me back Tuesday and told me there was a problem and his best explanation was that there was not enough cable. Not enough cable? Paul called and spoke to somebody else who said that our building ran phone lines through a certain communications company which is not the company that provides cable TV, so if you want to use another company (which you must if you want cable) they have to apply to the first company to lease their lines or something like that. The bottom line is that it takes a few weeks. So that's where I've been.
Now we're thinking about a slingbox so we wouldn't even get cable, and we could call the company who owns the lines in the building and probably get Internet right away. But then we would have to record programs or something, unless we want to watch whatever is on TV in the early a.m. hours back home. Nothing is easy. We'll try to hook the computer up to the TV later to see if it works anyway before we decide. If anybody has some wisdom on the matter, feel free tp provide it, but Paul will have to read the comments at work and then deliver them to me.
Otherwise, the apartment and things are good. I'll give details when I'm not sitting at a public laptop listening to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." I don't know. It wasn't even a good version.
Please don't go away!!!
Now we're thinking about a slingbox so we wouldn't even get cable, and we could call the company who owns the lines in the building and probably get Internet right away. But then we would have to record programs or something, unless we want to watch whatever is on TV in the early a.m. hours back home. Nothing is easy. We'll try to hook the computer up to the TV later to see if it works anyway before we decide. If anybody has some wisdom on the matter, feel free tp provide it, but Paul will have to read the comments at work and then deliver them to me.
Otherwise, the apartment and things are good. I'll give details when I'm not sitting at a public laptop listening to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." I don't know. It wasn't even a good version.
Please don't go away!!!
Saturday, April 5, 2008
The Answer My Friend Is Blowing In The Wind
I'll keep this one short (even though Lisa is in the shower and could go on) but it's been a long day and getting late.
Tonight is our last night in HH and mainly due to an exhausting day we ordered in for the last time and need to get up early to move everything we have left and get out of here by 11:00. It was another three day weekend for myself (grave visiting holiday - or something like that on Friday) which came at an ideal time with the move going on.
We spent a good part of the weekend visiting a great deal of stores and picking up everything we didn't pack. We ordered a custom made couch today, which was surprisingly cheap for what seems to be a higher quality piece of furniture and on par with IKEA pricing if not cheaper. Our wine was delivered and our ocean shipment is due in tomorrow and should clear customs this week so by the end of this month we should be settled in.
I figured I'd just get back and answer some questions from the "Reunited" blog with the pictures from the apartment.
The pictures are a little misleading. The apartment ceilings are about twelve feet high so I think it makes things appear slightly more narrow than they actually are. The doors are all a standard width of about 30 inches and as small as the kitchen is those cabinets are actually about 10 feet high (we bought a very tall step stool today). We just need to plan a little differently than you would in a common apartment back home. My suggestion of bunk beds has not been completely accepted yet.
The washer/dryer is under the stove top in the cabinet next to the sink. It holds about two articles of clothing unless you want to include one of those static cling dryer sheets, then it's one at a time.
And the surrounding buildings are actually further away then they appear in the photos. On a day with a slight breeze similar to today you could spit off our balcony and it would only fall to a rooftop about two buildings away (I'm guessing). You could never reach the soccer / basketball courts. Unless maybe you fashioned some sort of sling. I'll keep you updated when I've had more time to think about it.
I could go on about why the Hong Kong Sevens are better than getting to see March Madness or possibly the best NBA season in about fifteen years but maybe I'll just save that for another day.
Anyway we may be without access for a few days till we get it up and running in the new place so unless Lisa finds her way to an internet cafe the blog may be on hold briefly but they move pretty quick here so it shouldn't be too long.
Blog ya' later.
Tonight is our last night in HH and mainly due to an exhausting day we ordered in for the last time and need to get up early to move everything we have left and get out of here by 11:00. It was another three day weekend for myself (grave visiting holiday - or something like that on Friday) which came at an ideal time with the move going on.
We spent a good part of the weekend visiting a great deal of stores and picking up everything we didn't pack. We ordered a custom made couch today, which was surprisingly cheap for what seems to be a higher quality piece of furniture and on par with IKEA pricing if not cheaper. Our wine was delivered and our ocean shipment is due in tomorrow and should clear customs this week so by the end of this month we should be settled in.
I figured I'd just get back and answer some questions from the "Reunited" blog with the pictures from the apartment.
The pictures are a little misleading. The apartment ceilings are about twelve feet high so I think it makes things appear slightly more narrow than they actually are. The doors are all a standard width of about 30 inches and as small as the kitchen is those cabinets are actually about 10 feet high (we bought a very tall step stool today). We just need to plan a little differently than you would in a common apartment back home. My suggestion of bunk beds has not been completely accepted yet.
The washer/dryer is under the stove top in the cabinet next to the sink. It holds about two articles of clothing unless you want to include one of those static cling dryer sheets, then it's one at a time.
And the surrounding buildings are actually further away then they appear in the photos. On a day with a slight breeze similar to today you could spit off our balcony and it would only fall to a rooftop about two buildings away (I'm guessing). You could never reach the soccer / basketball courts. Unless maybe you fashioned some sort of sling. I'll keep you updated when I've had more time to think about it.
I could go on about why the Hong Kong Sevens are better than getting to see March Madness or possibly the best NBA season in about fifteen years but maybe I'll just save that for another day.
Anyway we may be without access for a few days till we get it up and running in the new place so unless Lisa finds her way to an internet cafe the blog may be on hold briefly but they move pretty quick here so it shouldn't be too long.
Blog ya' later.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Congratulations
Twenty one years ago today was a big day for me. It was the first time I was a bride's maid. Sharing the spotlight with me were my oldest sister and her new husband. They've now been married a whole person-who-could-drink. So, happy anniversary to Claudia and Peter.
Another event is occurring today that I'm very sad to miss. Everybody knows that I surrendered my job at NYPL to move here. And everybody knows that my last year at NYPL was at Great Kills and that for me it was not at all Great (Kills is pretty accurate though). But one thing made me wish I could stay, at least a little longer. Since mid-2006 through February 2008, past my official resignation of January 25, I spent a few hours each month in a room in Mid-Manhattan with a handful of very smart, funny and dedicated people talking about books. We read them; we praised them; we cursed them, we transformed them sometimes... all in the name of Books to Remember. I was lucky enough to participate on the committee for the presentation of the list in March of 2007. I met some of the authors, two of whom I presented books by. It turned out to be more fun than I could have imagined and it is the experience I am most proud to take with me.
It's almost 9 p.m. in Hong Kong. In just a few minutes, New York time, those librarians I spoke of will take the stage in one of the most recognized buildings in the world to present the Books to Remember list for 2007. They all know I wish I were there, and I know that they will give as spectacular a presentation as we gave last year. We were a good bunch together and I'll always remember the presentation as well as the monthly donut-filled meetings.
So congratulations to Abby, Tracy, Matthew, Billy, Jay, Jessica, and of course, Adele.
Here's the 2006 list.
Another event is occurring today that I'm very sad to miss. Everybody knows that I surrendered my job at NYPL to move here. And everybody knows that my last year at NYPL was at Great Kills and that for me it was not at all Great (Kills is pretty accurate though). But one thing made me wish I could stay, at least a little longer. Since mid-2006 through February 2008, past my official resignation of January 25, I spent a few hours each month in a room in Mid-Manhattan with a handful of very smart, funny and dedicated people talking about books. We read them; we praised them; we cursed them, we transformed them sometimes... all in the name of Books to Remember. I was lucky enough to participate on the committee for the presentation of the list in March of 2007. I met some of the authors, two of whom I presented books by. It turned out to be more fun than I could have imagined and it is the experience I am most proud to take with me.
It's almost 9 p.m. in Hong Kong. In just a few minutes, New York time, those librarians I spoke of will take the stage in one of the most recognized buildings in the world to present the Books to Remember list for 2007. They all know I wish I were there, and I know that they will give as spectacular a presentation as we gave last year. We were a good bunch together and I'll always remember the presentation as well as the monthly donut-filled meetings.
So congratulations to Abby, Tracy, Matthew, Billy, Jay, Jessica, and of course, Adele.
Here's the 2006 list.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Reunited
Paul was under the weather this week with a little stomach bug, but I'll leave him something to write about, even though he seems to be developing the notion that our public likes it better when I write. Geniuses have such delicate egos.
I met Paul for lunch one day last week and as I sat outside waiting - that's right, I said I was waiting - I watched as people passed and I paid attention to their outfits and I started fantasizing about being reunited with my own wardrobe. The reunion happened yesterday and it was a joyful occasion. Since we have the keys to the J Residence apartment, we had the air shipment, which was sitting in storage, finally delivered there. Our sea shipment, including the bed and other large items, won't be here for another couple of weeks so we will be renting furniture and household goods, right down to forks and spoons. That stuff is arriving Saturday; that's why we aren't moving there until Sunday. It's a good thing we're here for two years. I'm going to spend a month's time packing and unpacking and repacking.
I will send emails with our address. I don't want to write it here and have fans surrounding the place. Some details for those who couldn't access the web site: It's about 48 floors, I think. We will be on the 26th. There is supposedly a "sky clubhouse" which includes a lounge, garden and rooftop pool. We haven't checked it out yet. They're also still working on what looks like multiple restaurants that will be part of a whole dining complex connected to the building. It's a good thing there's also a gym. I did see that. It has beautiful views of the mountains.
As I said, the apartment is TINY. It has what they call an open kitchen, which means it's just out there on view, no walls separating it from the rest of the space (We'll just have to make like Les Nesman). The owner added an island, which is good because the table and chairs we brought would not likely fit. The rear wall of the living room is all window. Then there's the bedroom which has a balcony off the rear wall. The bathroom is off the bedroom. Thats it.
Everything is electric, no gas. It has a washer/dryer in the kitchen. I didn't even know they made washers/dryers in one. I guess that's what product engineers come up with when there's no space. Though I'll be doing laundry every other day because the thing can just about hold a pair of Paul's jeans and a pair of socks, maybe. What's nice is that everything is brand new and unused. Except our stuff. I'll let you know what we must part with.
Here are some photos before we wreck the place by cramming our stuff into it. Somehow, it looks even smaller in the photos.
Living room view from the front door
The kitchen (more like a wet bar)
The bathroom through the bedroom
The balcony from the bedroom
View from the balcony, to the left
View from the balcony to the right
This building is the Hopewell Center (the orange things are elevators)
I met Paul for lunch one day last week and as I sat outside waiting - that's right, I said I was waiting - I watched as people passed and I paid attention to their outfits and I started fantasizing about being reunited with my own wardrobe. The reunion happened yesterday and it was a joyful occasion. Since we have the keys to the J Residence apartment, we had the air shipment, which was sitting in storage, finally delivered there. Our sea shipment, including the bed and other large items, won't be here for another couple of weeks so we will be renting furniture and household goods, right down to forks and spoons. That stuff is arriving Saturday; that's why we aren't moving there until Sunday. It's a good thing we're here for two years. I'm going to spend a month's time packing and unpacking and repacking.
I will send emails with our address. I don't want to write it here and have fans surrounding the place. Some details for those who couldn't access the web site: It's about 48 floors, I think. We will be on the 26th. There is supposedly a "sky clubhouse" which includes a lounge, garden and rooftop pool. We haven't checked it out yet. They're also still working on what looks like multiple restaurants that will be part of a whole dining complex connected to the building. It's a good thing there's also a gym. I did see that. It has beautiful views of the mountains.
As I said, the apartment is TINY. It has what they call an open kitchen, which means it's just out there on view, no walls separating it from the rest of the space (We'll just have to make like Les Nesman). The owner added an island, which is good because the table and chairs we brought would not likely fit. The rear wall of the living room is all window. Then there's the bedroom which has a balcony off the rear wall. The bathroom is off the bedroom. Thats it.
Everything is electric, no gas. It has a washer/dryer in the kitchen. I didn't even know they made washers/dryers in one. I guess that's what product engineers come up with when there's no space. Though I'll be doing laundry every other day because the thing can just about hold a pair of Paul's jeans and a pair of socks, maybe. What's nice is that everything is brand new and unused. Except our stuff. I'll let you know what we must part with.
Here are some photos before we wreck the place by cramming our stuff into it. Somehow, it looks even smaller in the photos.
Living room view from the front door
The kitchen (more like a wet bar)
The bathroom through the bedroom
The balcony from the bedroom
View from the balcony, to the left
View from the balcony to the right
This building is the Hopewell Center (the orange things are elevators)
Movin' Out
It's almost time to bid farewell to apartment 12B in the Peach Blossom, our serviced apartment in Hanlun Habitats. We went to our new apartment at J Residence yesterday to sign the lease and get the keys from the landlord. I have no complaints about our temporary residence, but it will be nice to get into our own place.
The staff here has been very hospitable. I see the same two or three doormen every day and they still pretend they're happy to see me come and go. It's also nice to have the whole place cleaned every day by somebody other than me. They even wash the dishes. The only downside is that the cleaning ladies arrive randomly between about nine and three, so I feel that I always have to be out or be prepared to run out when they arrive. They say "bye-bye" a lot. I think it may be one of the only English phrases they know, and I'm grateful for it. The other thing we take advantage of is ordering in from a small dinner menu they provide. The food is decent, not spectacular, but it arrives at our door within about ten minutes of our calling in an order, and it's so cheap that I couldn't even buy the ingredients and cook them myself for less. And really, why would I? The little kitchen is well-equipped, but come on, it's prepared, economical food that appears at your door. It's like a small miracle (and hopefully helps balance out our more extravagant weekend meals). They also let you drop off your laundry at the front desk and they'll send it out and return it to your apartment when it's done.
So, bravo to the good people at Hanlun Habitats. Our stay was quite pleasant.
We'll probably also miss the space. That is one small apartment we're attempting. As for the location, I enjoy it here but I'm looking forward to a new neighborhood and flatter ground. It's not a very big island; it's not like we can't return. I mean, the Wagyu restaurant is close to here... we'll be back.
I think we are officially checking out of here this Sunday. We've been here a whole month already. Wow.
I should run. The cleaning people already attempted and retreated once.
The staff here has been very hospitable. I see the same two or three doormen every day and they still pretend they're happy to see me come and go. It's also nice to have the whole place cleaned every day by somebody other than me. They even wash the dishes. The only downside is that the cleaning ladies arrive randomly between about nine and three, so I feel that I always have to be out or be prepared to run out when they arrive. They say "bye-bye" a lot. I think it may be one of the only English phrases they know, and I'm grateful for it. The other thing we take advantage of is ordering in from a small dinner menu they provide. The food is decent, not spectacular, but it arrives at our door within about ten minutes of our calling in an order, and it's so cheap that I couldn't even buy the ingredients and cook them myself for less. And really, why would I? The little kitchen is well-equipped, but come on, it's prepared, economical food that appears at your door. It's like a small miracle (and hopefully helps balance out our more extravagant weekend meals). They also let you drop off your laundry at the front desk and they'll send it out and return it to your apartment when it's done.
So, bravo to the good people at Hanlun Habitats. Our stay was quite pleasant.
We'll probably also miss the space. That is one small apartment we're attempting. As for the location, I enjoy it here but I'm looking forward to a new neighborhood and flatter ground. It's not a very big island; it's not like we can't return. I mean, the Wagyu restaurant is close to here... we'll be back.
I think we are officially checking out of here this Sunday. We've been here a whole month already. Wow.
I should run. The cleaning people already attempted and retreated once.
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