I was on a high when I sent out the most recent blog post on technology, and how great it is, and how we are starting to see the benefits and thinking we are just so clever with all that we are busy with!
I couldn't resist sharing this as a little 'PS ' however!
Odie and I both live on farms - and with that comes the fantastic peace of nature's quiet, but also with the challenges are being 'out of town' and being forgotten so to speak.
Firstly, the copper cables supplying Odie's farming area were stolen (did I mention that this is Africa...?) and the local telecommunication provider were planning to resolve. They then decided it was futile to relay copper which would most likely just be stolen again, and so there is no landline solution. Telkom have further decided that it is pointless laying fibre-optic or any other material as the thieves would not know the difference and still attempt to remove them!
This is no hinderance for us Handley girls - we will use Skype over the Internet and do all our landline call requirements this way. Actually it is quite efficient we tell ourselves, as we are always at our desk when on a call, with all information at our fingertips. Panic allayed!
Of course there are the times when the signal, that gives us the precious wireless and 3G internet that we now so heavily depend on, may falter! This can be due to a gentle wind, low lying cloud, or just a bit of rain. And then... along comes 'Mr. Lightening'! Well, this really changes things as now Odie is completely offline with no internet either.
Oh no! Now there is load-shedding - I have just experienced a power cut, which of course defies all our attempts at staying online described above, and negates all options.
But wait!! "You can't keep a good thing down" they say, and thank goodness for Blackberry!! We are both up and running with most information in our handhelds and we can continue with the day-to-day business of soap-making. Crisis averted!
That is as long as some form of normalcy returns within 24 hours!
Here's hoping - still gotta love Africa!
You are definitely very brave!!! There is so much we take for granted, living in the U.S. But we can't get so cocky as to think that things will never go wrong here - as Hurricane Irene was quick to point out! Many blessings to you gals!
ReplyDeleteDear Amy! You are so right - it is very easy to get lost in our own challenges. Thoughts to all in Hurricane Irene's path, 911 families, the poverty-stricken and war-affected people. Touche girl, thank you for your comment!
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