I want my internet!

I have another internet appointment next Monday, and I'm really REALLY hoping this can be resolved. I've got so much that I want to post about - it's amazing how much I've done in the past two months - but I don't even really have the time to post something I prepared at home. (That, and I keep forgetting my jump drive.) There's not much time for me to use the computer at work anyway. My manager get crazy busy sometimes; she's had hour long V-chats three days this week, and then there's a crapload of paperwork to do. Besides, my schedule's so full that I barely have time to check the incoming emails from head office.

All of this I could accept if only I had internet at my apartment.

I'd go to an internet cafe, but there is ONE in Moriya, and it's a LONG way from the station and it would take forever for me to get there. There are three around Shin-Matsudo station, but I don't know when I'd have time to actually go to them. My working days are long and busy - I leave home around 10am and get home around 11pm, and most of that time is actually spent at the school. My days off have also been active lately, what with going places with Benni-sensei and going off to meet with other friends. I don't mind that so much, because it's much more preferable than sitting around me apartment all day. Not having the internet has certainly made me a more active person.

But it'd be nice to have, all the same. If my problems persist next Monday, I guess I'll have to figure out something else. Most people tell me it will get solved - but I know at least two other people who have been trying to get internet for 3-5 months and they STILL don't have it. They don't live in the same apartment building (in fact, they live in completely different cities), but their problems sound a lot like mine. And so far as I can tell, I'm using the same procedure as the other people in my building.

[Speaking of this building, you'd think I'd get some help from GEOS because everyone who lives there is a GEOS employee. Not so. My trainer says, "Keep working at it, you'll get it fixed." And then she ignores me until she decides to chastise me about our school's money numbers. My manager has been left with the brunt of being the middle man between the internet company and me, and she's been incredibly helpful despite being so far separated from Shin-Matsudo. She had to contact another school's manager to find out how their NET got internet. I'd ask them myself, but my neighbors are kind of hermity. They don't seem to even interact with each other all that much. They sit in their apartments and play video games or watch movies with their girlfriends, all of whom laugh in annoying high-pitched squeals. I prefer my Japanese neighbors in Isesaki. Granted, I prefer everything in Isesaki over Shin-Matsudo, but that's just life, isn't it?]

Anyway, that's that. Other than the internet and the poor location of my apartment (if I want/need anything, I have to walk ten minutes to the station to get it, not to mention that 40-60 minutes commute), things are going well. I'm busy at work, but the classes are fine and the students are great. I've got a routine going, and that's helped a lot. Plus, I'm not sitting at home and doing nothing, and that's the most important thing to me. I hadn't realized how tired I was of just being a lump.

more internet disappointment

I do not understand the whys or hows of Japanese internet service; all I know is that it's causing me a major headache and inconvience, and I do not see the reason for this. Communication in general doesn't seem to be a problem, so I'm having a hard time figuring out why getting connected has been such a hassle for me.

I will say this - despite my obvious inability to speak Japanese, my proposed ISP has been really diligent about staying in contact with me and trying to keep me updated. Even the internet guy who came to evaluate my lines did his best to communicate to me the problem. (though, at one point, he just looked at me and basically said, "You don't understand any of this, do you?" Ironically, I did understand that. Otherwise, he was absolutely correct.) After Thursday's failed attempt, I thought I would have to contact NTT again myself, but they called me on Friday to set up another appointment. Fortunately, I was in Narita with Benni-sensei, so she talked to them for me. The next appointment they can make for a Monday is June 1st.

Seriously, June 1st. And I'm not even sure if that's an appointment to get internet connected or just to do more assessing/wiring. Benni-sensei (who is not internet savvy at all) didn't quite get the explanation.

I'm now mildly irritated, but the major problem is that I don't know who/what to be mildly irritated at. I've settled on GEOS, because this is their crummy apartment building and if I was still in a Leo Palace, I wouldn't be having this problem. I am extremely unhappy with these living arrangements, and I don't feel guilty about pinning it on GEOS. It's a stupid setup and the most assitance I've received from my boss was, "You could take some pictures of the apartment, and I'll try to help you as best I can. But honestly, I'm not sure there's anything I can do for you."

Fine, except that my main complaints about the apartment have little to do with the fact that it looks terrible and rundown. I really don't care what the place looks like - all I ask for is peace and quiet, internet convienence, and a sense of safety. I have yet to acheivement 100% satisfication on any of those items, though I don't feel that safety is much of an issue (still, the fact that I have a security system and a door with four locks on it keeps me on alert).

Mostly, though, I just wish I had internet capabilities. I'm not patient enough to wait another full month to be able to mindlessly surf the web again, so I'm wondering if looking into other internet option will be worthwhile.

Blargh, why can't things just be simple?