I've been patient...

Now I'm angry. Like, if I were a cartoon character, steam would be coming out of my ears. So, since the new modem they sent did nothing, they're going to come out and check the line again, but apparently EVERYONE is on vacation until the 6th so they're not coming until the 8th!! That is a week and a half away! and they said if that doesn't fix it, to call again... which gives me no confidence that it will. Okay, I get that it's Golden Week but seriously!!! Only Tuesday is an official holiday this week and it's not my fault they didn't get it connected right the first time OR that this should have been resolved in FEBRUARY!!!!!! before the snow melted, before the sakura, and before Golden Week!! (#^O^#)

whew. I'm just SO frustrated that this is taking so long! We're coming up on three months! There's no reason for there to be so many problems either, and it's not really anyone's fault, just a bad series of events. I try not to let it get to me (I'm calm again), but it's doubly compounded because I'm getting frustrated that people don't understand why not having internet is so upsetting. It's not because I can't read up on the latest celebrity gossip or spend hours stalking people on Facebook. I don't care about any of that frivolous time-consuming stuff anymore.

It's about losing my main links to family and friends! My email capability has been limited to the endurance of my thumbs (typing onthe cell phone like now) and with no Skype, I can't make international phone calls (and I can't find calling cards). That means I can't reach any of my support system (and by "system" I mean people), and if I were still in Berkeley, that would be okay, I could manage only talking to my mom once every two weeks. But I'm not in Berkeley, and living abroad is stressful in so many ways you probably only get if you've experienced it - that support system is a lifeline. It's a necessity! Without it, I feel so stranded, frustrated, and lonely. THAT's why I'm desperate for the internet.

Now, I should mention that I have a couple of rockstar friends who are keeping me from going over the edge by making an effort to stay connected- Sally, who email/"chat"s with me for hours everyday, Erin, who calls me from England and lets me rant about the latest internet non-developments, and Val, who leaves me crazy/long voicemails on Skype so when I check it once a week or so I have a good laugh at her latest exploits. And here in Akita, there's Christy, who lets me borrow her internet whenever I ask. I'm really grateful for them and the effort they make for me.

I'm sorry if it seems like all I do is lament this internet thing, but I hope you can understand that it's not just lack of internet- it's being cut off from my lifelines.

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Okay, I don't like being so negative, so on a more upbeat note, I'm going on a roadtrip this weekend! It's a 4-day weekend, so Christy, Paula, Ann (a city JET from S. Africa), and I are heading north! We're going over to Iwate and up through Aomori to Hirosaki and then down along the scenic Aomori/Akita coast. I'll keep you posted!