Saturday, September 29, 2007

Just in case you missed me

This time I'm not the one who's challenged by technology- the technology in my house has gone for a six. The computer was refusing to start sensibly- it had become a matter of luck. So the contraption that had slowly and steadily taken over my life is now 'missing in Inaction'.

Don't know when it will recover. The Broadband connection had been on the blink even before that. And then the fantastic rain that had inundated Kolkata.........

Of course I remain challenged. The Sometimes Resident Engineer has been subjected to my frequent requests/demands for his laptop- of the 'Yeh laptop mujhe de de Thakur' variety.
He kindly left it behind when he went out of town for a day. Yours truly couldn't charge the damn thing.
(The adaptor of the charger was challenged, which was a minor problem that he forgot to tell us about. We finally tried all the adaptors in the house, and succeeded, but only after he got back. Bah.)

There's most definitely some kind of technology-threatening broad spectrum virus going round- my father's cassette-player has been repaired and found its voice. The toaster is having its element replaced. My cell phone has been re-repaired, after I bought a new one in sheer desperation. The computer is ill. The landline telephone has been dead for a week. The building intercom had also been on the blink, and has been repaired. My visiting daughter's phone caught a short-term bug, and misbehaved for a few hours this morning. I think it recovered after we left these unhealthy premises! Last night the car's wheel bearing got jammed- it spent the morning being fixed. I may have forgotten a few things but I have learned something of significance. I know now what is my biggest challenge vis-a-vis technology.

First you get used to it, fond of it, perhaps even addicted to it. And then it ditches you as and when it chooses to. Heartless beast, methinks!

8 comments:

Gauri said...

Ditto this all the way Dipali. There seems to be some kind of weird synchrony amongst the electronic equipment too - they all seem to go on the blink one after the other.
Another thing I've noticed - maybe it is my imagination but it has actually happened more than once - you get a new music system the old one acts up, you get a new TV the old one acts up ......
Weird - is it not ?

dipali said...

There seems to be a conspiracy afoot. There was a time when we felt that our equipment had more brains than it let on- if, for instance, you received a windfall from somewhere,and spoke about it at home or in the car, your appliances/vehicle would make sure that they would all break down and utilise all surplus funds and more.
I agree with your theory- I think older equipment gets very upset when newer models enter your home- in a classic display of sibling rivalry they end up indulging in self-destructive attention seeking behaviour:)

Space Bar said...

oh my god. you need to have feng shui and vastu done. after, of course, exorcising your house and putting chandan-kumkum on each of your appliances. this is what happens when you don't do puja to things on vijayadashami.

:D

Usha said...

You and Gauri have already said what I wanted to say. Happens exactly in that sequence in my household too almost every 3 months;and then the ordeal of calling the after sale service and waiting for them. Sometimes two of them descend at the same time, one appliance is upstairs and the other in the kitchen and you have to keep running between them.
Missed you of course.

Anonymous said...

No I know how I manage it! It's all in the family!!!! The other day in office my laptop konked off.. and then the other 5 I laid my hands on decided to behave in ways inexplicable by earth's premise!! Friends by now say I should get a job with the CIA or sumthn... wenever they suspect malicious activity I'll jus need to walk by! :D Another suggestion has been to become the "Stress Tester" for Lenovo machines! The tagline: 'If they can survive her, they can survive anythin!!' And yet another friend is begging me walk past the main server room of my company once!!! :D Talk about Destruction!!!

Yashodhara said...

you are tagged...or awarded...whatever!

neha vish said...

Everything one needs to know about child rearing, one learns from electronic equipment etc.

Doesn't work. Tap twice on head. Else switch off, and go for a walk.

dipali said...

Neha, you brought back memories of my Dad's Telefunken tape recorder- many a time it would play only after getting two tight slaps. ( Since I was the youngest in my family I guess I could only get away with slapping the equipment, which also happened to be younger than I was!)