Absurdity, Allegory and China

The Flickr site came back within a couple of hours, which was reassuring … at least for the moment. The problems with access to the Internet have been very problematic since the end of November when the only ISP we can possibly use started chugging to a near-halt. Email was difficult to download, though if we got up early enough in the morning before the majority of folks tried to get online, we were able to get email and possibly go to a few sites until the window closed. It usually held up, though at a very reduced rate between 4 and 7 AM, about the time the hardcore users gave up in the wee hours to the time when folks awoke and attempted to get their email. Each time we called we were told something different until finally someone said, “Look, we are in the process of renegotiating the contract with China Mobile.” Ahhh, finally an honest answer. At that point we figured that it would take until January 1, 2007, so we waited … and got up early to try to get email. As we closed in on the end of the year, and hoped that that things would improve, the earthquake off the coast of Taiwan struck, severing several cables, giving our ISP the excuse they’d been looking for not to improve service. The ‘speed’ got even worse, if that was possible, and our hopes for a good connection fizzled.

Then last Saturday (January 27) speeds increased to the point that we could actually use the Internet as it is theoretically meant to be used, minus, of course, the large package of blocked sites. Not fast, but much faster than it had been in two months. Word was that the cables had been repaired, or at least enough of them to improve connectivity. The word was also that it wouldn’t be up to full speed until mid-February, though if it is any faster then than it is right now, I’d be surprised. Schools are off and kids are home for the Chinese New Year break, and the internet bars are packed. It is no mystery why things are slower than they should be, but we are happy that at least we have some form of connection. Who knows, tomorrow is a different day with it’s own set of problems. We just keep hoping that it won’t go totally belly-up. One never knows what to expect. So, you just keep dancing until the band decides they’ve had enough. And there’s no telling how long that’ll be.