Slice of Life No. 2 -- The Internet Service Provider

I've been having internet connection problem since typhoon Frank and it has been more than a week now. Several times I've contacted my ISP's technical support to report the issues I encounter.

I may not have any formal education or training on computer hardwares and softwares but I read a lot and I have long years of actual experience since I personally maintain the computer units at my internet cafe. Modesty aside, I believe that what I know and understand about computers at this point in time is enough to point out that the real problem entirely lies on their service.

Here is the scenario.

I am using a wireless broadband connection. For the past ten days, I've been almost a regular daily caller to my ISP's hotline. Actually, the simple task of reaching the tech support wastes so much time. Either line is always busy or call was always put on hold forever every time I get connected to tech support. It seems like nobody wants to hear a subscriber's complaints. So I tried doing a trick -- instead of pressing 4 for tech support as per recorded instructions, I pressed 2 for new applications and follow-up. Alas! My call was immediately attended to. So since then, I always press 2 to get connected to them.

My local area connection status says that I am connected to the internet. However, I can't keep a steady connection. Just to be able to browse I need to repair connection right after every click, otherwise, I only get 'Server not found' page. I've tried doing everything tech support normally asks subscribers to do to correct connectivity errors.

1. I've tried disabling the local area connection, unplugged the ISP network adapter from the power outlet, restarted my computer, plugged the adapter again, and enabled the local area connection but it didn't solve the problem.

2. Once I click the repair connection button in the support tab of the local area connection, going to the command prompt, I can ping google.com, yahoo.com, tipidpc.com, etc. However, whenever I ping the default gateway, or their four different DNS Servers, or any of their given IP numbers, chances are I'll get 'Request timed out result' or, if not, 75% loss on packets sent and received.

3. I've cleared all private data to delete cookies both on Mozilla and Internet Explorer.

4. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling of my computer's network adapter.

5. I've checked my antenna positioning. There is no visible structure whatsoever that blocks its path to the tower.

Last night, after having tried everything over again upon the instructions of the technical support representative, the problem remains unsolved. I was really trying to keep my cool despite all the troubles. But what seriously pissed me off was when the technical support rep announced that based on the checks done, there is nothing wrong with the connection at their end. He even advised that I must have my computer checked by an authorized technician as it seems that my operating system needs repair.

Whoaaaa!!! My unit is a brand new laptop, barely two weeks old. It is running smoothly and I haven't even encountered any other problems whatsoever aside from their sucking service.

Why does it seem so hard for them to admit to their clients that they really have problems with their system? Why put the blame instead to the poor subscribers' machines when all along it is their system's fault? I can imagine the trouble and unnecessary expenses other people may go through considering my ISPs sucking service style.

Slice of Life No. 1 -- The TEACHER

Mariz is a public elementary teacher. She has been in straight service for almost twenty years now. Considerably, she is earning a decent pay from her job. However, sad is that she always has difficulty in making both ends meet -- despite all her hard efforts. Her school job is not even her only source of income. She also gets paid regularly for her private tutorial sessions. Moreover, she is a very enterprising person as she supplies goods to some sari-sari stores near the school where she goes to work. The goods that she supplies, most of the time, she even personally prepares. She makes candy sweets as well as ice. She also owns a jeepney for public passenger use. She has no worries with regards to house rental as she had successfully paid for the lot wherein she had her house gradually built.

True enough, given such an industrious and enterprising individual, one will wonder what makes her suffer still financially. Well, please let me add that Mariz is married and with three teen-age daughters and a son.

Unfortunately, Mariz’s husband is exactly her opposite as far as the drive to earn is concerned. Even though he is what you can consider as skilled and talented, it seems like he prefers to simply bum around when no job comes his way. He is a master carpenter and a jeepney driver, but, he is also a drinker and a gambler. He has such grave vices, which brings out the worst in him at times. Yes, Mariz’s husband sometimes throws away and breaks things in their home when he is drunk. Worst of all, there were even incidents when her husband will not let her in to their house and leave her sleep outside through the night. More than that, her husband also has an extended family who regularly awaits financial support from him.

Mariz’s children are aged 10, 13, 16 and 17 and all four of them go to school. The eldest is a college freshman in a university in Manila, the two younger ones are both in high school, while the youngest is in elementary school. Come next school year, the second daughter will also be in college. There are times that Mariz finds herself in deep thoughts – wondering how she is to support her four kids to school considering her present financial dilemma. Almost nothing is left out of her salary every payday once all her obligations are deducted.

Mariz is living in a vicious cycle of money-borrowing. Her house was built out of long-term loans but with relatively high interests. At present, she is still paying for them. Let’s just say you name every kind of employees’ loan that you know of, and you will be surprised to know that she has availed almost each one of them. So naturally, she relies all the more with the common loan sharks around to go on with life’s necessities. She tends to borrow money so as to be able to fulfill her obligations with another. She has no qualms about borrowing money as she has always been a good payer; thus, she maintains good relationship with money lenders.

Even with her irresponsible husband, life is not supposed to be that difficult for her – that is, if, and only if, she is not deeply buried in piles of loan interest after interest.