Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Technical Difficulties

To continue my never ending streak of bad luck since I have moved to Mumbai, every piece of technology that I own or am associated with has died, malfunction, or just plainly crapped out.

For my move to India, my father arranged for a laptop for me. Though, it's a bit on the older side, it did everything I needed. It was a savior for me in being able to work from home. In Kolkata, there was no office space, so with out my own laptop I couldn't have worked. In, Mumbai, it's just easier to work from home. However, in January the motherboard died. Sigh.

Right before moving to India, I bought myself a new digital camera as a birthday present to myself. I kinda splurged. It wasn't exactly top of the line, but it was really good and I loved it. I really didn't use it much since I moved to Mumbai. I became a bit photo-lazy. A few months ago, the motherboard died. Sigh.

As a graduation present from Grad School in 2005, the ever lovable Chris and Dave (the sponsors of my trip to Capetown in March) gifted me an iPod. This simple device is a godsend (for those of you who do not own one yet - come it's 2007 already, get one!) when you are stuck in traffic, on flights or at the airport, at the gym, everywhere really. It's like your own little escape. Mine decided to stop working six months after moving to Mumbai, right after the warranty expired. Since India does not have an Apple Service Center, I gave it to Anthony to send it to the shop in London. I recently found out that the motherboard died. It would cost more to fix it than to buy a new one. Sigh.

I didn't even know iPods and cameras had motherboards!

Since I've moved to Mumbai I've gone through 2 different pen drives. I didn't even know they could break. My office computer needs to be services every other week. The office Internet doesn't work for more than 3 days at a time. And for the past 2 weeks the net at home and office decided it didn't want to work anymore. Double Sigh.

So now. As I sit at the net cafe trying to catch-up with email and other online business. I wonder what kinda of rite/ritual/ceremony can I do. To get rid of this technological black cloud that is plaguing my existence.


PS: Anthony in a rare act of compassion decided to give me an early birthday present and gifted me a new iPod. Thank You Anthony! Let's see how long it lasts.

8 comments:

Tony said...

Well just to be sure, I got you one with 2 motherboards in case one dies :-)

Happy ipoding! :-)

CKC123 said...

ok, so leave the black cloud in india when you come to capetown. lol.

beatpunk said...

Sorry to hear about your techno-troubles. According to my favorite astrologer, Susan Miller, the planet of communication Mercury, is currently in retrograde. Typicallly, during these periods of Mercury retrograde technological and communication devices will fail or break. I lost my mobile phone yesterday on the metro. So I kind of feel your pain. I hope it all sorts itself out. Mercury will turn back to its normal course around the beginning of March.

Anonymous said...

Don't use CrApple products. That's the first step.

Ameet said...

Awwww.

Well, look a the bright side. You now have a brand new camera and a brand new iPod. And I know what to get you on your birthday ;-)

Manu said...

You're cursed!! Do some pooja. :)

Smita said...

*snicker* LOSER!!*GUFFAW*

Andy said...

Thanks to all your support and encouragement. My therapist says that I should recover from the loss soon.

BTW - Smita you suck! And Ameet, I don't have a new camera I'm taking it with me to PR to get a second diagnosis.