Homesick for Broadband
It isn’t uncommon to feel a little homesick while traveling abroad. You might miss your friends, parents, food that is familiar to you, or perhaps just your daily routine.
I suppose I miss all of these but nothing like I miss broadband. I yearn for the days when I had speedy downloads and Skype video conferences at the click of a button. The cyber cafes simply don’t cut it. Their speeds are simply too slow, their software outdated, and their times inconvenient. What has surprised me most is how slow my connection at work in India is. I am lucky if I pull 20 kbps to a reputable internet site. Downloading essential programs has turned into a multi-day affair.
I fear that my disconnectedness is hurting me where it hurts the most - my wallet and my relationships. My parents called me on my cellphone using Skype, but I had already gone to bed and I was quite sleepy when I woke up. I have spent quite a few rupees on cellphone minutes but yesterday I ran out of minutes on my cellphone. To compound the problem, an email that should have been sent to Kathryn while I was at work somehow remained in my drafts. The outbound connection at work is so slow at times that downloads and gmail connections randomly stop. My coworkers have told me the network has been abnormally slow these past two days.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel for the apartment, but it’s no fiber optic pipeline. I purchased a 256kbps DSL from Airtel and it should be installed sometime today or tomorrow. Is running internet just as important as running water? Who needs a cup of tea in the morning unless you can enjoy it over a couple emails and youtube videos?