Bewildering Connections

by Deep Bora

Impressed by Deep Bora’s photo of Rohtang Pass I encouraged our long-time friend in Assam State to send us more. He’d like to, but his Internet connection qualifies as a truly Bewildering Story all in itself. Indeed, it rivals his accounts of adventures in an alternate Solar System.

Hello, Don.

The mobile browser once again. It’s slightly complicated, using the keyboard. Press #9 key twice to type the letter x. Whew.

Here’s what I do. I use one mobile with a touchpad screen to type with the plastic pencil. The letter is thereafter saved in messages, then sent to my N72 Nokia. I copy-paste the text into the mobile browser text window, then send.

Why, you might ask me. Sure. The government-owned land line broadband service has suddenly gone kaput! The month-old Vodafone provides excellent Internet service in Ghy. Believe me, with zero rental! The other mobile companies charge 250 bucks monthly rental + download charges. Vodafone accepts only 10 bucks for 100 kb download.

The landline service operator replied in competition with satellite download wireless chips cum mini-macro modem. The result? Mayhem. The satellite download mobile-like macro device fits into the USB slot. Sure. The speed? There is no Internet available.

Simply carry around the 25,000 chips laptop like luggage in a railway station. Look like a moron and grin sheepishly with that card reader-like thing resembling a macro modem. The blue and red wires protuding are the only good-looking sight.

“I just accessed the Internet a while ago,” you lie. Others give you a warning, knowing look. They walk away by the time you make feeble attempts to look skywards at some non-existent satellite in the ionsphere.

This beats wi-fi by a close margin, man. Tata’s Indicom mobile service is making its presence felt perhaps with .50 pence long distance within Indian territorial limits.

You see Don, I might connect via Bluetooth to the desk top and type the letter conventionally and then send via the mobile. I can’t send the nature photos however. The megapixels won’t fit.

Regards,

Deep

Copyright © 2008 by Deep Bora

One wonders what Michael E. Lloyd’s space aliens, the Domans, would have done if they had tried to contact Deep Bora, in India, rather than Toni Murano, in Spain. They might have thrown up their tentacles (or whatever) in despair. Or perhaps Deep’s friends would have wondered what orbiting vehicle he might be communicating with...

Meanwhile, we hope you can send more photos, Deep, when you have a better connection. And whenever we have computer troubles, we’ll think of you, in a railway station, carrying luggage sprouting colourful wiring as you search the heavens for a communications satellite and tap encrypted letters on your keypad... The space age has truly arrived. We think.

Best of luck,

Don