September 2, 2007

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2007

...Small World, After All....

My husband has been working in San Jose, CR since January 2006. Being apart has been hard on all of us, but we've toughed it out and I really do think we're getting to the end of this mess. The situation has put stress on each of us, myself, my daughter and my husband, and we've all dealt with it in different ways. I guess since India and I are up here in Miami together, sometimes I forget how Tom might be struggling with adjusting to, not only being apart, but being in a new country. Here and there he's moaned about not being able to watch or listen to the Miami Dolphins or University of Miami football games. Just this past week, with a new season starting, the moaning has begun again. Thursday night he was frantically trying to find a cable t.v. station or Internet radio station where he might catch the game as it happened. No luck. Last night he mentioned it again and I suggested he try Sirius satellite radio. I got on their website and, sure enough, they broadcast all of the NFL games. I told him I'd check them out and see if maybe we could sign up for service and at least he could hear the Dolphins games on simulcast. I called Sirius's number and while I waited for customer service, I checked their site and saw they had some pretty reasonable packages including boom boxes and car radio set-ups. My only concern was would they work in Costa Rica? After a while, a customer service agent came on the line, a young woman with a slight accent. I told her our situation, that I was living in Miami now, but that we'd be living in Costa Rica soon enough and I wanted to know if Sirius's network was available in that country. She hesitated for just a moment and then she said, "Well, I know you can access our network on-line once you subscribe, but I'm not so sure about Costa Rica. Some people have the equipment and sometimes they get service and sometimes they don't." "Really, in Costa Rica?" I asked. "Yes, I'm pretty sure. I'm in Costa Rica right now. Our call center is here in Heredia." I nearly fell over. "What?! You're IN Costa Rica?" "Yes, in Heredia. Where are you planning to move?" "Um, Escazu most likely..." "Yes, I know some people in the valley have the Sirius equipment and sometimes it works, but it's not reliable." Still astounded that of all of the call centers I could have reached, I get one in Costa Rica, I said, "Well, do you think the reliability might improve sometime soon?" and then, in true charming, gentle, non-commital, don't-wanna-disappoint Tico form, she said, "Well, maybe, maybe not. You never know." So I asked, "Would YOU buy the equipment based on how well it works now?" "No. If I were you, I'd just get the subscription and stick to listening on-line." I thanked her and then asked how the weather was down there. "Rain. Day in and day out. Rain, rain, rain. It seems like it will never end." Very encouraging. So, I'm going to sign up for Sirius so my darling husband can listen to his Dolphins games on his laptop. I'll figure out a fix for the 'Canes games later. I'll wait a few months and then I'll try to reach the call center in Heredia again and see if things have improved enough to buy the boom box package. Or, better yet, I'll wait until I find an actual person in the Central Valley with a Sirius boom box and car package that works at least reasonably well. Somehow I don't think asking the call center will get me the answers I need. Nice people who are eager to help, maybe, but solid, absolute info...nah, probably not.