The First Skype Call – 8/16/12
Aug 18th, 2012 by admin
Our hotel in Atyrau had a good internet connection so I texted Barbara that I would try to Skype her at 6AM my time which is 9 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time. Set that alarm for 5:30AM.
Get up and try a test call to Skype. Skype complains that it can’t access both my microphone and my speakers. Damn. It worked before I left home. Crap. Search the internet for a solution. Update the drivers for the speakers and mike. Of course, you dolt.
Download the drivers. Install them. Barbara calls from her Skype. I answer. I can see her. I can hear her for a moment then slence and I can’t speak to her. I break off the call and text B that I’m having issues and I’m working on them. Another call from B. The same result. Reboot the computer to finish the driver install.
Then Windows hijacks my computer to install pending updates. NOW?!!! And Micro$oft wonders why so many people hate Window$. Wait. And wait. And wait. Text Barbara and tell her how much I ate Window$. Finally, the computer reboots. And promptly gets hijacked by Window$ again displaying the message “Finishing updating… do not interrupt.” Oh, bugger off. Wait. And wait. And wait. Text Barbara again – this time about current Window$ current hijacking.
At last, the reboot is done. Log on to the internet and Skype Barbara. No answer. Text B again. “r u thr?” “sorry, back now.” Call again. She answers. I can hear her. I can see her. She still can’t hear me. But this time the Skype test call worked perfectly. Hmm… Problem must be at her end now. Text “your volume too low?” Call again and everything works perfectly.
It great to hear her voice and seeing her is a real treat. We’ve been gone almosr exactly 2 weeks and, though that’s not a long time, the cultural distance from home has become enormous. Today, the people looked asiatic, not european. Today, the roads were narrow and bumpy and traffic was held up by camels (!). Today we drove through the “endless steppes”. Damn, it was good to talk to home.
We chatted and then it was time to hang up. It was getting late at home and getting to be time to start the drive to Aktobe, Kazakhstan. We sais our goodbyes, talk about a potential call schedule and then click and she was gone. Hanging up a phone is so much better than clicking on an icon.
Obi-wan
