Blackouts & phones

We have daily blackouts here. It's helpful when you can track them, and more or less predict them. Sometimes they get into a rhythm. But now and then, they become unpredictable, and that makes for more difficulty. One thing I'm thankful for is that this area usually has electricity from 11:00 or 12:00 at night to about 7:00 in the morning. That allows for fans, which not only help keep you cool, but to keep the mosquitoes off too. The rest of the day has been rather unpredictable.

Right now the blackouts in this area are usually coming twice a day, and total about 12 hours out of each 24 hour period. That is more than usual. I think the norm is more like 8 hours a day. There is probably some major problem like several plants are shut down. That happens from time to time.

A note on phone service. It's bad. Customer service in both of the phone companies I've used has been dismal. Apart from that, there are other problems. When my phone was installed, a couple of weeks ago, it rang almost right away. It was a bill collector. It seems the person who previously had my number owes money to a number of banks, mainly with visa cards. Daily I receive recorded reminders from the banks that Sandra X's account is overdue and would she please pay it. I asked the phone company if there is any delay time between reassigning a number. Their response was that it could be a day, a month, or a year, before the number is reassigned. There isn't any requirement. I have two choices: get a new number, for which they will charge me about $15--and it will have no guarantee not to have the same problem--or call the banks and ask them to stop calling. They have no way to block the numbers, according to their rep.

I had already called the banks. They both assured me they would take care of it, but I could tell that they were suspicious that maybe I really was Sandra, and was lying to them. I received a call from a person asking for the Sandra soon after reporting to the bank. I suspect the bank was trying to catch her (or me) in a lie! At any rate, I just began speaking English with them to convince them that I really am not Sandra, but an American.

It's all just part of this Dominican life.