Data update Jordan and Syria

Jordan: Zain came to the rescue again with a cheap pre-pay card and quick activation of mobile data in the shop in Aqaba (APN: internetpre, username: fastlink, password: fastlink). Data is 1JD per MB, and roaming is possible, but not easy as a prefix number is required. There is no 3G in Jordan, but Egde works in most places.

Syria: We were only there for three days, so didn’t even try to get a SIM card. In a related note, Facebook is blocked, although Flickr is not

Both countries have slow networks although wifi is frequent in hotels and cafes, and usually free.

Mobile Data Update - Egypt

After multiple visits to both Mobinil and Vodaphone Egypt it transpires that there is no mobile internet for pre-paid phones in Egypt. To think how relatively easy it was to get mobile data in Sudan...

Bummer.

Vodaphone rant

With every house move there has to be a rant, because the least fun job when leaving a country is the cancellation of bills and accounts. Water rates, rent, car insurance, tax, landline phone, internet, mobiles... I could go on. Cancelling involves navigating through imprenetable websites, waiting for hours on the phone to atrocious hold music, sending letters and visiting dingy offices.

The prize for most ridiculous excuse for refusing to cancel a contract so far goes to Vodafone New Zealand. Vodafone has a track record for flakiness, cancelling international roaming just as I leave for Australia or changing contract details without notification, inevitably resulting in endless calls to the outsourced call centre. From the beginning, despite signing a contract in person in the shop, my bills said "Mr.". Knowing the haphazard results from calls, I never bothered changing it. When I called to cancel my account today I was informed that I could not do this because I was not male as per the account details. The fact that I know the date of birth, password and any other details was to no avail. Even the supervisor was adamant that they would see my passport in person to verify my gender. The back and forth went on for so long that I was starting to doubt my identity at the end.

Oh well. I guess I will be trying to find a male who can make the call for me. It's almost like being back in the Middle East...

Testing Testing

In the last six years I have lived in three countries, three continents. I have nothing to complain about on the fun front. But I know that this lifestyle is not normal. And occasionally I realise this. Such as when I juggle three mobiles because in this connected global economy no-one has come up with an international roaming plan that doesn't feel like I might as well throw my money into the nearest sewer and get similar value. Don't get me started on international data plans. I won't complain about the hard life I lead as a roaming ex-pat, just occasionally point out the strange illogicalities I contend with as I roam. Geolocate this post Posted with LifeCast