Connectivity

I am sad that it's been a while since I last shared our adventures with you. I had high hopes of writing daily or at least a few times a week and now it's been over a week. You are probably expecting to hear "we are soooo busy and have not time to write" but that is not the case.

Connecting to the internet has been a lot more difficult that I ever imagined. I've learned that internet and cell coverage in China is better than the U.S. While that is true, foreigners without the proper Chinese connectivity devices, or following 'proper potocalls' ;-), are battling snail pace connections and blocked sites.

Here's a picture of my connectivity issues. First I find my computer is dead, so I plug it in with the necessary adaptors. It falls out of the wall! I don't know why ALL Chinese outlets cannot hold onto the electronics I want to put into the socket. A chair leg, a nightstand, trashcan, shoes and backpacks have all been used to prop our plug into the socket.

Second, I plug the CAT5 cable into my computer. I pray for connectivity. In Beijing it worked slowly. In Xi'an it did not work at all. In Lijiang I have not yet tried for fear I will got into fits of rage. I hope I can connect in Tibet but considering they are part of China I am not sure what I will find.

My only option, which I am doing now, is to use Robert's iPad. It works beautifully since he has a China Mobile SIM card. And, since that's what he uses for business I have to wait my turn. Which is infrequent!

So while I wait patiently for use of the iPad or better internet connections along the way, our writings sit on our desktop waiting to be loaded.

Finally, here is a plug for Robert's writings . . . you can find them under Market Updates at www.acminc.com.