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26 Saturday Mar 2011
26 Saturday Mar 2011
25 Friday Mar 2011
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So… you may recall that with my new Vodafone service I get two VIP mobile phone numbers that I can call at any time for free. Which have to be Vodafone numbers. And so the obvious next step was to switch my second Movistar contract for the phone that Nog uses, which is set to the lowest monthly fee possible (8 euros). This also meant that I’d have to get a Vodafone phone… blah blah… and it came down to that I could get the same phone Nog got last year for free, or we could update to a smartphone for 19 euros. And well, how could I resist?
So here is Tatoo, a small HTC model (Android) with a touchscreen that Nog will be able to slip into his pocket and also access the internet by WiFi. He won’t have an internet flat rate like I have for the iPhone, but I’ve noticed that almost everywhere you go in Sevilla these days you can latch on to somebody’s free WiFi. So this is just a little something extra. They offered me an older Blackberry model for free, but this one is so much more stylish and I think Nog will find the touchscreen more comfortable than eensy key pads. And I think that’s it for new gadgets for now!
24 Thursday Mar 2011
At long last the day has arrived … picked up my new iPhone4 today from Vodafone and am syncing him on iTunes now. So far so good.
Yeah, I guess I could have – should have? – waited for the iPhone5. But my old iPhone3G has really been acting up lately and I got a good offer on this one, both on price and monthly contract fee, so what the heck. And who knows when the iPhone5 will actually be released – and then when it will make its way to Sevilla?? With the (bad) luck I’ve been having trying to find an iPhone4 in town it just made sense to go with the phone that was actually there in the store.
Thus ends the whole Movistar nightmare, as I also switched my internet and landline connection over to Vodafone, and my tv service is now by Digital+ satellite. So I now have a faster internet connection and the same television channels as before, but for about 25 euros less a month. I also expect to save about 20 euros a month on the iPhone monthly rate. So it turns out that I’m actually quite lucky that Movistar screwed up so badly as I am much better off now with this new set up.

My new Vodafone router also came with a wall mount, which I just thought was the coolest thing ever – why don’t they all? So I was able to mount it on the wall next to the phone and electrical plugins – love how much tidier it is. And of course now I don’t have my tv service sucking the bandwidth out of my router and, if anything goes wrong with the internet connection, I can not only still watch tv, but the Vodafone system comes with a mini-modem that I can use free-of-charge during down-time emergencies, or else as an external modem (for a fee) when I am travelling.
Okay, iTunes syncing is done! Time to go play with my new Pippin.
23 Wednesday Mar 2011
Took these pics the weekend before last when I spotted the first azahar blossoms … this is my favourite time of year. Click on the pic to get a closer look at how full of blossoms these trees were. Since then the air in Sevilla has smelled heavenly and I wish I could share it with you. Such a gorgeous and soothing fragrance.
Happy spring, everyone!
22 Tuesday Mar 2011
Posted in animals & pets, cats, home
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So remember when I first introduced you to my new neighbour and assumed she was a Very Big Girl? Well, it turns out that “she” is actually a very well-castrated male called Pérez. Ha.
Yesterday evening I heard some very serious caterwauling coming from upstairs and turned to see Azar tearing down the stairs in round-eyed terror with his tail puffed out like a toilet brush…
I went up to see what was going on and there was our neighbour sitting on the windowsill eyeballing Loki (who looked like the proverbial rabbit caught in the headlights). So I decided it was time to at least find out what this kitteh was called and I went next door to introduce myself to my human neighbour, which was when I found out that Pérez is in fact a Very Big Boy. And it turned out that my neighbour is Giorgio, who runs Al Solito Posto just down the street from me, across from my gym. Small world or what?
Well, it seems that Pérez is decidedly put out that there are two new cats on his turf, but I couldn’t get over how Azar screamed like a schoolgirl – would have been funny if it hadn’t made me jump out of my skin. Loki was clearly nonplussed by the whole thing, but I think Azar’s extreme reaction was the most apt response considering what would happen if Pérez ever got in here…
For the rest of the evening, long after Pérez had gone, the boys kept watch in case the intruder returned – Loki near the top of the stairs and Azar on his perch between the staircase and the kitchen. Yep, made me feel very safe and well-protected. 😉