It is a universally accepted and undeniable truth in the Philippines that the Internet is less than optimal.
Actually it sucks rocks.
You, dear reader, have no idea what s l o w really means until you fire up your laptop computer and then … wait and … wait and … well you understand.
I recently wrote an article for the Cebu Daily News about the “hot spots” – what few there are in Cebu – of where the Internet actually works more than at 1 kb a second. We are not speaking of 1 megabyte per second but one kilobyte per second.
That’s really slow.
As of this writing, I have left the cozy and cramped world of Casa Ruffolo Uno for Cebu International Airport where the Net really flies. Five high speed trunk lines power the airport’s infrastructure and sends really strong Wi-Fi signals to all parts of this facility.
I am currently downloading a program at a startling 2 Megs per second.
I think I’m going to move here and permanently relocate to this airport.
We’ll just re-name it … Casa Ruffolo Dos!
I have my trusty laptop on top of an old wooden cabinet near the International Departure exit and standing while writing to you.
Hey, whatever works?
During daylight hours, the chepo Wi-Fi that we purchase per month at Casa Ruffolo is just only good enough to check your e-mail.
You can forget about downloading anything.
Actually you can download some programs anytime after 1 a.m.
I can tell you that my eyes are barely open at 1 a.m. – let alone 3 a.m.
But there I am, dear reader, faithfully there, blearily eyed and all. Skype only works in these wee hours of the morning and the only time I can call anyone around the world. If it’s 3 a.m. in the Philippines, it’s (generally) 3 a.m. in New York City or noon in Los Angeles.
Working backward is also a sign of working the Internet here in the Phil.
Wow – I just checked and my program is downloading at 3.5 Megs per second.
Scary fast.
So – at 3 a.m. when Cris Evert is sleeping, I am on the Net. I’ll generally stop around 5 a.m. and by 6 a.m. – forget about using the Internet as everyone is waking up in the little community we currently reside and themselves jump onto the Wi-Fi to – one presumes – to check their e-mail.
That’s when you become Wi-Fi deficient.
So, I’ll try and download everything I can before the witching hour of 5 a.m. arrives and I saunter back to our bed and collapse.
So – the next time you are whining and complaining about how slow your Internet connect is – just think of me – wide awake at 3 a.m.
You can Skype me then at my handle: Ruffolopublicrelations – and let’s start the conversation!
