An Experiment


One of the perks of living here in Jakarta is the speed and efficacy of our Internet provider and broadband. Trust me on this, we are LUCKY. Some parts of Indonesia have little or no Internet access at all. The fact that we do in the main manage to get reasonable Internet most days, makes me feel blessed. Frankly I would be lost without it.

Today alas, is one of those days when there is no Internet and I am reliant solely on my mobile to reach the outside world. The 3G is faltering to say the least but I’ve managed a brief FaceTime call with one of my children earlier, I’ve read the trickle of emails that have so far managed to hit my mailbox and I’ve discovered that there is sonething called ‘WordPress on the Go’ Hello! Lets give it a whirl . .

This is why I am keen to experiment in. This morning I was psyched up to write a post about The Outer Hebrides but with no Internet, my morning spent doing the necessary research went down the pan so instead I got on with other extremely important things like going to Kemang to buy some vodka, the fish market to get something for supper and various other bits and pieces, plus reading a couple of chapters of Peter Ackroyd’s London which I can highly recommend.

By 2pm I was starting to feel itchy (predictive thought i meant bitchy) because I wanted to get on with writing but ‘the devil makes work for idle hands’ and I spent the next hour or so mucking about with my phone and that is how I discovered that I can write a post on the hoof so to speak ( battery permitting) (will to live)

Even typing this far, has taken an age because of predictive texting and if there are more typos than usual here, I shall use it as a disclaimer. The fact is that I wanted to see just how easy it is to post from a mobile phone. I guess if you are only posting a photo and a few words it’s pretty cool but for bods like me with verbal diarrhoea it’s hellish- my train of thought is running faster than I can type and undo all the errors.
As for the fat fingers …..

So far so good in that the words are here in front on me on the screen, now I am going to try to download some photos – all of which have been taken today

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I’m lost now as I can’t remember which order I’ve put the pictures. One I shall call ‘Breakfast’ one is a drawing I did this afternoon (I’m interested in getting some fabrics printed, hence the design) and one is of my feet titled ‘in repose’ which I took while I wrote this

That vodka bottle is giving me a decidedly ‘come hither’ look – I’m putty in its hands, but just before I succumb to its temptations, I must try to post this and with that my friends, the experiment ends. If you are reading this then it’s worked!

47 thoughts on “An Experiment

  1. Yay I can leave a comment! I couldn’t with your last post for some reason. Well done doing it by mobile I wouldn’t have the patience. I got two of the above photos on FB. Didn’t get the one of your feet which would have been my favourite. πŸ˜‰

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    1. Pretty damn impressive eh? You didn’t get the pic of the feet? Thank God for that- I realised that my varnish is chipped, my feet grubby from the market And my nails need cutting! YUK! On the hoof indeed!

      Love your new hair, stunning Mrs x

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  2. I read it, so it works. Internet here works on and off as well depending on the provider. I could write a book about it. At one stage I could only get coverage by putting the WiFi up a tree.
    So, hope yours will work better or hopefully there is a tree nearby.

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    1. No trees Gerard but our apartment is almost as high up as the top of Everest!
      I have such a lovely image of you now climbing up amongst the branches and shouting back to the house to ask if there is a signal? You must write about this – Please! Thrilled the experiment gas worked – the hardest part was working out all the icons – not that I’m a Luddite or anythink!

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  3. Hurry up and get proper internet soon so you can do the Outer Hebrides post πŸ™‚ oh and so we can have a proper FaceTime xxxxxx

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    1. Woooo hoooo! Yay! It worked! Yes, the FaceTime was a disaster :(( 3G better than nought tho’ me lass. I knew you’d be excited about me writing about The Outer Hebs- hopefully soon! Do you remember the Mermaid finger nails that we found on the beach? Xxxxxx

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      1. Yes! They were so weird weren’t they. We found so many good shells om those beach it was lush there xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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  4. OMG!!!! Lottie!!!! We are coming!!!! Arrrrrrr arrrrrrrr !!!!!! We leave Dxb Sat 9 at 5am and at some point we will arrive in your town !!! Soon to also be my town!!!!

    Trying to squeeze all my studio stuff (almost confirmed a huge new job) into my luggage- its tooo much stuff…..

    Yeahaaaa!! We get to meet!!

    Xxx See you soon!!

    Sent from my iPhone

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    1. This is tremendous news Camilla woooooo hooooo!! I’m Very excited and can’t wait to meet you at long last! AND a new job! Wow you GIRL! :))… Is there room for a terribly badly behaved, disorganised PA in there somewhere??

      If you are over a size 0 remember to bring extra bras and knickers…

      See you VERY, VERY SOON! xoxo

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  5. I’ve wondered about this app…think I may have the same issue as you – I never shut up…there is no such thing is brief in my blogging world. At least you occasionally post those awesome market pics, and the like. The app would be cool for a quick snap upload!

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    1. Dearest Lynette, wonder no longer…If I revealed how long this bitch of a post took to write……poop – bloody HOURS at least it felt like it. And Yes, you are right – Snappy Snaps would be cool but real words and heart? No ways, you need a proper working ‘puter, fullest broadband possible and headspace…when I write a blog post I never really have any idea of what I’m going to say, it just evolves (for better, for worse) but I do it and it’s organic. Working from a mobile may be just a touch too organic for me! Thanks for your comment and always a JOY to hear from you X

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  6. Bravo for experiments! Love the photos. Strange, “Breakfast” looks very similar to my breakfast. And how exciting to create your own fabric pattern. You rock, Sis!!

    I would really like to read your post on the Outer Hebrides. S and I have thought about chucking everything and moving either there or the Inner Hebrides. Either would be very cool!

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    1. I need to get cracking on then with writing about them there Hebrides if that is the case!! No rest for the wicked!

      I’ve thought many times about living there, in fact for years I had Fridays edition of the Stornoway Gazette delivered to the South of England and I would spend hours pouring over the property pages. I even did a theory course from the RYAC for learning how to negotiate those tricky western isles seas it was called – ‘Coastal Skipper’ somewhat challenging for someone like moi who can bearly add up 2 + 2 but it was fun nonetheless and I got a lot from it. If you’ve never heard the shipping forecast sent out from Radio 4 then you are in for a treat – S will know it well I’m sure – Not sure why they’ve added the music here but it will give you an idea!

      Love Sis xoxo

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      1. And such fabulous music, too. Haha!

        Since the UK is an island a Shipping Forecast is brilliant, but as I know nothing about shipping and very little about weather (other than I like it or I don’t) I understood very little of what they were saying! Perhaps I would make a very poor islander! I do love the quote at the end by Sir John Betjeman. xoxo

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  7. Well of all things.I suppose I did not post comment. I hate to redo this again. I will be looking forward to readng about the Inner or is it the Outer Hebrides when ever your Internet is up and running again. Loved your ability to post from your phone. Oh the wonders of technical gadgets to better our lives. Hope you do not suffer a nose bleed from living so high in th sky. You could say that you have your nose stuck up in the air. (American expresssion of someone who thinks they are superior) I am just kidding or joking. Take care, Lottie

    Best regards,
    Yvonne

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    1. No nose bleeds! but we are quite high up here. I imagine it’s some Eagles eerie as we have such a great bird’s eye view of everything.
      It was interesting posting from the mobile – not sure that I’ll do it again in a hurry but it was, as I said and experiment to see if it was possible. You have to remember Yvonne that I’ve come to technology quite late – I’ve only been using a computer for 5 years which is nothing really – I’m still at kindergarten stage! Hope all well with you Lottie πŸ™‚

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      1. Thanks for the reply.Yes, I am doing ok, I reckom. Hope the same for you. There’s a song with words of “where the eagles fly” don’t remember the rest and can’t say who in the hell sings it. I ‘ll think of it one day-maybe. Now being that dang high- don’t know that I could stomach t-h-a-t high- up! πŸ™‚

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  8. Well the post reached Honkers – well done. It seems that technologically you are on a par with the North Korean satellite launch team. I believe their rockets are also vodka powered. I’m afraid I would abolish predictive texting and indeed auto-correct. I believe they can be switched off but how is beyond me. I keep trying to convince my phone to put the U back into color but it doesn’t like it. I found the image of trying to get wifi by putting the router (I presume) up a tree vaguely reassuring. After all it is not so long ago, maybe a mere 40 years ago, that I remember my dear old late lamented pater scrambling around on the roof holding the TV aerial shouting down the chimney to my mother, “Can you get a picture yet, Gwyn?”. She would then either shout back up, or, as sending small children up the stack had sadly recently been outlawed, yell at one of us two boys out on the lawn or semaphore “left a bit” or “right a bit”. Not unlike the Navy Lark….. Invariably strong winds would blow the aerial over and the whole process would start again. We used to get a signal bounced off Dinmore Hill. Perhaps you could try for a rebound off Mount Semeru. Our internet is pretty reasonable. Its not as fast as in Korea, which is probably the best I’ve come across but I suspect we are better than in Jakarta, Surabaya and definitely Medan. Maybe my old nemesis Aburizal Bakery could help. Is there a Bakery Telecomm the same there is everything else? The thought of one of the Bakery Boys becoming el presidente is pretty scary. Don’t vote for him, Lottie. He makes Tony Blair look honest. I suppose I ought to write my own blog now but I’ve lost my blogging mojo. I think the dog ate it. If I could drink I’d join you in a vodka but sadly a cup of civet-poo kopi Luwak will have to suffice. TTFN.

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    1. Honkers!! I nearly spat my diet coke out all over my laptop when I read that!! – I haven’t heard that one in ages πŸ˜‰ Andrew you are wonderful and I’m delighted that my experiment worked – Ah, the appliance of science as the old Zanussi advert used to say

      Love the story about your family getting the Tv aerial sorted out -I can picture it – Did you ever watch the ‘Only Fools and Horses’ satellite one? I’ll see if I can find a link and put it on here in a minute…Just had a look and can’t find it yet but will keep on searching as it’s perfect for all of these ‘aerial anecdotes’

      Shame you can’t jet over and share the vodka but if, and when you are next over here with Mrs Ha then we should organise something, it would be fun πŸ™‚

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      1. Only Fools and Horses – what a classic. I vaguely remember the satellite one. My late brother always maintained I looked like Rodney, which I denied of course. I always thought I was closer to Trigger 😦

        TV isn’t what it used to be. Bring back “It ain’t half hot mum”. Filmed on location in Norfolk, if I remember correctly!! Michael Bates was the real star in that. We British must stick together you know!!

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      2. We must!! I’m still trying to find the link on Youtube – drat as now I really, really want to see it!

        TV is not what it used to be and we also have pretty bad reception here – there are a 1000 million cable channels none of which I have any inclination to watch but I do miss really good telly- the stuff from our youth especially!

        Oh hello ..Irishman thinks he’s found the link (I’ve had him searching for at least half and hour!) I’ll put it up in a moment TTFN

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      3. Here is the link – sort of! The title is correct but I can only find the first in this episode – drat drat drat!

        I’ll keep looking ……but for now here is a small fix! πŸ˜‰

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      4. Haha! Watched the first 10:24 but can’t find the rest anywhere. What a shame. I think Buster Merryweather used to work for the same bank as me, many, many moons ago. Then we both saw the light and left. And he made money….

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      5. The thing about Buster though, is that he’s not half such good fun as you, and he doesn’t know one end of a camera from the other.

        Glad you enjoyed the first 10.24 and I’m gutted too not to be able to find the rest – it must be somewhere on youtube as it’s one of the funniest episodes – I can’t believe someone hasn’t put it on – I shall keep trawling and see what I come up with πŸ™‚

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    1. Decidedly tickly not just because they are to the touch, but also because they are riddled in ants. Seriously riddled with ants so that they have to go straight into a bowl of water first to deal with them. Worth it though as they are delicious – I wonder if you can get them in Soho?? X

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  9. Well I lost my place but I am amazed that you remembered Joe crocker. Loved that man’s voice. Not sure why. Very raspy but something very soulul about the way he sang thioe wonderful songs; I could hear the duet with warner (in my mind) just could not come up the names. Old age! Damn it. I BLAME IT ALL on old age. So you have been computing only 5 years. Lottie, you are like a pro to me. Came up with that video of the song. Did you ever go to his concerts? Thanks for putting that up for me and I hope other looked at as well. I watched one more while I had it in my grasp.

    Yvonne XX

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    1. you do make me laugh Yvonne! I’m pleased you liked the link and that I got the right song for you – made me feel quite nostalgic listening to it. I never went to any of his concerts.

      Must go back to bed, it’s the middle of the night here. I got up to get some water and of course am now wide awake, it’s fatal checking my computer – there is always something to distract me on here. Thanks again and I hope you are having a nice weekend wherever you are and whatever you are doing X

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      1. Well I am right here deep in the heart of Texas and at home doing amimal chores all afternoon. I don’t go anywhere. I am very much a homebody. Animals do not allow for travel and I don’t care for it anyway. My tastes are quite different from most people.

        I read that Joe Crocker and his wife live on a ranch in Colorado. He had a severe drinking problem for many years. I suppose that all but wiped out his voice but he is still recording and does concerts.

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    1. Hello! great to hear from you! I thought of you the other day as I eventually made it to the Wayang Museum!

      Before fate played it’s hand and forced me into using this app, I had been thinking of writing a post from my phone for ages as I liked the idea of seeing just how the whole thing worked when posting from such a small device – the reality is that it takes ages and you need the patience of a saint! It’s not that easy if you have lots to say and keep making typos. Having said all that, it’s a great app if you are stuck in the car in a Jakarta jam, or out and about and suddenly feel the urge to edit a post, add a tag, check notifications, or respond to comments on the hoof. Once it’s installed it also makes a jolly ‘ping’ sound every time someone does a ‘like’ or makes a comment which is rather nice πŸ™‚

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      1. True, but I cannot load or edit any post with an image in it. It just does not work. The pinging when someone comments or likes is cool…. but it also one more distraction screaming for your attention. Also be careful because it drains your battery more quickly as well!

        Looking forward to your post about Museum Wayang…

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