6 degrees of anticipation

Technology really is the best thing since sliced bread. It’s a huge part of our daily existence. Can you imagine how different life would be without cellphones and the internet and wireless communications? If you screamed yes, you might want to look into buying that cabin 12 miles into the woods and packing up. For the rest of us, the answer is no, because when these technologies work, they connect us and open doors to making life easier.

But there is a flipside. When the technology we rely on suddenly stops working, or doesn’t do what we’re expecting, it’s crippling. The fix is rarely easy, because the problem is probably embedded within circuits or software that few of us comprehend. Even the people who service the technology usually have no idea why something isn’t doing what it’s supposed to be doing – but they will go through 27 steps with you that likely won’t solve the issue but will ratchet up your frustration to an 11. Have I piqued a memory yet? Thought so.

With our move to Spain, technology has been one of the biggest saving graces, but also the creator of a few moments where tossing the nearest electronic item out the window could be viewed as reasonable. I related previously the story of trying to get a second router up and running to access Netflix. It was the closest thing to a battle to the death that we are likely to face in our urban world, and I only won in the end by abandoning the second router and opting for another solution. Sometimes, that’s the best answer for technology – put it back in the box.

With a solution now in place, it’s easy to take for granted that we can not only access relatively recent movies via Netflix while residing on another continent, but that we can pick and choose what we want to watch, when we want to watch it. Just controlling the timing of our viewing was a pipe dream only a few years ago. Now, the youngest generation has trouble understanding how it was possible to not have such control.

But it’s not just about entertainment. Small innovations like being able to access accounts such as utilities and banks online make managing things from afar simple. We don’t need to be there in person very often, and that’s a huge win since dealing with front line staff can often end up more likely to end in an error than self service.

Our phone service is another thing that is remarkable. We established a Vonage account before we left, first moving one cell number over and then the second. By plugging the Vonage box into our router in Spain and connecting a phone, we now have a line that essentially believes it’s still in the US. Even more remarkable, by forwarding calls on my old cell line, I now receive calls on my mobile in Spain. Callers have no idea that I’m actually 4,000 miles away. The one downside is the occasional call that comes at two in the morning thanks to the time difference, but I can live with that.

If this all sounds pretty slick, it is. The technology does exactly what it’s supposed to do. My one complaint, similar to the experiences I had with Verizon, is not about the technology that works so well, but about the people behind it. Vonage is proving to be a company with great technology and nightmarish billing.

After moving the second line over, I discovered some extra charges on the bill. When I queried them on this, they said it would be corrected via a credit. Great, I thought. But when I looked at later bills, the credit didn’t seem to be applying. After two more contacts, they finally admitted that to give the credit, they changed my plan, resulting in a change of rate that caused half the credit to disappear. This was done without any mention. I was astounded. It was one of the most unethical things I’d seen a company do in some time. And exactly like the billing games that make Verizon so disliked.

These are the type of practices that result in people shying away from adopting technology. Customer service is weaker in the U.S. than in many other western countries, and the U.S. lags in technology adoption compared to these nations. The correlation is rather obvious. It’s a shame that companies choose to do business in a less than above board fashion. Maybe even a greater shame that consumers take it, don’t push for better standards or vote with their wallets more actively. The airline industry’s atrocious service standards are the best example. They prove every day that you can abuse people repeatedly and they will still keep coming back for more.

If tech firms spent a few dollars on the people-side of the equation, I’d venture a guess that both sides would win. And while they’re making an investment, can we also get one helpful tweak to the technology. If they really want to make it better, it should come with a warning signal, such as a display that says, “This unit will randomly stop working on Tuesday at 1:47 p.m. for no apparent reason, at the exact moment when you need to use it most.” It’d be safer for all of us if I can plan when I’m going to toss it out the window.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: Adding to the earlier lists of unusual festivals here, there are also countless odd superstitions. For example, the Spanish have no issue with Friday the 13^th, but if the 13^th falls on a Tuesday, look out. And if you spill wine on the table, you’re supposed to dip a finger in it and touch it to your forehead. Maybe that’s not a big ask, but it seems like the bar will look like a measles outbreak by about 3 a.m…

As another week comes to a close, let me relate a few random thoughts that have been rattling around in my head about the locals and Spain.

One of the stereotypes of Spain is that the residents know how to live life to the fullest, but it is true in a lot of ways. For example, they definitely aim to maximize the day, often rising around seven in the morning and still going strong when they sit down for dinner at 10 in the evening. To give you a sense of the mentality, my former Spanish teacher expressed surprise and asked me why I was going to bed so early at midnight. Sleep is not high on the agenda here.

This zest for life is even more apparent now that the weather is cooling off. Although we have had a number of days where it reaches 60 degrees in the afternoon, it’s quite chilly early in the morning and when the sun starts to sink. Most restaurants ignore the weather and still fill the sidewalks with patio chairs every day, soon followed by the locals rolling in to enjoy a beer, coffee or a meal outside despite the temperature dipping below 50. Weather is no reason not to enjoy the outdoors!

What makes all this time spent in restaurants even more remarkable is the income stats here. Meals and drinks are not cheap, but the minimum wage is just 654 Euros a month (with the recent shift in exchange rates, that’s only about $750 per month), and the average salary is just 1,324 Euros a month. The 23% unemployment rate definitely drags the average down, but it’s still true that about 45% of the workforce is making less than 1,000 Euros per month.

It truly is a mystery to me how Spain is such a happy and tranquil country when so many people have to be struggling. Some of the locals talk about the thriving underground economy and the fact that many “unemployed” are really working under the table or in family businesses, but even considering this, it wouldn’t be shocking to see rioting in the streets or rampant crime. But instead of greater desperation, like most western countries, crime continues to decrease here. For the year 2013, there were barely 300 murders in all of Spain. That’s less than just the individual cities of Chicago, New York or Detroit.

Not to bore you, but let me quote a couple of other stats that got my attention. The average age of a first-time mother here is 32, the highest in Europe, and automobile sales climbed 18% in 2013, but were still only half of the pre-crisis total from 2007. This is clearly a country still going through a lot of economic change.

Not to harp on it, but food remains the runaway number one biggest challenge here, at least for me. And I’m not talking about it being a different menu. In fact, the quality of the food has been great. Meat and fish are fresh and largely not industrial farmed. The pork is tender and light years better than the grayish version typically found off a U.S. farm. Fruit and veggies are a bit of a mixed bag based on the season, but the quality is good. There’s a real lack of some things like berries and corn on the cob because they are not a common part of the Spanish diet, but that’s not a deal-breaker.

No, the real challenge remains timing. Getting lunch at noon or dinner before 8:30 is almost impossible, and that doesn’t always jive with a five-year-old’s schedule. I’ve come to realize that the first rule of living here is never leave the house hungry. I’ve learned the hard way that it’s a recipe for disaster.

We tried a new trick to thwart the odd hours yesterday, having a late breakfast, then hitting a restaurant as part of the main lunch crowd. By lunch, I mean around 3:30. We made this the big meal of the day and it worked out not too bad. I can see us repeating that routine to stave off starvation.

Restaurants are a great example of the relaxed pace of work here. It’s almost comical sometimes to stand back and observe the flow. I’m not saying the Spanish don’t work hard, cause many of them do put in long hours, but some basic practices of efficiency that are second nature in North America are not in evidence here. In a coffee shop or restaurant, for example, if you order two items (sometimes even two of the same item), it’s almost inevitable that servers will make two trips and bring them separately. If I plotted the most efficient path to get a few things done behind the counter and then stood back and observed the Spanish, I’d likely view the extra opposite. I tried this experiment and it’s true. It’s almost instinctual. Maybe it’s one of those cultural things that will become much clearer to us in time.

But let me counter any thought that everything here moves in slow motion. Oh no. When it comes to buses and the metro, I think they import Germans to take the wheel. As soon as the last person steps through the door of a bus, the driver is goosing the gas pedal as if the winning ticket for El Gordo is waiting for him at the end of the line. It doesn’t matter who has or hasn’t found a seat, or how many seniors are toddling in the aisle, the bus is full speed to the next stop with no delay. The upside is the buses are very reliable and come by often. The downside is pinballing off the metal posts inside the bus at some point seems inevitable. I have to hand it to the local seniors. Some seem barely stable enough to stand upright, cane in hand, but they still have mastered a feet-spread stance to stay planted on the bus.

Speaking of banging into poles, the tearful reaction of a certain five-year-old has me strictly forbidden to speak of it aloud, but our recent road trip was punctuated with quite a colorful moment. We were walking down the street after visiting a Roman ruin when I suddenly heard a loud and unexpected “bong” sound behind me. Turning, it became apparent that a certain young man had chosen to ignore the advice that pulling his hood down over his face while walking was not a good idea. As it turns out, Spanish light poles emit quite a musical sound when you run into them – not that I’m suggesting trying it. Liam would definitely advise against it.