It was the morning of the 2nd day of remote simultaneous interpreting of Lush Showcase in Liverpool, the UK. The 1st day went as planned, nothing unexpected, all good. But the 2nd day went wrong right from the start. I wake up and feel the sore throat. It means that I have to rush to the drugstore. It is 30 minutes before the soundcheck, I run. Take what I want, run back, get home 2 min before the soundcheck. I switch on the PC: there is no internet connection!!! I write to the support team but it will take time to fix it anyway and I need to log in to the platform NOW. I remember about the mobile internet, use it to log in and pray that the internet speed is enough for RSI, at least for some time before the cable internet is fixed. We check the sound, all good. I am trying to come up with some options. There is a co-working cafe near by, it opens at 10 am. Calling -–no answer. 10, 15 minutes – finally someone picked up the phone. I am asking if it is possible to book an isolated room for TODAY, RIGHT NOW. They are saying that yes, there is such a room, but it is available from 12 am. Thank God! It is already something. I am thinking that I will try to start working on the mobile internet and see how it goes. If it goes wrong, I will run to the co-working café. The works starts, it seems to be ok. And then I remember about the notification I read yesterday about the scheduled power outage. It says that today from 10 am to 18 pm there will be no power in the building!!! Thus, what do we have: 1. The cable internet is down 2. The power might be switched off during the day 3. My throat and overall condition are getting worse. Isn’t it too much? After weighting up all pros and cons I decide to run to the co-working café while my partner works. I pack my things, run, get there. My room is still occupied, I wait. 1 min, 2, 5 I WAIT!!! (and my partner is working in the meantime…). Finally, I am in my room, unpack my things, switch on my laptop, try to plug in the internet cable but it downs on me that…MY LAPTOP DOES NOT HAVE AN ETHERNET PORT! Naturally, I have forgotten all about it. The adaptor is 1. At home 2. I have no idea where exactly. My partner works for 30 minutes already, there is no way I can run back home for the adaptor. I swear to myself and hope that wifi will work fine. And it does! The speed is quite all right, I relax a little bit. The technicians check once again my settings (please, forgive me that I gave you so much extra work), all ready and I start to work. In small pauses I get myself hot tea and go to the WC to gargle my throat (I have all medicine at hand). In this way 5 hours pass and they announce a big break. I think may be my home internet is already fixed? I make up my mind to go back home: there is not much work left and if needed I can finish it on mobile internet. The power should also be back by this time. And, of course, it would be nice to have something to eat. I pack my thing again and run. I come home: no, they have not fixed anything yet (once again mutter pleasant words about by internet provider). I assemble the set up, log in to the platform, the technicians check everything once again and I start to work. And now I hear my house intercom ringing…IS NOT IT TOO MUCH??? I cannot answer, cannot say anything, cannot ask my partner to take over – it is not easy to interpret and simultaneously type something in the chat. I am praying – go away for Christ’s sake, nobody wants you here! Who can it be…and then THE SECOND RINGING! And then – MY DOORBELL! What the hell…thank God, the moderator asks my partner to take over and I am rushing to the door – it’s a courier. With some effort but I manage to behave: he did not know that PEOPLE CAN BE BUSY AT HOME AND CAN BE INABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR!!! I see him out and get back to work. Another half an hour and we are done. I can relax now. Why am I so lucky with such stories?
UPDATE: this experience impressed me so much that today I had a second cable internet installed in my flat…just in case or NEVER AGAIN