Mobile Phones

If you come to Torquay and want to sit on a deck chair you could be sitting on a work of art.

Six weeks ago I went to the local Vision Express for my bi annual eye test. I got my first pair of glasses about 4 years ago now and they still seem to be working OK so I was hopeful I wouldn't need new, expensive glasses. When I went in I was sat down in front of a machine with my chin on a rest and told not to fall asleep. To make sure I didn't the resident torturer shot some blasts of air at my eyes. She then gave me a clicker and told me to click every time I saw a light come on. Still couldn’t have a quick nap. Then on to the chart and lots of magnifying glasses to see if I could actually see the chart, which I did manage in the end.
When all this was over the optician said, “ There hasn’t been any change in your eyesight so we wont be stinging you for a new pair of glasses, but.” Dramatic pause here. “The pressure inside your left eye ball is a little high. It should be below 22 and it is actually 23.” He went on to explain that this increase in pressure is an indication that I might have glaucoma and he was going to refer me to an eye specialist at The English Riviera Hospital (formally known as Torbay Hospital). Yesterday I went along. I’m not saying it was crowded but I overheard one woman say to here friend, “I’m getting good at these crossword puzzles since I been here, lots of practice.” Anyway I got to see my specialist and after peering through a fancy machine at my eyes he proclaimed his inability to find even the slightest sign of glaucoma. He did stress that the optician had been right to refer me as early detection was the best thing and that I should continue with my regular check ups every couple of years. Which I will.
And now for something completely different. Earlier this year I went to Australia to see how that nice Mr Rudd was getting on. Before I left I got on to Virgin Mobile in Oz and got free a sim card with $20 airtime. Cost $20. This meant I could use my own mobile phone to make phone calls in Australia without giving Orange back in the UK hand fulls of cash. Sorry Orange but I am sure you have more money than me. When I got back to the UK I had less than a dollar left so I had timed it nicely. Now my partner is going to America soon and he asked me if I could get an American sim card for his phone. Well the phone was the first problem. Mobile phones in Europe and Australia use different wave bands than in America so he would need a tri band phone, one that picked up 1900 mega bits, we use 900 and 1800 mega bits here. But tri band phones are available here, you can pick one up for £20 but it will be locked to a net work so you wont be able to put an American sim card in when you get there. Not unless you unlock the phone first. There are hundreds of companies out there in internet land offering to sell you a code to unlock your phone for ‘From 99p’. So unlock the phone and buy a sim card. Not that simple. In this country as in Australia sim cards can be got for free, you then buy as much or as little air time as you want. Lots of companies in the USofA will sell you a sim card but then there is the airtime to buy as well. As my friend is only going on holiday and only wanted the phone ‘just in case’ and to phone home now and then it will be cheaper to stick with his Orange sim card and send ‘wish you were here’ text messages every day. Unless anyone out there knows better....
PS It’s raining again, Showers, some heavy and prolonged was what the forecast said.
PPS The new phone has just this minute arrived so I will spend the next few hours happily (or otherwise) working out how to set it up.