imperfect day

Back in France and after spending several hundred euros and two visits (plus approximately 200 phone calls) to France Telecom engineers - and after buying a new modem in Terminal 5 - my broadband connection still isn't working and it's causing me to behave in a very unseemly manner.

No matter where I am - airport or dinner party, train station or restaurant - or whom I am with, my eye is always on the nearest wireless connection and any opportunity to surf the net.

'Would you mind if I just check my emails?' is the first thing I say on arriving at a friend's house after enquiring about their well-being and the status of their broadband connection.

But seriously, it's getting a bit out of hand when you drive 20km, to check your mail. Yesterday, unable to zap off a 'thank you' email, I spent an entire morning organising a 'thank-you' fax. I am beginning to think that, even in rural France, a blackberry could be quite useful after all....