I’m still amazed at how easy you can see the mountains here, in Japan. In Russia, you’ll have to travel about 2 days by train to get to the real ones. Which I did, but anyways 🙂
Had to go to Yokohama with friends, and here’s what I suddenly saw:
Misty mountains! Almost in the middle of the city!
Finally 🙂
Just a quick update on what happened after last entry. I called Japanese support line, they had non-native speaker support staff there. They could only speak VERY polite Japanese, even after I asked them to explain meaning of some words, and overall it felt like they were reading everything from manual, not speaking their own words. Anyways, I was sure they understood everything I wanted to do, and girl was pretty convincing saying that the technician would come over on Saturday to fix everything. Guess what! On Saturday, after I had to move my language lesson to wait for a repairman, I discovered that this support staff decided that I want to send my laptop in for repairs. What the hell O_O So I had to move all my plans for the day just to discover they again made a mistake. Great start with japanese support line.
So I called again, and this time I got to speak with native Japanese support staff. While I understand that the whole situation above could be easily considered racist, trust me I don’t assume that non-Japanese means bad. Just that I had problem with outsourcing staff. Anyways, I explained the problem once again, and this time made sure we understood each other completely. And today a Man finally came <3 And fixed laptop %) And more to it – for free!
Had some more problems with Windows loading into BSOD, but won’t bore you with technical terms. I managed to fix it myself 🙂 So now can, again, update from my own room <3
In other news – there’s been a lot of people in my house from the same school. They came for Holiday course 1-3 months, but I’m really looking forward to know them.
Decided to write it in a form of travelog.
So. We have:
a faulty Dell XPS M1330 laptop with NVIDIA GPU issue, bought in US, currently in Japan
We need:
to replace motherboard under extended warranty
We start at Dell website, where we acquire phone numbers for US and Japan support lines.
Failure: Call to Japan lines reveals need to input Express Service Code to be allowed through the automated message.
Step 1.1: Find Service tag and Express Service Code
After a long search on US website we find vague instructions about tag which supposed to be on the backside of the laptop.
Step 1.2: Figure out correct tag
Attached picture shows not one but THREE tags, with numbers blurred out and correct one not separated from others at all. On top of that, correct tag is shown vertically, along with another, incorrect one. The only tag visible horizontally is Windows license tag.
Step 1.3: Find anything resembling that tag on the actual laptop.
Failure: A stripe of white paper is where tag was supposed to be.
Step 1a: Contact support (without service number)
Step 1a.1: Find any other means of contact on Japanese site
Failure: email requires service number.
Step 2: Use online chat feature on US site (general support)
Failure: service number is required.
Solution! Enter random numbers until one is accepted and chat session is initiated.
Step 2.1: Provide support with means to find your service number
Old emails are searched, Customer Number and Dell Purchase ID is procured. Support was able to provide us with Service tag number and Express Service code.
Step 3: Contact Dell support in Japan to have motherboard replaced.
Support line is called, Express Service code is input….
Failure: Express Service Code is not recognized.
Step 3.1: Contact online consultant from Japanese site (XPS support)
Failure: Express Service Code is not recognized.
Use random number that worked on US site.
Failure: Express Service Code is not recognized.
Step 4: Contact online consultant from US site (XPS support)
Step 4.1: Wait to be connected
Went from 20 to 7 in 20 mins, after which queue number wasn’t updated for 30 mins and chat request had to be restarted. Got from 25 to 14, gave up.
Step 4.2: Try general chat
Connected immediately. Rep tried to say that we’re in the wrong chat, requested help with the number, sent to XPS chat, got disconnected!
Step 5: Try XPS chat while restarting general
After 40 minutes in queue XPS chat goes through!
Step 6: Explain the issue to Indian supporter
Suggestion to address Japan Dell Support.
Step 7: Explain supporter that it’s impossible to contact Japan Dell Support
Offered a direct support number which will not require Service Code.
Failure: Offer forgotten as apparently such number doesn’t exist.
Step 8: Get supporter to request contact from Japanese support or organize delivery
Supporter started going to various manuals, asking questions such as “Did you run diagnostics?”, “Did you check your bios?” despite being told previously that due to video chip failure nothing is displayed on screen AT ALL (well, aside from multitude of vertical lines).
Failure: Apparently they have no ways of contacting Japanese support or in any way affecting them, they have to be contacted directly (which we cannot do for above mentioned reasons).
Step 8a: Meanwhile, in general chat…
We’re told that only hardware is under warranty, so technician visit will have to be paid.
Step 9: Call international support line
Since initial warranty wasn’t international, we need to transfer it to Japan, which we explain to supporter on the phone.
Step 10: Refuse to buy a year of international warranty
Repeat step 10
Repeat step 10
Repeat step 10
Finally, suggestion to buy a one-time support deal on site! Scream that yes, YES we want to buy it but we CAN’T! We’re now informed that we need to call another number to deal with this. Number and extension is confirmed several times with the person on the phone
Step 11: Call offered number
Failure: Extension doesn’t exist!
Step 12: Back to online chat
Two options:
1. Buy motherboard from Dell (even though it’s supposed to be covered by extended warranty? what?), have it sent to Japan, have Japanese tech come and replace it.
2. Transfer warranty rights to Japan, have motherboard covered by warranty, have Japanese tech come and replace it.
Easy choice!
Step 13: Transfer warranty to Japan
To transfer warranty to Japan, we need…. to call Japanese support.
Step 13a: Miraculous transfer of warranty!
Turns out US support CAN transfer rights to other countries after all.
Step 14: Finally send mail to Japanese support
This was already late at night – around 5 am Japanese time, after about 6 hours of uninterrupted support struggle. So next step came almost instantly, even though it took several hours for Japanese support to reply to mail.
Step 15: Get Japanese support reply
Their ruling is that after rights transfer everything will be done.
Stay tuned for updates 🙂 Laptop is not working, so updating from lounge PC. Thank god we have one in this house 🙂
First one would be new drink they have out. This time it’s… Calpis Lemon! Just like all other Calpis ones it’s really good. Nice milk and lemon mix.
bought this one at Otemachi, after baito – going home.
And next one is rain view from my window at night. Somehow it feels like screenshot from one of the horror games. Considering I adore horror games, this picture is on my desktop now :3
It seems that we finally moved into rain season. It’s been mostly raining or cloudy lately.
Here’s website I’ve been reading a lot lately:
considering I’ve been a LotR movies fan for 5 or so years and long story with roleplaying community back in Russia, this site is like honey to my eyes.
Also, did you know that Tutorial manzai duo is having regular talk shows in Laforet Harajuku? Am possibly going to see their next event on June 22nd. If I’ll have time 🙂 So far they’ve been the only manzai combi that caught my interest. Even popular Odori one doesn’t make me any more interested in the whole culture. Maa ne.
Ok. I’m officially out of my mind. I decided to cosplay for the concert I’m going to on June 1st. Before I tell you what I’m going to cosplay, here’re the pix:
Here’s belt:
Here’s special fan bag I love so much. Japanese fans are really something – thinking out so many details, small things that make concerts more special. It’s one of them – I used paper bag I bought in Daiso – 100 yen! And copy of the old magazine I had laying around. I have another copy of this issue, so it wasn’t much of a problem, because I wouldn’t cut the pictures out of the only copy I have.
And here’s part of the costume I won’t tell you about 😉 So just trust me that it was needed.
Ok, now back to the story.
One of my favourite groups has special segment in their shows. It’s called Eito Rangers. I’ve seen a lot of girls cosplaying them, but never dared to do it myself. And they didn’t have this on the last year’s tour, so I assumed I won’t have a chance. But suddenly, this year, they decided to revive this segment. And I realized that it’s my chance to do something silly I can remember with wide grin on my face. Considering I’ve been working and studying almost everyday, it was really hard to find time to make a costume. But I did it! So tomorrow will be the day I’m going to make a fool out of myself before hordes of Japanese fangirls %)
So I was thinking that we have it hard here, with massive hysteria over influenza. But I guess we’ve been lucky. Because in Korea they actually quarantine foreigners who had any kind of contact with infected people. In the same time – Koreans who had the same contacts – are simply staying at home. There’s massive propaganda of foreign English teachers being the source of decease. A-amazing.
It’d be funny if it wasn’t so insane:
“I was sitting alone in my office when I noticed a couple of people getting out of their car in front of my school,walk into the reception office.. I heard my name being spoken. The next thing I know is I have two nurses,my principle,schoolboard representitive and my co-teacher asking for me to give a blood sample,they wanted to swab my ears ,eyes,nose and mouth and I’m surprised the didn’t want a stool sample.
The nurse, through my co-teacher asked me if I had been outside Korea in the last 6 months.They should have known this as the had every bit of my personal information with them.. I answered” No, I have not”..They asked me if I had a fever..I sugested that as health care professionals they should take my temperature.. They did just that.Next , they asked me if I was hanging around with any “infected” foreigners..I asked them, “infected with what.? “.in Korean.. myself.. this made them uncomfortable.. and they didnt know what to say..
They then produced a piece of paper and a pen and asked me to write the names down with telephone numbers of my foreign friends in the area.”
Links here:
http://populargusts.blogspot.com/2009/05/lessons-for-swinish-multitude_27.html – overview
http://underquarantine.tumblr.com/ – blog of the teacher in quarantine.
http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/2009/05/some-updates-on-english-teachers.html – some more facts about whole hysteria.
Ah, one more interesting detail:
ALL foreign teachers who enter the country after May 11, 2009 are required to do a home quarantine for 7 days before returning to school.
During the quarantine, you are required to stay home and wear a mask if leaving the house temporarily to run errands such as grocery shopping. At the end of the 7 day quarantine, you must visit a public health clinic for a final checkup.
We had a house party today. A lot of meat <3
Manager had to wake me up in the morning, because I promised to help cooking. The problem was – I thought that the party will be on Sunday. While it was on Saturday %) But anyways.
I cooked salads and baked potato later. Hope it wasn’t that bad %) Everybody ate it, but who knows – maybe they were just being polite 🙂
Another backdraw was that I don’t drink alcohol. And we had cocktails and beer ~_~ Envious. Though even with drinking only Cola I got enough fun. Especially liked the chance to meet people who live in the same house. In usual circumstances I wouldn’t have a chance to know them better. Well, instead of reading my boring musings, here’re pix!
Preparation 🙂
Having fun 🙂
Person in the middle – house manager 😉 Well, Ikebukuro area manager, to be exact.
Baked potatoes <3
Went to Harajuku to get some pictures for friends at Johnny’s shop. Surprisingly there was almost no line there, so I got out in 15 minutes.
But guess how surprised I was when I found this stand at Takeshita-dori!
If you have no idea what’s this, let me give you some info 🙂
It’s cartoon series by MTV Japan, which tell a story of 2 hares in russian prison %) While there’s almost no relation to real thing, it’s still highly amusing to watch. Especially considering they even show russian police – militia there.
Here’s official site if you’re interested:
As far as I saw, they’re selling Usavitch goods in different shops now, including Kiddy Land in Harajuku. So be sure to check them out, if you’ll have time 😉 Me too was tempted to get at least one doll, but decided not to in the end. My heart is taken by Capibara-san %)
Ah, and if you want to watch series online – check out Youtube. They have at least 2 seasons up.
It’s been getting warmer lately. To the point of hot I think 🙂 Clothes I hanged to dry, took only 3 hours to be ready for ironing.
Have you received money the government is giving out? I find it amazing that they decided to include people with alien cards into the program. Sadly my friend left Japan in the end of March, and can’t hope to get any money.
I still haven’t decided what to do on Golden Week. First I was thinking about going to Osaka, my favourite city in Japan, but then friend invited me to go to KAT-TUN concert with her. Couldn’t miss the chance to be part of the record 😉 just in case you don’t know about it – this idol group is going to make new record by performing in Tokyo Dome for 8 days in a row. This means 440,000 people will see their show. One of the people I know is even going from Russia to see them. Amazing.
In other news – I’m thinking about going for a walk to Akabane area tomorrow. Wonder how long it’ll take to get there by bicycle.