Powerless

It's already been accepted as fact that the power is out more often than not in this country. However, the last few days I've had the privilege and blessing of staying in the city of Chennai with Prasad and his wife. I've relished in the beauties of air conditioning, wireless internet, actually being able to sleep with a blanket, etc.

Despite all of these glorious technologies (and blankets), last night as I was about to plug in my laptop the lights in the room suddenly powered off. I didn't have a flashlight on hand (it's okay, I'm not a boy scout, I won't be punished), so I switched on my laptop. Seeing that I only had 50 minutes of battery life left, I anxiously awaited the return of power. In a few minutes my wish was granted, but with some unexpected complications. When the power came back on, I head a loud crack and when I looked back at my charger (which was still plugged in), I saw orange sparks.

Hmmm.

I didn't think anything of it and grabbed the cord to start pumping life back into my almost dead computer. The little orange light on my charger didn't come on though. So I flipped the power switch and went back to work.

No orange light.

In sadness, fear and desperation, I pulled out my camera charger to see if it still worked, to see if it was just a problem with the power or the adapter. I tried other outlets, plugging and unplugging, flipping and unflipping!

It was hopeless. My charger had been zapped. Shot. Blasted.

I closed my sad little laptop (choosing to save it's last bit of power for a dark moment) and suddenly dreaded the 15 hour flight home more than I previously had.


So now I type on a Samsung SyncMaster 955.
A stranger compared to my kind, white MacBook.

The posts I had started writing remain unposted, the pictures unseen, the music unheard.

Yet there is still hope. All in good time my young friends. Within a week and a 15 hour plane ride that leaves at midnight and arrives at 5 in the morning (do the math I dare you...the answer eqauls jet lag), not to mention two other 3 hour legs, and no laptop to watch or type or listen on, I will be home.
And then, all the power in the world, plus everything you own and everything you love, will be mine.