Today was a true sweet and sour day.
Sweet, because we were able to get the rental house that we wanted. It's a nice two-bedroom, with lots of space downstairs and a relatively dry basement, and it was going to be sold as recently as two weeks ago. A call to a realtor, a potential buyer who backed out when her loan came in with a higher monthly payment, and one visited home later, Megan and I came away from a tour of the house impressed and excited. That was Saturday--we had to wait until Monday when the deadline for the frightened buyer came and went. Well, it appears as though the sale will fall through, which means that Megan and I will be in a new place come November.
Sour, because of various difficulties with all sorts of random things, from church to our current place to incorrect rebate information on a cell phone application. Little things can really push you over the top. Take this cell phone rebate. Not only do you have to send in the UPC from the original box, the form showing where you purchased the phone from, and a rebate application, but you have to send in a phone bill no less than 90 days but no more than 120 days after your application for service (!). I did all this, hoping and praying for my $50 rebate, only to get a terse e-mail saying that I had filled out my form incorrectly/incompletely (they didn't say which one) and that I could correct the information as long as it was within 120 days of my activation date. Guess what? The rebate company also takes the liberty of saying they will take from 8-10 weeks to process a claim, so I think I'm outside the 120 window they prescribed.
There's something that seems almost criminal about how this was done, and the worst part of it is, there's no face, no person to attack or feel slighted by. Rather, I feel like I was chewed up by the system, by a faceless, friendless corporation, which makes the loss of that $50 harder to take. I am glad in these situations that I am a Christian, that I believe that there is a real Right and Wrong in this world, and that eventually, all of the Wrongs will be made right, or at least called into account. Then there will be no systems, no faceless corporations, only people, and what those people did to themselves, to each other, and to God.
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Well, it is good to be reminded that this kind of thing is not unique to Japan. I recently had something similar happen, and I told the little man behind the counter what I thought about it in pretty broken Japanese (I haven't really perfected angry Japanese yet). I was really worked up, but not long after I just felt like a fool. I even apologized to him and said that though it was clearly unfair, I overreacted and it is not HIS fault personally but the nameless, faceless company for which he works. I told him I hoped he would not start to form a negative opinion of foreigners because of my childishness. He assured me that it was OK, but nonetheless I doubt I will go into that shop again unless it is absolutely necessary.
two more things: 1) did you ever get an invitation to the msn group and 2) when are you going to activate the optional spam-filter that blogger has so graciously provided?
Billy, I am so disappointed that a little thing like a phone rebate would frustrate you. You should be like me. I would never get frustrated at such a thing. As you know, I am very, very slow to anger and filled with compassion for the benefit of the doubt for others. I am so glad to be so patient that little things do not "sour" my moods. In addition to these great things about me, I am very humble, but I say these things so that you will think that I am not humble thereby masking my humbleness even more.
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