Subj : Re: aunt was: Miss.RvrDamBre To : Barry Martin From : Nancy Backus Date : Mon Apr 13 2020 21:38:50 -=> Quoting Barry Martin to Nancy Backus on 04-Apr-2020 10:01 <=- BM> Subject: aunt was: Miss.RvrDamBreach-Davenpt NB>> That message was just getting way too long.... NB>> So, continuing into a new message....... BM> The thread that wove itself into a garment! Not quite.... but at least a chain... :) BM> NB>>> water over the dam, and besides, they may well be overwhelmed by the NB>>> coronavirus by now themselves.... BM>> Yes, I don't know to what degree the Coronavirus is affecting things BM>> on that side. NB>> From what I hear, various countries over there are quite overwhelmed, NB>> like France and Italy... and just about all of them are affected in NB>> some way, I've heard specific news reports about Spain and England... BM> Yes: I may have said this already but had seen where the Vienna BM> Airport is essentially closed except for receiving supplies, so even if BM> my Mother and I had decided to fly over might not have been able to BM> enter the country. At least by air -- borders (via highways) -- ?? Not surprised about the airport... and I'd also not be surprised if there were also checkpoints on the highways to keep people out... I've heard of some places (not sure if states or countries) that are using the military to police the borders.... the US/Canada border is closed to at least all non-essential traffic, which at least includes all of us... BM> (Should check 'for fun' just flying in to Zurich -- did receive an BM> e-mail from SWISS [airlines] they had cut back the number of flights in BM> general.) I'd bet that Zurich would also be closed at this point... Most international flights seem to be for citizens only, for repatriation.... BM>> I did check the phone number with my Mother and I had a digit doubled BM>> -- she essentially swears up and down it was my fault though I know I BM>> had triple-checked the number - whatever, resolved now. NB>> That could explain the odd length of the number, I suppose... ;) BM> Well, still a lot longer than the 'U.S. standard'. At least it works BM> now. :) Working is what counts... BM>> As far as calling the hospital back to give them a price of my mind, BM>> might be even more frustrating as that side speaks German and I speak BM>> English. Some basic German, but that's about it. NB>> I wasn't thinking so much complaining about it as nicely letting them NB>> know... in case it was someone over there that had somehow written NB>> down the wrong number... I'd think they'd appreciate being told... :) BM> True, though might be something that can't get fixed: for years the BM> telephone number for our sister store across the River was missing in BM> the White Pages -- seems some were listed so not completely missing. BM> We tried for literally years to get it corrected and it never was. BM> Seems like a couple of telephone numbers were added but the entire BM> listing (including the primary number) never was included. That seems to be the sort of thing that should be fixable, though... Not doubting you that they didn't seem to be able to, just that it seems a bit strange that it couldn't be.... BM>> On the Vienna side most speak some English - from a little to fairly BM>> fluent, and the degree of fluency is sometimes determined by how nice BM>> you are: angry and pushy English gets the equivalent of 'me no speak BM>> English' whereas the "I'm sorry I don't speak more than a few words but BM>> can you help me please?" generally gets an "I'll try to help" on that BM>> side, or "I can't help but let me give you my colleague who speaks a BM>> little better". (They tend to use the term 'colleague' over there BM>> frequently -- British influence? NB>> Probably they've learned their English from the UK, so it would make NB>> sense.... ;) I've been told that if one tries to speak in French in NB>> France, generally one is given the same sort of help, switching to NB>> English in some sort of sympathy.... ;) BM> Probably so. It seems an attempt is better than "you need to speak my BM> language even though I'm on your land". ...In college learned BM> 'serviette' was British English for napkin - and 'die Serviette' is BM> German, so that helped. As long as they really are cognates, and not just false cognates... But, yes, an attempt comes off as much less arrogant, so less likely to be rebuffed... :) BM>>> thinking I'd like to find out how their telephone numbers are BM>>> structured. There seems to be some 'coding' in the way given: spaces BM>>> in the print version, grouping in the vocal; LIS they don't use the BM>>> same convention as we do here U.S. (3-3-4: area code, exchange, line). NB>>> I've noted similar with the UK numbers... some of them seem to be the NB>>> same number of numbers as ours, but sometimes spaced differently... NB>>> others have fewer or more numbers... plus, one has to add the country NB>>> access code to the front of the number instead of the leading 0... BM>> I'm sort of wondering how the telephone computers know where to direct BM>> the call! If the telephone number in Austria begins with a "1" is for BM>> a landline number in Vienna but "699" for a mobile phone. And it's not BM>> a 6 and then 99-something. (I tracked down a list - 'quirky' to my BM>> U.S.-based thinking,) NB>> Clearly the computers are programmed to handle it.... :) BM> Hmmm, possibly! LIS there's probably a rule, just like U.S. area BM> codes used to have a 1 or a 0 as the middle digit: 603, 617.... Used to, being the operative there... ;) As they expanded codes, that's no longer the case... ours, for example is 585.... BM>> My Aunt's home phone number matched the U.S, pattern and we didn't BM>> need the other patterns until a few years ago. My Mother was arguing BM>> there was an extra digit to my cousin's mobile number; fortunately she BM>> didn't realize it when he gave it because of the spacing. Shortly BM>> after that I stumbled on the phone number 'key' listing and things BM>> started making a little more sense. NB>> And to think that once upon a time phone numbers here in the states NB>> were just 4 numbers.... ;) Or "two shorts and a long", referring to NB>> the rings.... ;) BM> Things have changed!! I remember Dad being told when BM> calling to make a reservation for a cabin in Pittsburg NH (as far north BM> in NH as one can get) someone else may pick up the line because he was BM> cutting trees and couldn't always hear the number of rings, just his BM> phone had rung. Back in the days of local operators and party lines.... ;) BM>>> The problem is my Mother barely uses her cell phone -- I hope she BM>>> remembers to charge it every so often! NB>>> Maybe she'd remember if she had something to look at on it... I NB>>> keep mine charged since I use it as a backup phone for when I'm out NB>>> and about... and some family members have a habit of texting me from NB>>> time to time instead of calling on the landline.... BM>> She tends to use the "I'm old therefore I don't know how" or "it's BM>> been so long I've forgotten" excuses. Of course there are times when I BM>> don't do something because I'm not sure. NB>> Some magic spells one does have to use regularly to be able to retain NB>> them at all easily.... ;) BM> Very true! I need to create a cheat sheet, or maybe index cards... BM> I've got small notes taped to the hutch. Her hutch or yours....? BM>> ...As for the she might use it if something to look at, agree. I don't BM>> know if her phone can take pictures -- it is halfway current as passed BM>> the 'test' late last year when I had her check. (I had to get a new BM>> phone because of the VoLTE requirment.) NB>> My cell phone has no camera, so I can't take pictures with it... but NB>> it can receive pictures as a text, and store pictures either with the NB>> texts or in a separate section that has pictures including the NB>> choices for background screens for the main screen... BM> As long as you don't need to take pictures or carry a separate camera BM> you're fine. As for viewing, not too convenient. but as long as don't BM> receive picture too frequently not that much of an inconvenience. If BM> not urgent to view might just wait until get home. If I thought I might want to take pictures, I'd use a separate camera... Most of the photos I have in my phone were sent me by a girlfriend that likes to share pics of her kids and grandkids.... At least she doesn't overdo it... BM>> I didn't even think to ask last time I called -- wrote note to remind BM>> me. Easter is coming up -- got a card yesterday so need to send that BM>> off shortly. Will send to her apartment and hope someone is picking BM>> up and bringing her mail; hospitals are forbidding visitors but would BM>> think could get a box of mail.... drop off during a 'meandering': NB>> Or at least anything that looks like it might cheer her up some... ;) BM> In the mean time I did ask for and get the 'Kurhaus' address from my BM> cousin -- I'm going to send another 'duplicate' letter just to be BM> sure. That sounds like a good idea, hopefully she'd get it then... :) BM>> public transportation costs but pass is good for the entire day. Know BM>> the 'kurhaus' where my Aunt is currently is in the adjoining District, BM>> which are sort of like wards here in the U.S...... NB>> So a different section of town, anyway.... BM> Right. And I don't know if someone is picking up my Aunt's mail at BM> her apartment, or if the box got full and the post office is holding BM> her mail, or.... My Mother doesn't know either. Or if at some point someone in the family notified the Post Office to hold the mail for the time being.... BM>> Of course what I would do and what someone else would do........ NB>> True, we might have different customs here, from how/what they do NB>> there... but you never know... :) BM> And I've found what I would do automatically isn't always what anyone BM> else would do. To me a once-a-week mail drop-off wouldn't be that BM> inconvenient -- I know can't visit patients in the hospital -- U.S. BM> nor Austria -- but seems like get-well cards have to be getting through BM> so why not mail packs for long-term patients? There might be some restrictions on certain packages of things, due to concern that they might be carrying the virus.... nothing is exactly normal nowadays... ttyl neb .... Make accusations, I've got alibis. --- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F * Origin: Tiny's BBS - http://www.tinysbbs.com (454:1/452) .