David's Diary: Wednesday, September 18, 2002

Fixing The Mobile Phone

Corso-Roma

During our travels we depend on our Nokia mobile phone for all of our communications. Note only do we use it to make phone calls; it is also the principle way that we connect to the Internet and do email. Recently our phone stopped working and today my goal is to see if there is somewhere in Brindisi where we can get it fixed.

Views from the railway bridge

After wandering the main streets of Brindisi, I finally found a mobile phone store where someone spoke English. I explained my problem and they gave me rough directions to where they thought I could find a repair depot. I left the center of Brindisi and crossed the railway lines that lead to the city.

Jail

Away from the tourist center I was in working-class Brindisi. I wandered around getting a little lost, but not having much luck finding the mobile phone repair place. As I wandered down a major street, I realized that the building next to me was a jail, located right in the middle of the district.

Wednesday Wedding

On a more cheery note, I saw a wedding party posed for photographs on the steps of a church. I, too, took some photographs before continuing on my search. I found another mobile phone store and while little English was spoken, I was able to make my needs known. They sent me off in a different direction to what they promised would be a place where our Nokia could be fixed.

Microkey

Another half-hour of walking and I found the Microkey Service Center where they both spoke English and could repair our phone. I explained that we were leaving Brindisi on the weekend and that we needed the phone back as soon as possible. I left my business card and they promised me the phone for Friday. They would even email me to confirm that it was fixed. The search had taken me the entire morning and as I left Microkey at 1:00 PM, just as the store was being closed for the three-hour Italian lunch hour. It had taken me all morning and I had arrived just in time, but it did look like we were going to get our phone fixed.