Remont-strating

I have commented before on how essential a laptop computer is to the modern EFL teacher. And so I shall not belabor that point here. I shall say only that, in the past week, I have learned just how essential it is, and how difficult it is to make any adjustment to life without it.

Sunday night, I was happily surfing the web when, suddenly, my laptop went black. This had happened in the past, but the problem had always been due to the tenuous nature of my power cords. Two or three months back, my computer battery failed, and I was thereafter forced to keep my laptop plugged in whenever I used it. Not knowing that all laptops are now 110/220 v adaptable, I had purchased a new electric system not long after I came to Russia. It involved one cord that led into a big black box, and another that led out of it into my computer. Not infrequently, these two cords would become deplugged from one another, and my computer would swiftly lose power.

I thought this was what was happening Sunday night, so I didn't panic. Indeed, panic did not begin in earnest until I had reassembled the electric supply chain three times and my computer steadfastly refused to power on. The blue lights on the keyboard indicated I was receiving power, but the computer would not turn on and maintain power for more than a few seconds. Clearly something was wrong.

The next day, I showed it to a fellow teacher who, in addition to having a near-encyclopedic knowledge of British bands, is also well-versed in the ways of man's best electrical friend. She looked at my machine and told me I most likely had a virus. Repair would be possible, but probably less economical than buying a whole new laptop. This struck fear into my heart. The kind of fear that only the thought of an impossible-to-pay $1000 price tag can bring. Nonetheless, my friend said I would need to bring my computer to a repair shop to be certain.

Not being so foolhardy as to try to accomplish this repair in my limited Russian, I asked my Director of Studies to assist me. And so, the following afternoon, we went to a repair shop in the same building as my school's central offices. As he was unable to locate the problem quickly, the repairman insisted on keeping the machine overnight for observation.

I spent an uneasy night wodering how on earth I might raise the money for a new laptop. Visions of organ donation danced in my head (organ donations being close relations of sugar plums).

The next morning, however, to my infinite relief, my Director of Studies called me. She said the repairman had called her. My computer's malfunctioning was due to a faulty power supply--a computer shop had sold me the wrong kind of power cords for my computer--that had fried part of my memory. The memory repair and and new, correct power supply would cost only about $150--about what I had available in cash at the moment. I did a little dance. Then I realized how silly I looked doing a little dance alone in my room, got dressed, and went off to school.

I am most grateful my DOS was able to help in all of this. I know I would have been unequal to the task of making sense of the repairman's assessment of what was wrong with my computer, or of bargaining for a reasonable price for service. Remont (Russian for repair) is not known on either side of the Baltic for being either comprehensible or fair.

I am only too glad I needed to do no remont-strating.