And They Are Professionals!

Well, folks, I am extremely happy to report that I now have air-conditioning in my bedroom! You cant know just how happy I am! Now I don't "glow" at home any more!!

These were the hoops that I had to jump through in order to get the AC. After getting advice from many people on how to get a unit installed, last Saturday I went to the school and by chance met the man who actually knows about the ACs. He explained everything to me, including cost.

On Monday, a guy from the school, who speaks English, drove me across town to the AC company where I actually purchased the unit.

Then yesterday, the installers came to install the unit--two 20 year old guys who assured me that, yes, they had installed ACs before! They had to look at the installation and decide of it would be an "easy" installation (at the lower cost) or a "harder" installation (at a higher cost). Guess which it was! Not a hard guess, was it? So they called the company and the English speaking woman told me what it would cost and I said "do it!" Then they set to work.

They arrived at my house at 3:45pm and left at 7:30 pm. 3 and 1/2 hours of installation. But it was cool in my room when they left.

First, they brought in the unit, unwrapped it, and then one guy nailed the plate to the wall while the other one looked outside and decided that they would need some cable in order to install it. Guess what? No cable on the truck. So he left, drove back across town to the company and got the cable. While he was gone, the other guy was trying to get their cement drill to work. He tried the one electric outlet in my room; then he tried rewiring the drill. It didn't work.

When guy 1 returned with the cable, he worked on the drill for about 45 minutes. Then they both left and went to get another installer who looked at the unit, said it was the wrong unit and he left to go back to the company to get the smaller unit that I had purchased. While he was gone, both guy 1 and guy 2 rewired the drill YET AGAIN! Finally we had the correct unit and the drilling began. Through the concrete wall he drilled while the other guy worked outside on the roof doing whatever.

When they finally got it working, they were supposed to have a receipt for me because I would be paying cash for the installation. They couldn't find the receipt that the English-speaking lady at the company had given them! They tore apart their truck looking for it. I refused to pay them and told them that I would pay for the installation tomorrow at the school. They were ok with that. I wasn't about to give cash to those two yo-yos who might go out and have a beer with the money! These were the professional installers!!!

So today, I paid the man I talked to on Saturday and tomorrow he will have the receipt for me. I am sure he will come up with it! I know where he works!! Actually he is a very nice man. He is the marketing manager for the school and works with the AC company to install the ACs for the school. Also, I must thank DB, one of the founders of the school, who helped me out A LOT! The right word from him got things moving.

So after a week of getting advice, from many people, about getting an AC installed, it is now done and I will be cool. I will be able to sleep and every inch of my skin will not be wet the whole time that I am at home. I am very thankful.

Now, on to my next goal of getting Internet access to the house so I can use my laptop and not have to come to the Internet cafes. Will that challenge be any easier???

Hasta luego.