2009/01: Tanglewreck -- Jeanette Winterson

Tanglewreck -- Jeanette Winterson

The River Thames at Limehouse bows away from the City. The river glitters darkly. The river reflects the starless London sky. The river flows on to the sea. The river flows in one direction, but Time does not. Time's river carries our spent days out to sea and sometimes those days come back to us, changed, strange, but still ours. Time's flow is not even, and there are snags underwater, hesitations in Time where the clock sticks. A minute on Earth is not the same length as a minute on Jupiter. A minute on Earth is sometimes a different length all by itself. (p.95)
( review )

Retro Communication

As some of you know, I hate using the phone -- especially when I'm trying to make a complaint about something. (It's surprisingly difficult to get put through to someone who can actually sort it out.)

This afternoon, as part of my post-Christmas paperwork catchup, I have been chasing complaints, non-refunded payments, etc.

I have been writing letters.

This suits me much better than using the phone:
- it's more proactive, so I don't end up sitting there doing nothing and listening to ghastly hold messages;
- I can set out my complaint / argument at my own pace without interruption
- if I realise I don't have all the details to hand, I can stop to find them
- I have a record of exactly what I said
- there is a good chance of getting a written response
- and a good chance that they will actually address the issue, as opposed to parrotting a scripted reply or fobbing me off with assurances that turn out empty.
- also, I can listen to my choice of music, not theirs. (Ask me why I hate 'Dancing in the Moonlight'. Go on.)

It may have taken me slightly longer than making the phonecalls would have done, but I'm much less stressed and feel more optimistic about the various outcomes. (Refunds, change of address details, apology-and-compensation, details of long-forgotten insurance policies ...)