5 tips on how to be better prepared in case of an Internet Breakdown

We still don’t have access to Internet but I am writing this now while I can fully experience the situation. God, how disconnected from the world I can feel right now. I was reduced to look for a gardener on the Yellow pages, thing I haven’t done for too long now. When you are hooked, it is really, really hard to live without it: You are not going to the movies, because you don’t know how to check the timetables, you don’t order food because you don’t see the menu in the phone book, you can’t check websites when you see something interesting on TV, and you are forced to open a dictionary when you don’t know how to spell a word, when all you had to do before was to open your iGoogle page, and I haven’t started talking about communicating with your friends and family yet… which is one of the first reasons why people would get an internet connection. So here is a 5 tips to survive without internet for a week, read it now, before it’s too late.

#1 Keep the yellow pages

When we received the phone books I almost laughed and said: “Who on earth would actually open one of these big books to look for a restaurant or a shop! They should just minimize the use of paper and stop printing stuff out.” There are three books and they are HUGE!

Well as I wrote earlier, having them around will help. I don’t know how I would have found a gardener today if we didn’t have them and seriously, it wasn’t that hard.

#2 Have a dictionary around

Who would have thought a good old dictionary could still be useful. Today a friend of mine came home and while he was sending a text message he asked me how to spell the word “cutlery”. I really thought it uses two “t” but his phone’s T9 didn’t recognize the word. No Internet, we had to open the dictionary that was sleeping on the lounge table.

#3 Keep restaurants menus and try not to lose them.

When you go out for lunch or dinner, check if the restaurant does take away and ask for a copy of their menu. The most difficult part after that is to keep the menu at a place you will remember when you will need it. The best way I believe is to give it to the most organized person in the house, or have it stuck on a board or on the door of your fridge. There‘s nothing more frustrating than looking for something you know you have but can’t put a hand on.

#4 Watch the news

I have on my Igoogle page gadgets which updates every time something happens on the news, local and international. I usually have a quick look at the headlines and open anything that catches my interests. When you’re not connected, well, you have to watch the news.

#5 Tell people around you

When you are connected all the time and actually replying to your emails, make sure the people around you know you don’t have internet for a while. They will start worrying if you are generally connected on messenger services, updating your facebook status, posting new articles on your blog, and keeping up with forums you’re regularly writing on.

Remember how long you have lived without internet and don’t worry too much, it is only for a short period of time. See it as a way of getting prepared in case you have to stay longer without it. Use this time to visit your friends, improve your social skills and accomplish the things you usually put on hold because of the distraction Internet causes. It’s funny I am writing this, but I can’t wait…

PS: I still don’t have the net, just managed to check my mail and post this from school