I come from a certain village in my state, and most Christmases we go home to celebrate with our extended family. Everything is sweet about this place, except that there is no network connection. Everyone who uses the internet tries to survive without it.
Sometimes the location of our house adds to the problem. So most times, I stand outside the gate by 8 PM trying to load WhatsApp messages or walk around the compound in search of any signal.
Inside the house, my smartphone is always at “no service,” while my little sister's phone manages to receive calls and messages once in a while. So you can imagine going one or two weeks without proper access to the internet.
During an important moment…
I almost failed a serious CBT examination because of this issue. I had traveled after registering for this exam and was waiting patiently to receive feedback from the management. For the first few days, I would go outside where there was a network to check my email. Then, after some time, I stopped. I checked back after a few days to see a two-hour countdown for the exam. I managed through the poor network and submitted it successfully.
So how do I cope whenever I visit there?
I stopped fighting it a year before last. I told myself I wouldn't stress myself anymore by walking around for a good connection.
Before traveling, I buy airtime for my friends and ask them to call my button phone if there's urgent information in the school group chat. This helps me stay updated even without an internet connection.
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Secondly, I also try to use the period to disappear. This means I'm off the internet and away from friends. I listen to myself and my health without distractions, and I bond with the people around me.
Since none of us have good access to the internet, we do a lot of nice things together like reading novels, watching movies, chatting, and playing games.
I travel with a lot of books, so we're never bored.
This is always a very refreshing experience, and the feeling is completely different. I notice I sleep a lot during this period and also look bright, free, and healthy. The fresh air from the trees and plants, along with the quietness, is very soothing.
Sometimes, I see the network issue as a blessing and a nice way to end a hard year.
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