I yelled

I tried to call the phone company today. That was a special treat.

I get the automated answering service which wanted to direct my call to the correct department... I think... because sure enough it was ALL in German with no English options. I've run into these before and can usually push "0" or "*" or "#" and get through to a real person... Not with this one. It wanted me to TALK to it. It wanted me to SAY what department I wanted to be transferred to! It didn't give me any number options to push. Wheeeee....

Out of the five German choices it gave me I picked the one that sounded the easiest and tried to repeat it. I must not have done very well because it gave me all the choices again. I tried another one. I thought I did pretty well, but not good enough for the computer to understand what I was saying because it gave me the options a third time. I tried "German Option" and it worked! I was feeling pretty proud of my German skills as the phone started to ring...

A person answered and I asked if English was okay. He said, "Nein". That's it. He didn't say anything else. I asked "Sprechen sie English?". "Nein". That's it. He STILL didn't say anything else. As always I just kept speaking English, "Is there anyone else there? Do you have a friend?" "Boss?" "Colleague?" He kept responding with German that I didn't understand at all. Then he hung up on me.

I was so mad. ...as Scotty would say, "He was a poo head."

I had to call back and go through saying a German password to get in again! I eventually made it through but not by correctly repeating a German word, because I tried three times with no luck so now I'm pretty irritated and tried telling it off in English for a while. I was pretty rude to the answering machine. I got out all my frustrations though and it worked. Soon I heard the "waiting music". I did it!

It didn't matter because the woman I got didn't speak English either. She seemed to know that it was me and I think she was probably sitting next to Guy #1 I just talked to.

I eventually hung up with her, went online and found another number to call. I called it and got the same dumb German answering service that wanted me to speak German again. Using my new trick I told it off in English. I got through to a new voice, but when I asked if she spoke English she just started laughing. I was not as amused as she was, but I really needed to talk to someone! She felt sorry for me I think and found a guy who was willing to speak a little English.

He told me to write a letter to the customer service department. I'll try it, but I think this will be a job for Happy's assistant. :) ...because we obviously need some assistance!