Curiosity = -18.64
That was my cell phone balance a few days back. So, I am sitting home getting bored and I decide to explore my phone. I landed somehow on the RSS feeds. Had a few default feeds there. So decided to check it out. I updated the Sony Ericsson feed and to my surprise, it worked. I was literally jumping with joy ( a joy that wouldn’t last long, as I found out later)
Now, you need to know that I use a prepaid connection and a few days back I activated Vodafone Live. (Don’t ask me why.)
Coming back, so I clicked on a link from the feed and was excited to see a web page open. (For the record, I have never previously used GPRS in my life. I previously had a 1100 you see. 
) Then I was curious and went right ahead and checked out my blog. Man, was it beautiful. I was thrilled really. I know it’s not much. But I appreciate technology. If you can read your blog (or someone else’s for that matter) from your phone, it’s a big deal. (I know it’s been around for a while. Doesn’t mean I can’t marvel it.)
So I clicked on a couple of pictures and links. I checked the balance after having quit the browser. It was some 12 Rupees. Man, I had 20 odd rupees balance. 8 rupees for this ? Not worth it. Then I go to sleep.
When I get up, I make a call and the call doesn’t go through. I try a couple more times. Then I check my balance. Freakin -(minus)18 rupees!! What ? Where did the money go ? Then I realised it must be the RSS feeds. (Still can’t be certain.) So I am frantically searching for options to turn them off and I can’t find them. Great!! So, instead I delete all my feeds.
I wanted to call Vodafone Care and yell at them, but after my last experience calling them, I decided against it
Yeah packet data is way too expensive. I was browsing peacefully the other day and then realised I’d spent some 15 rupees. At least if you’re on Airtel and you know you’re going to use the internet lots that day you can just pay 20 bucks and get unlimited GPRS for a day. That’s acceptable.
George
May 11, 2008 at 8:13 am
I remember telling you that it was ridiculous expensive and warned you not to try it. Or was that George?
Marc
May 11, 2008 at 6:30 pm
@Kartik : Me too experienced the same thing while am studying for my Mobile Computing exams. On that day i got bored of studying and unfortunately i opened the Vodafone Live. Then i tried Google, my blog and so on in that. Finally when i checked my balance it was around -16. Cha too bad for me…….
Selerines
May 12, 2008 at 2:27 am
Or if you really wanna use GPRS in your phone, it costs you 375 RS per month(unlimited). But its damn costly.
Gowtham
May 12, 2008 at 2:28 am
Well yes, you just said it was Rs. 375 a month.
You warned us, Marc. Sadly, we never heeded the ancient prophecies, and the tides of darkness came once more.
George
May 12, 2008 at 10:32 am
@George,
I actually thought it was cheap. The rates are like 10 paise per 10kb I think. Oddly enough, my phone doesn’t have a meter to count the net usage. Stupid stupid phone.
@Marc,
It wasn’t me.
signed Angel.
@Sivakumar,
@Gowtham,
No, I don’t want to. Now, I never will. Or maybe I will and then link it to my comp and download movies.
Karthik
May 12, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Not cheap. At 20 rupees for a day unlimited it’s cheap. At 375 it’s cheap (ignore previous comment, I just said that because I wanted to laugh at it) but at 10 for 10kb (I think mine is 15 for 10kb) it is not and they deserve to be hanged by their genitalia.
George
May 12, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Err…. I didn’t say that?
George
May 12, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Yes you did. Unfortunately.
Marc
May 13, 2008 at 12:55 pm
It happens to the best of people.
George
May 14, 2008 at 8:45 pm
bad luck dude!
Ban Mido
May 17, 2008 at 4:47 am
and you still didn’t change my blogroll dude!
Ban Mido
May 17, 2008 at 4:47 am
@Ban Mido,
Yea. Rotten luck. And blogroll ? You must be Vinod.
Karthik
May 17, 2008 at 8:17 am
Why is Vinod calling himself Bun Mido now?
Marc
May 17, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Character from an anime, the Getbackers.
George
May 18, 2008 at 4:11 am
I know what is it. That doesn’t answer my question.
Marc
May 18, 2008 at 10:30 am
He’s a fan, obviously.
George
May 18, 2008 at 1:31 pm
@Marc,
As much as you hate it, people think it’s cool to call themselves Ban Mido and Goku and all that.
And honestly, even if I hate it myself, it’s really left to them you know.
Karthik
May 23, 2008 at 10:26 am