generosity

As readers of this blog have probably detected, I’ve been faced with a mounting number of nagging problems with this computer, which is clearly entering the final phases of its career. Some of these problems are minor inconveniences, while one was actually costing me a great deal of money (an error with the email program was causing it to download the same messages repeatedly, and this made my last wireless bill outrageously high).

There’s an Apple dealer in Zamalek that’s been open for a year or so, and frankly I haven’t always been satisfied with them. Today was different, however. One of the employees was very willing to help, and I have to admit I’m probably never the favorite customer of computer stores, because nothing brings out my anxious side like having my “nervous system” (I.e., my personal computer) disabled in any way; I’m so dependent on it for so many of the things I do.

Total time it took him to fix all the problems: one hour, twenty minutes.

Total cost? Zero Egyptian Pounds.

He said that “none of the problems were major,” and as a result he refused to take any money for his time. Incredible. And no, I didn’t buy my computer from them, I bought it in Toulouse two years ago.