mad mad mad

Well...the luggage problems were annoying and expensive. Then the robbery was scary and also expensive. I´ve been sick-ish for the past month I´ve been here. Our laundry machine has been broken for the past two weeks. I haven´t been able to wash any of my clothes since I left the United States. All of that´s fine. Despite these inconsequential problems I´ve been deliriously happy here.

Then, last night, my computer died. UGHHHHHHHHHHH! I get a gray screen with a flashing file folder that has a question mark inside of it. WTF? There are also some clicking noises when the computer first turns on, which worries me because the problem could be mechanical. The Apple site says the computer needs to remember where the operating system is, or something. But I don´t have a reinstall CD. I also looked at some Mac help forums and the answers seem scary. Many people just had crappy computers that stopped functioning. This cannot happen to me! I don´t have the money for a new laptop. Besides, mine is less than 1.5 years old. And how the hell do I go about fixing a computer when I can hardly explain the problem in Spanish? There´s not even a Mac store here! I feel doomed because I realize my computer is my life.

-Connection to home, anti-homesickness device
-Ability to write/blog, my therapy
-My stereo, source of music
-How I do my banking
-How I plan these trips I´m supposed to take
-How I get news from the States
-Watching movies
-Help with assignments for school
-Knowing where things are located in Barcelona

I can´t survive without a computer. There are computers I can use at school and at the library but they´re always in use because no one really has laptops here. It´s not like I can get on and take care of everything at once. Why is Apple so bad to me? I´ve had problems with my iPod and problems with my computer. I guess all of the trash-talking I did has come back to haunt me. I guess I´m not just compatible with Mac...I´m just the ugly PC man from the commercials. Or maybe I´m not either. Computers just hate me.