Apologies for not having posted to the blog for a while, but my Macbook Pro hasn’t been well. No power you see. Which also, for the uninitiated, means no internet.

Cue the picture of the birthday card that my friend sent me from England (complete coincidence in theme – unless he knows more than he is letting on):

So the symptoms were that the charging cable LED was flashing between orange and green, which it most definitely shouldn’t do. The laptop had drained down to 0% battery power and switched itself off. Wouldn’t turn back on.

Only two months back, the battery had been replaced at an Apple store in Bath, UK, at the cost of £110, so the battery was practically brand new.

I used a sharp-pointed kitchen knife to remove the screws on the back of the laptop and take the cover off, (I have no screwdrivers in the camper van that are small enough for this) disconnected the battery terminals and left it disconnected for the night, as I hoped this may reset something. Worth a try. Checked it the next day and no joy. One of the casing screws were now missing too.

On top of this annoyance, I had been feeling a bit frustrated on the job front the last couple of days. So what with the career prospects not blossoming in the way I’d hoped and then the laptop dying, I was feeling a bit stuck. No laptop = no job searching. There was also worry of how to get hold of the fabled PPS number, looming over me like a dark cloud.

PPS stands for: Personal Public Services number and is Ireland’s equivalent to the UK’s National Insurance number. Without one, it’s not possible to be employed.

Depending on who I spoke to about the PPS number (and I have spoken to a lot of people) the descriptions of what I required and how to go about acquiring it varied.

I was prepared for any of the following:

• Visiting an official office somewhere in Galway city
• A 3 week wait for an appointment
• Requiring no appointment at all
• Providing ID in the form of a passport
• Providing ID in the form of a UK Driving License
• Proof of address
• Proof of job offer / self-employment
• Providing the necessary and fully filled out form (called TR1) for Revenue, Ireland’s version of UK’s Inland Revenue.
• Providing the necessary and fully filled out form (called REG1) for the Social Welfare Office
• Contact details of both myself and my “landlord”

Determined to force things to change in some way and there not being a Mac Specialist or PPS registration office anywhere remotely near my village, I made the decision to drive to Galway city that night.

Having something (or somewhere) specific to focus on felt a lot more positive. It was around 8.30pm, but I packed the van with bedding and all the necessary paraphernalia and headed off on the 1hr 30min drive to Galway City. At 11pm I arrived on the outskirts of the city, cruising around the housing estates to find a suitable spot to stealth camp for the night. Spot found.

The next morning, I dropped off my laptop at a place called Galmac’s. While they were performing diagnostics, I headed into the city centre and went to the Social Welfare Office, ready to get some clarity on how to obtain a PPS number, only to be confronted by a sign saying “Reception is closed between 12 and 2pm”. It was 12.30.

I went and got a bite to eat, sat outside a place in the main shopping street.

While I was eating, a friend walked by who I had met for the first time a month ago for only a few hours (long story). He somehow recognised me (I was wearing big black sunglasses and had changed my hairstyle). He wasn’t remotely expecting to see me and doesn’t even live in the city centre! Pretty impressive on his part and yet another oddly positive crossing of paths and coincidences that this adventure seems to keeps providing. We arranged to meet up later.

I went back to the social welfare place 30mins early and was seen first. Argos style ticket issuing system. Was told that the actual PPS registration place is up the road.

So I walked up the road and passed through a very nondescript entrance to be issued another ticket number. Thankfully, I didn’t even have time to sit down before my number came up on the display and I walked straight into a booth, sitting down in front of an official, armed with my chunky, red and blue, Fisher-Price style clipboard-come-storage-box.

I won’t divulge the security questions and exactly how the next 20mins panned out, for fear of undermining the system in place and being disrespectful to the Irish official who was very helpful. It would also make for a pretty boring read!

Eventually, the official disappeared behind the back of the booth to confer with a colleague about a few last details and probably to have a good laugh about my clipboard.

“OK, that’s fine. Expect the confirmation letter, with PPS number to be delivered in the post in around 1 week’s time.”

Sorted!

What a good day.

Yet it continued…..

I then called the laptop fixing place and they had fixed the problem. It wasn’t the laptop at all, it was the charger!

I drove over to the repair place and picked up the laptop, along with a new charger, at an eye watering price of €89, but was soooo happy at the prospect of having my lifeline back! I must point out that Galmac’s didn’t charge me labour for this at all, as the technician had simply plugged in the laptop on his charger and it worked fine!

After that, I met up with my Galway friend, went to get a beer and some food at a pub. After a pint and a few minutes chatting about what we should do with the evening, he had a brainwave and called his parents to ask, if we could instead, head back to their place to eat, plus, if I could stay over. Not something I could possibly turn down and I didn’t fancy the thought of sleeping in the van in a housing estate again!

So that evening I found myself sat around a family table with yet another group of very welcoming, hospitable people, (I had never met any of them, other than the son and had certainly never been to their house), being treated to good food and wine, in a huge place for the night in a big double bed. There was also a single bed in the same room, so I had a choice!

Later that evening, we walked in to the town centre and partied the night away in Galway city. I had my first silent disco experience, paid for by a friendly fellow disco dancer! Taking off my headphones to hear a crowd of more than a hundred people singing along to Dancing Queen by Abba, but hearing no actual music was quite something.

Randomly, there was a photobooth inside the nightclub and I had a few pics taken with that same friendly fellow disco dancer……hahahaha.

When I got home and tried my laptop with the new charger that night, all worked as it should and I realised that the missing screw was now missing no longer! The technician must have added one free of charge.

Also, the English accent seems to be a hit with the ladies here…..bonus!

Music being played on the iPhone:

Hadari by Souad Massi

Everyday Now by Texas

She’s So Fine by The Strypes

We Run The Block by Bonkaz

Bambu by Kojey Radical

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