Tuesday November 10, 1992 – Rome, Italy
Went to work as usual and worked some more on the FORIS database documentation. The laptop went on the fritz today and I ended up leaving work early to go to an electronics store to see if they could test the power supply (AC converter). I had to walk from the bus stop about 2+ miles with the laptop and when I got there, no one in the store understood English. Luckily a customer came in who offered to translate. I explained the problem and asked if they could test the power supply. They tested it and couldn’t figure out what the problem was and didn’t know where I could go to get it fixed. So, it looked like I was S.O.L. I trudged back to the hotel and looked in the phone book to see if I could find a computer store that could repair IBM laptops. There was only one computer store listed for all of Rome which I couldn’t locate on the map. As luck would have it, when I was walking to a restaurant for dinner, I happened to notice an IBM logo sign hidden along one of the main streets which looked like it was an IBM computer distributer. It was closed but it boosted my spirit knowing there might be a chance to fix the laptop. I figured I’d been spending about $35 per day over my allowed per diem. I had been eating lunch at the FAO cafeteria which was generally cheaper (7,000 – 12,000 Lire) and generally hadn’t been eating large dinners. So, today I decided to try a nicer restaurant down the street from the hotel for dinner. I ordered lasagna, garlic bread, ½ bottle white wine, strawberry torte and a cappuccino for a total of 24,000 Lire. That was the most I’d spent on a meal for a long time. One interesting thing; when I ordered garlic bread, the waiter didn’t know what I was talking about. So, I tried to describe to him that it was a slice of bread toasted with olive oil, garlic, and a little cheese on top. The waiter scratched his head and went back to the kitchen and in no time came back with a plate with a slice of toasted garlic bread on it! I was so grateful and thanked him profusely and left a nice tip.
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