SpainTalk - TechTalk - Shipping

I've been talking a lot about shipping recently and this is pretty much just to describe my experience with receiving packages.  I love to shop online and I would recommend for everyone to buy everything that they need online and ship it...

With the exception of cell phones and laptops or other electronic devices.  I don't have a problem with paying taxes - actually, I calculate it in my price when I buy an item... but apparently Spain customs has a fascination with my electronic things - which I don't really mind (its just a shame really).

DO NOT SHIP ELECTRONICS TO SPAIN - DO NOT DO IT.

Friends and family, I love you, but get me a gift card - I'll buy it another way.

1st case - USPS and ADT postales.

This package has been in Spain since February 6th.

Will I ever see it?! WHO KNOWS. 

Apparently, a blue netbook is a cause for customs to keep it under wraps.  I've sent every form, invoice, signed documents, my passport, the promise of my 1st child (since I don't plan to have any), but apparently that isn't enough... at this point, I might have them ship it back to my dad and I'll just and get it in June...

2nd Case - DHL and DHL customs

This one is quite special.  The package has taken 72 hours to get from China to Spain and it looks like I'll be going on Semana Santa before I see this package.

I don't mind paying for taxes and I've actually been corresponding (in Spanish) but she started writing in English - probably because her Spanish is better than my English...

What I don't understand is..

You're estimating 105 eur on a phone that cost 135 eur (CLICK HERE for blog post).

a) I lost my phone - so #duh 

- that is why you can't call me and that is why I ordered this generic ass cheap phone.

b) What do you mean you tell me an exact amount?  YOU ARE CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT - IF YOU CAN'T TELL ME - WHO WILL? and not only that... you want me to PAY YOU A DHL DISPATCH COMMISSION - for doing something that you don't how much it will be?

c) I have to wait another day - because she gets off work at 15:00.

 Needless to say - go ahead and buy your ties, t-shirts, small electronics on eBay - I haven't had a problem with 99% of shipping things to Spain - the moment you have to go to through clearance - you might as well have them send that package back - this is causing too much of a headache to deal with.

I wish I lived in Madrid - it would probably be faster to stop by there and ask exactly what is going on... 

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

SchoolTalk - Global Environmental Change

Mirror mirror on the wall - who is the nerdiest of them all?

Not me... but I am quite happy with my grades this semester...

Global Environmental Change - 97.4%  woot woot.

Yes, even while traveling, I managed (not sure how) to keep up with my studies.

Now, if I can only put this much effort into studying Spanish... hahahah.

So what did I learn from this class?  Besides the fact that we are f****d... change is coming and even if we stopped everything and turned off all of our machines and polluting mechanisms - the path of global environmental change will continue.  Just be happy we were born this generation... =]

Sorry kids of the future.  o_O

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

SpainTalk - USE DHL for SHIPPING

Holy Batman!

I officially love DHL (and I've never met him before - hahahaha!!)

China to Spain in 3 days = WOW (impressed).

I chose the expensive shipping $33.70 to ship my phones from China and wow. 

Maybe I'll even get it this afternoon (Happy Camper!)

The reason I chose the expensive shipping was because I got 10% off using the code FACEBOOK2013.

CLICK HERE to read more about my phone debacle... 

CLICK HERE if you want to shop for cheap phones... HAHAHA

CLICK HERE if you're bored.

CLICK HERE because I said so...

CLICK HERE to make a difference... 

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

BookTalk - Safe Haven - Nicholas Sparks

I love to read... and besides starting to dabble in reading things in Spanish 

(I read the magazine - Computer Hoy! 

Coincidentally, the cover is about what to do if you are robbed of your tech...)

This time around, I am reading Nicholas Sparks - Safe Haven.  While I don't normally read his books, nor watch the movies (with the exception of A Walk to Remember - which WILL make you cry), I find this book pretty interesting... I am halfway done with the book and I just started yesterday.

Hope you had a great weekend! 

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

TechTalk - Cell Phone - China Style - Galaxy S III

Well, I was suppose to head to La Coruña today, but I think I'm going to rest... 

ha ha and head over in the morning...

For those of you who read my random rants and raves, tweets, Google+ posts, you know that I lost my phone in Bilbao while dancing on stripper poles at a gay bar - if you didn't know (now you do...)

I wanted to get a replacement smartphone and my current Nokia phone is quite useless (not to mention, I don't want to pay $0.08 per SMS) - so this is an INVESTMENT so I save money in the long run - see how I justify everything that I purchase?

Anywho - I am cheap - I hate HATE HATE paying full price - that tie I wore yesterday 2€ 

H&M was having a huge sale... 

This phone I bought is basically the China generic version of the Galaxy S III.

$182.88 + 10% off for liking their Facebook page (which I don't have, but thanks to Alex I got the code - which is FACEBOOK2013 - for those of you without Facebook).

CLICK HERE if you want to check out their items.

CLICK HERE if you want to see the phone I bought.

Here are some specs...

Screen type: Capacitive (5-point)
Screen size: 5.3 inch
Screen resolution: 960 x 540 (QHD)

Type: Touch screen phone 
Color: White
OS: Android 4.1
CPU: Media Tek MTK6577 Dual Core 1GHz 
ROM: 4GB
RAM: 1GB
Battery: 2800mAh Li-ion 
Capacitive touch (5-point) screen 
Network frequency: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz WCDMA 2100MHz
Dual SIM, Dual standby 
Dual cameras (the back one with flash light and auto focus)
Wireless internet
GPS supported
Gravity sensing system
FM/MP3/MP4/Bluetooth function supported

I will post a video review once it comes in and see if its worth it!

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.