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Desperate for Power Supply and the Internet

Along with power interruption, the internet service also got disrupted in the aftermath of typhoon Milenyo (international codename: Xangsane).

When your business is dependent on internet service, a day without it is problematic. Two days without it gets to be “near critical”. Where does one get an internet connection when the whole city has no power?

Go to the nearest Starbucks or coffee shop with generator power and wireless internet

Not just any coffee shop. Earlier in the day, I went to Figaro branch at Salcedo Village to go online. After 3 hours, my battery was dying. Looking around the corners, I was disappointed to see power outlets taped over with a sign “do not plug in here”. Grr, I was willing to pay for the charge. Without electricity, how can I get online? A coffee shop must be generous enough to allow me to charge my macbook and avail internet wi-fi connection. I found a friendly Starbucks Coffee shop at the Walter Mart branch. Apparently, Makati residents also thought of the same idea as I did. The place was crowded. All 4 power outlets were occupied with cellphone and laptop charging. It took me 30 minutes to get a seat near a vacant power outlet. Great! The free Globequest internet wi-fi access (given to me by Globe-Innove last month) came in really handy as I got a fast internet connection.

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My daughter and I took turns working on our sites while my patient husband read a book. It usually takes me 2 to 4 hours to work on my sites but I didn’t plan to stay that long. See, a lot of laptop users were eager to go online too and I didn’t want to hog even one precious power outlet. Look at these people huddled in the corner working feverishly on their laptops.

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The guy in the black and white knit cap plugged in his printer while a female friend works on the laptop. The girl in the white sweater stood up and gave some space to these 2 desperate computer users. A father in another table was busy uploading something as I heard him fumble for his flashdisk. I wonder what their work is. They must have some internet-related activities. Why would they go all the way to Starbucks to get connected? Just like me. Desperate!

(Edit- This is my entry on that Typhoon Milenyo and read how other bloggers survived. Power resumed 1:00 AM today, September 30, 2 days after the raging typhoon Milenyo struck the city)

7 thoughts on “Desperate for Power Supply and the Internet”

  1. Pingback: A Life Of It’s Own at Sonnie’s Porch

  2. Sorry, but this Globe Quest internet access was not free at all. Secondly the Starbucks was “out of stock” of prepaid wifi cards and nobody in the mall (Town Center Alabang) got any Globe Quest card. Most shops even didn’t knew that a Globe Quest card existed.
    I also tried to purchase Globe Quest with my credit card through My Ayala but it didn’t worked either. In the end I hooked up to the internet in the darkness of my home with my telephone line and a prepaid internet card… 🙁

  3. @sidney- sorry you couldn’t get globequest. I got a free (complimentary) ONE month access to globequest, thanks to GLOBEQUEST. After this, I have to buy. Starbucks or some coffee shops already sell this. Globequest hotspots are found in these areas:

    WiZ HotSpots 12/10/05 
    ABS-CBN The Loop
    Windows Café at The Loop
    ABS-CBN
    ACC Activity Center
    Ateneo at Rockwell Center
    Basti’s Brew at Victoria Plaza
    BigBucks at Bigfoot
    Bizu at GB2
    Una Mas at GB2
    Kai at GB2
    Bizu at Promenade
    Cibo at Promenade
    BO’s Coffee at ACC
    Tequila Joe’s at ACC
    Sbarro at ACC
    Hap Japs at ACC
    Gerry’s Grill at ACC
    Bigby’s at ACC
    Big Mao at ACC
    Dessert Factory at ACC
    Don Henrico’s at ACC
    Ratsky at ACC
    East West at ACC
    BO’s Coffee at Banilad Town Center
    BO’s Coffee at Capitol
    BO’s Coffee at G4
    Jollibee at G4
    BO’s Coffee at ICM
    BO’s Coffee at Lacson
    BO’s Coffee at MCIA
    BO’s Coffee at Veteranos
    Business Center at Holiday Inn Mimosa
    Cable Car at ATC
    The Coffee Bean at ATC
    Casa Leticia
    Cebu City Sports Club
    Cibo at ATC
    Recipes at ATC
    Italiannis at ATC
    Haagen Dazs at ATC
    Bon Apetit at ATC
    Fridays at ATC
    Creativity Lounge at G3
    eLounge at G3
    D’ Marks at GB3
    The HUB at GB3
    Nanbantei at GB3
    Ice at GB3
    Bollywood Bistro at GB3
    Davao International Airport
    Sky Go Café
    Karl’s Koffee Corner
    Digital eXchange at G3
    East Asia Royale Hotel
    ELAC at Eastwood City
    Engineer’s Hill
    Executive Lounge at TOEP
    Figaro at G3
    Cibo at G3
    Figaro at GB3
    Cinema Lobby at GB3
    Casa Armas at GB3
    Blue Ginger at GB3
    Cheesecake at GB3
    Fish & Co. at GB3
    Fuzion at GB3
    Figaro at Power Plant Mall
    Seattles Best Coffee at Power Plant Mall
    FoodChoices at ATC
    Jamaican Patty at ATC
    Figaro at ATC
    Subway at ATC
    GenSan Airport
    Globe Business Center at ACC
    Jollibee at ACC
    Beanhoppers Coffee at ACC
    Globe Telecom Plaza
    Globe Telecom Plaza II
    Globe Telepark
    Gloria Jeans at Banilad Town Center
    Gloria Jeans at Connecticut
    Gloria Jeans at Eastwood City
    Italiannis at Eastwood City
    Gloria Jeans at G3
    Wetzel’s Pretzels at G3
    CPK at G3
    Gloria Jeans at Power Plant Mall
    Oliver’s at Power Plant Mall
    Jamaican Patty at Power Plant Mall
    Starbucks at Power Plant Doppio
    The Big Chill at Power Plant Mall
    Burgoo at Power Plant Mall
    Cinema Lobby at Power Plant Mall
    Glorietta Activity Center
    Oliver’s at G3
    McCafe at G3
    The Soup Kitchen at G3
    Delifrance at G1
    Dulcinea at G4
    Subway at G2
    Coeur de France at G2
    Grand Regal Hotel
    Greenbelt Activity Center
    Soul Food at GB3
    Red Crab at GB3
    Recipes at GB3
    Pancake House at GB1
    Oody’s at GB3
    Bubba Gump at GB3
    Sentro at GB3
    The Red Crab at GB3
    MYLK at GB3
    Sentro at GB3
    Haiku at GB3
    Cascada at GB3
    The Good Earth at GB3
    Guess at ACC
    Wraps at ACC
    McDonalds at ACC
    Café Laguna at ACC
    Oh Georg at ACC
    JY Square Discovery Mall
    Legenda Hotel at SBMA
    Mactan International Airport
    Main Information Lobby at GB3
    Makati Sports Club
    Maquedeli at Holiday Inn Mimosa
    Marcelo Fernan Press Center
    Mequeni at Holiday Inn Mimosa
    Microtel Suites at Eagle Ridge
    Microtel Suites at FPIP
    Microtel Suites at LIMA
    Microtel Suites Baguio
    National Sports Grill at GB3
    Cheesecake at GB3
    One Roxas Triangle
    Phil Stock Exchange at TOEP
    Red Box at GB3
    SBMA Office
    Seattles Best Coffee at GB3
    Seattles Best Coffee at G3
    Segafredo at GB2
    Magnum at GB2
    Italiannis at GB2
    Shangri-La Hotel Mactan
    Starbucks at 6750
    Starbucks at 6788
    Standard Chartered Bank at 6788
    Japan Airlines at 6788
    Starbucks at ABS-CBN
    Cibo at ABS-CBN
    Cork at ABS-CBN
    Starbucks at Alpap
    Starbucks at ATC
    Seattles Best Coffee at ATC
    In Vino Veritas at ATC
    Cheesecake at ATC
    Bizu at ATC
    The Red Crab at ATC
    Delifrance at ATC
    Starbucks at China Bank
    Starbucks at Cristina
    Starbucks at Emerald
    Starbucks at G4
    Cinema Lobby at G4
    Starbucks at GB3
    Café Breton at GB3
    Café Havana at GB3
    Café Via Mare at GB3
    Starbucks at Jupiter
    Marina at Melady
    Starbucks at Katipunan
    Starbucks at Market Market
    Starbucks at North East Greenhills
    Starbucks at Pacific Star
    Starbucks at Pearl Plaza
    Coffee California at Pearl Plaza
    The Bottomless Pit at Pearl Plaza
    Leisure Café at Pearl Plaza
    Starbucks at People Support Center
    Starbucks at Power Plant Mall
    Cibo at Power Plant Mall
    Dencio’s at Power Plant Mall
    Crustasia at Power Plant Mall
    Mini Shabu Shabu at Power Plant Mall
    Starbucks at Promenade
    Starbucks at RCBC Plaza
    TripleV at RCBC Plaza
    Fitness First at RCBC Plaza
    HenLin at RCBC Plaza
    Subway at RCBC Plaza
    Kitaro at RCBC Plaza
    Mexicali at RCBC Plaza
    Piquant at RCBC Plaza
    Starbucks at Rockwell Center
    Grams Diner at Rockwell Center
    UCC Coffee at Rockwell Center
    Good Earth Roast at Rockwell Center
    Pancake House at Rockwell Center
    Starbucks at Theatre Mall
    Pasto at Theatre Mall
    Kohikan at Promenade
    Dulcinea at Theatre Mall
    Delifrance at Theatre Mall
    Penang Hill at Promenade
    Kooka Bar at Theatre Mall
    Starbucks at The Enterprise Center
    Starbucks at TOEP
    Supercat Cebu
    Supercat Ormoc
    Supercat Tacloban
    The Coffee Bean at Convergys Center
    The Coffee Bean at GB3
    The Coffee Bean at Promenade
    Mexicali at Promenade
    CPK at Promenade
    Figaro at Promenade
    Fuzion Café at Promenade
    Crepes de France at Promenade
    Cinema Lobby at Promenade
    Café Via Mare at Promenade
    Café’ Xocolat at Promenade
    Annabel Lee at Promenade
    The Mosaic Lounge at GB1
    The Orchard Golf & Country Club
    Tower Club at Philamlife Tower
    Waterfront Hotel Davao
    Pizzaiolo Bar at Waterfront Davao
    Café Uno at Waterfront Davao
    Waterfront Hotel Lahug
    Waterfront Hotel Mactan

  4. In this modern and high-tech age, nature has a way of reminding us of its power and fury, and we have no choice but to bow down to it. Yet Filipinos, with their resilience, always manage to cope and adjust.

    This entry is very interesting. It made me realize that there are so many people on the Internet.

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  6. Try Bo’s Coffee – Katipunan, they have free Wi-Fi there for every cup… And a spacious dining area, smoking & non-smoking… Coffee are good too, try it..

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