When dialling any number over here, you usually have to remember city codes, country codes and international codes.
I think North Americans forget that all they have to enter is "1" and then they can dial the number anywhere in the big wide land mass that is North America.
I was chatting to my mom on Sunday - our usual gab fest that usually includes what's new with me, what's new with her, what's new with our jobs, what's new with the rest of the fam, what is the plan for chatting next week?
I was giving her the number to D's grandma's - where we're going for Christmas - and was explaining that she needed to put the international code in front and drop the regular '0' that you would usually have when you dialled the number.
Then, I proceeded to explain various scenarios where the numbers are different, such as calling the republic of Ireland is like calling another country however if you are calling from the republic to the north of Ireland, you need only dial the same number of digits you do if it was local - simply change the 028 to 048.
And you will know, if you're calling from the north, that if you have to dial "00353" plus "1" then you must be dialling Dublin however if there is no "1" then you are either dialling a mobile number OR a number somewhere else in the republic.
And that if you're in England and want to call Belfast, it's local. But if you in England and want to call Dublin, its not.
She stopped my rambles,
"Oh my god, I would not be able to survive over there. All those numbers!"
So dramatic, yes, I know but I had to smile. For the past few years, my mother has struggled with remembering multiple numbers. She does not know my number off by heart, even though I have had the same mobile for 2 years.
Picturing my mom over here, with the phone, trying to figure out which number to dial and which country she was in made me laugh.
I also had to laugh at her adoration of me being able to remember numbers and explain it to her as well.
Who knew THAT would be the part of my adventure she would be so amazed by?
I think North Americans forget that all they have to enter is "1" and then they can dial the number anywhere in the big wide land mass that is North America.
I was chatting to my mom on Sunday - our usual gab fest that usually includes what's new with me, what's new with her, what's new with our jobs, what's new with the rest of the fam, what is the plan for chatting next week?
I was giving her the number to D's grandma's - where we're going for Christmas - and was explaining that she needed to put the international code in front and drop the regular '0' that you would usually have when you dialled the number.
Then, I proceeded to explain various scenarios where the numbers are different, such as calling the republic of Ireland is like calling another country however if you are calling from the republic to the north of Ireland, you need only dial the same number of digits you do if it was local - simply change the 028 to 048.
And you will know, if you're calling from the north, that if you have to dial "00353" plus "1" then you must be dialling Dublin however if there is no "1" then you are either dialling a mobile number OR a number somewhere else in the republic.
And that if you're in England and want to call Belfast, it's local. But if you in England and want to call Dublin, its not.
She stopped my rambles,
"Oh my god, I would not be able to survive over there. All those numbers!"
So dramatic, yes, I know but I had to smile. For the past few years, my mother has struggled with remembering multiple numbers. She does not know my number off by heart, even though I have had the same mobile for 2 years.
Picturing my mom over here, with the phone, trying to figure out which number to dial and which country she was in made me laugh.
I also had to laugh at her adoration of me being able to remember numbers and explain it to her as well.
Who knew THAT would be the part of my adventure she would be so amazed by?
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