Saturday, 27 July 2019

My Optus account setting / 設定 My Optus 帳號

這是五月發生的事,到一個星期前才解決。
This happened in May. It was only solved one week ago in mid July.


原本我申請Optus的預付卡方案的時候,我沒有下載它們的app,我都在門市或網路上儲值,流量則是用簡訊確認:在簡訊的地方輸入號碼 "9999" ,輸入 "balance" 或 "bala" ,系統就會回傳目前的剩餘的流量,前個月繼承的流量,還有到期日等資訊。澳洲境內的簡訊和電話都是無限。
 When I first applied Optus prepaid plan, I didn't download their app. I recharged at their store or online and I checked my data with text message. Send text message "balance" or "BALA" to 9999 and the current MyData, MyData rollover, and expired date will be replied with text message. Text message and talk are both unlimited with prepaid plan.

五月申請了個人隨身的modem之後,門市告訴我可以在Optus account 查詢已經使用的流量,那時我問機器上不是會顯示嗎,當時他的回答是機器可能會有一些誤差,Optus account 會比較準確,因此回到住處之後我就開始申請了。
When I applied portable broadband in May, the staff told me I could check my data with Optus account. I asked him if the modem would show the data. He answered me, yes, but the data shown on modem might not be precise and Optus account would be the accurate data usage. Therefore, I started to set up My Optus account later.

門市有提醒我要用當初在門市留的信箱做為登入的帳號,我照著email上的步驟開始設定,但一直卡在認證帳號、此帳號已經被認證、重設密碼、認證帳號、此帳號已經被認證、重設密碼......這樣無限循環的鬼打牆當中,我完全沒有成功地設定好密螞。
The staff explained to me the account name would be my email address I used when I applied for my Optus service. I followed the instruction on set up email I got. But it was an endless loop of "verify your email address," "this email has been verified," and "reset password" without successfully set up my password.

我回門市詢問機器問題的時候,隨口問了帳號的問題,對方抱歉地說這也要問技術部門,所以為了帳號設定的問題,我又打了電話去無限轉接的 Tech Team。
I went back to Optus store for my faulty modem, and I asked their staff about the loop in setting up Optus account. He said this was also an issue that belonged to Tech team. So, I called their Tech team for setting up My Optus account few days later.

五月第一次的電話對方馬上幫我重寄認證信,但認證信還是回到認證帳號、此帳號已經被認證、重設密碼的循環,當時還要去其他的地方,照之前的經驗,這通電話沒有半個小時是不會結束的,因此雖然還沒設定好,我還是先和對方說我下次有時間再設定。就這樣一直到了七月。
In the first phone call in May, she sent me an reset email immediately, but the link in this email still didn't help to set up any password. I was doing something else and didn't expected it would still be the endless looping. Previous experience with Optus' tech team told me this phone call might last for more than 30 minutes. So I told her I would try to set up my account later.

七月因為其他的原因用網頁的客服問了其他問題,結束時對方問我有沒有其他問題,我突然想到我的帳號還沒設定好,而且那天的客服感覺比較了解客戶的問題,因此我就隨口問了他帳號設定的事。
In July, I contacted their service through online live chat when I was in Taipei. This staff member showed more capability in understanding my questions. Therefore, I tried to ask him about how to set up MyOptus Account.

這位客服和我確認了我的信箱,重寄了認證信給我,但還是一樣登入失敗。這時我注意到一個有點不尋常的地方:他打的email 是全大寫的,原本我沒有想到會不會和大小寫有關,但一直無法登入的過程中,我靈機一動想到,不然試試看全大寫好了。
He confirmed my email address and sent a verified email to me again. But I still was not able to log-in to the account successfully. At this moment, I noticed there were something unusual: the email address he typed was all capital. I never though this issue was related with capital or not. But since I never succeed with my email address non-capital, I came up with an idea to try with all capital letters.

然後,就第一次成功地登入了我的帳號了。(翻桌)
Then, I logged-in to MyOptus account successfully for the first time.


到底為什麼會一直沒有發現是大小寫的問題呢。這也是門市人員說的。
Why I never though about it was about capital email address? Because their store staff told me it didn't matter.

我在門市登錄個人資料的時候,我看著門市人員輸入email 的時候,使用的是全大寫字母,當時我還問,我的信箱都是小寫英文字噢。對方說,這個只是我們系統用的,大小寫沒關係。我還確認了一次大小寫沒有差別嗎,對方說大小寫不重要。而這段時間以來我也一直都有收到我的帳單或其他的廣告信件。
When I verified my identity during my first visit in Optus store, they asked for my email address. I noticed my email address was typed in all capital letters. I told him my email address in non-capital letters. He said this was just for their database; capital or non-capital did not matter. Also, I kept receiving my bills and their advertisement since January that I didn't think there was an issue about my email address.

一直到最後這個客服人員用全大寫的信箱和我確認這是我的email時,我才想到有沒有可能是大小寫的差別。試了之後果然系統裡設定的帳號是全大寫啊。
Until the last staff confirmed my email address with me with all capital letters, I started to aware maybe it was about capital or not. Surprisingly, it was really about capital letters.


給直接end的人:若是認證信箱的時候一直出現錯誤的話,或許把信箱改成全部大寫就解決了也不一定。
TLDR: If you have trouble in setting up MyOptus account, try typing your email address in all capital letters. Maybe the issue will be solved.


Optus mobile internet and MMS setting / Optus 手機網路及多媒體簡訊設定

這是半年前的事了。初到 Adelaide 的時候,留學代辦附的電話卡是 Optus 的預付卡,且建議使用預付卡 (不用另外辦月租的方案) ,因此一開始就先照代辦的建議,辦了 Optus 的預付卡方案。
This happened half-year ago. I got an Optus prepaid card from my educational agent in Taiwan. They suggested me to apply for the prepaid plan with Optus. Therefore, I didn't think much and just applied Optus Prepaid Epic Value.


澳洲的電信公司和台灣是完全不同的邏輯:在阿德雷得的 Optus 門市都只是零售商,只負責把產品賣給新客戶,而不負責任何售後服務 (包括硬體問題) ,因此請好好珍惜中華電信門市人員即時又專業的服務。
The mobile company in Australia is very different from the one in Taiwan. All Optus stores in Adelaide are just retails, which means they only sale products to new customers. They are not responsible for any technological issues, including faulty devices. Therefore, comparing with Optus, Chunghwa Telecom (the biggest mobile and internet company in Taiwan) is amazing with their timely and professional service at their stores.


即使辦好SIM卡之後是在門市裝好、確認手機有訊號,第一次要使用手機網路的時候就發生了無法連線的問題。把裝了SIM卡的手機帶回門市,門市人員對手機網路不能使用這件事一無所知,當時還不清楚 Optus 客服流程的我,就在門市裡等電話轉接技術人員,經過了快半個小時電話還在不同的技術人員之間轉來轉去,沒有任何接電話的人知道為什麼手機網路不能使用。
I put the new SIM card in my mobile in Optus store and they checked I got the mobile connection. But, on the next day, I could not connect to 4G internet when I wanted to use it for the first time. In Taiwan, this is when we go back to mobile store. So I went back to Optus store and asked what to do. The staff didn't know what happened and they put me though the phone to talk to tech team. After 30 minutes or so, I was still transferred between different staffs. Nobody on the phone knew what was going on.

因為實在等太久了,一邊試著請教google大神,查 "optus 4G網路 設定" ,還真的有繁體中文的blog說明怎麼設定:原來是這裡的電信服務在裝好SIM卡之後,不像中華電信(或台灣大部份的電信公司)會自動讓手機設定好APN,這裡的APN需要手動設定,在沒有設定好之前手機網路是不能用的。
Because it had been too long for a single issue like this in our experience, my partner started to look in Google. He searched "optus 4G setting (in Chinese)", there were articles in traditional Chinese shown how to set up APN before using Optus mobile internet. In Taiwan, the mobile network automatically sets up everything. We never need to do it manually. But in Adelaide (or Australia), before setting it manually, mobile internet doesn't work.

回家之後翻開留學代辦給的行前小本子裡面的確有 "手機網路無法使用的設定教學",當時還沒體驗到這裡的科技水準和台灣的差距,只覺得就是漏看了小冊子上的資訊。
I checked the booklet my educational agent gave me, there was a section about how to set up mobile internet if it doesn't work. I thought I just missed some information section in the booklet without realizing the IT levels between Taipei and Adelaide was so different.


隔一周要收朋友寄來的照片時,發現一直沒辦法下載。朋友試了好幾次我還是收不到,前一次去了門市也解決不了,因此這一次就自己上網查簡訊的設定,看了一些mobile01的文章,大概知道是MMS設定的問題,因此就開始找Optus MMS的設定資料,在Optus的官網上可以找到。
In the next week, I found I could not download photos in MMS my friend sent me. She tried several times but I still could not receive it. Last time the Optus store did nothing to solve the APN issue. So, this time I searched on the Internet myself. I read some articles in one of Taiwanese biggest IT forum and I got the idea of an MMS setting issue. Then I started to look for MMS setting for Optus, which can be found on their official website.

但不論是手機網路或是MMS,其實Android 系統就有一個內建的功能,網際網路設定:
在連上wifi的情況下手機會下載APN和MMS的設定,在裝了optus的SIM卡之後需要手動按這裡讓手機自己設定好,網路和多媒體簡訊就都可以用了。


But actually we don't need to type mobile internet or MMS manually. In Android system, there is a built-in option, internet settings: 
Simply just press it and the mobile will download the setting through wifi.


回台灣之後,換成中華電信的SIM卡完全不需要設定,一如往常中華電話的網路會自己設定好,但從台北回到阿德雷得之後,MMS的設定又跑掉了,因此重裝SIM之後都要回到這裡手動讓手機安裝設定檔。
When I was in Taipei for semester break, I changed back the SIM for Chunghwa Telecom and, as usual, the mobile network set up everything automatically. But when I went back to Adelaide and shifted back to Optus' SIM card, MMS was dead again. Therefore, every time I shift back to Optus network from others, I need go into the setting and let my mobile download the setting again.


這是其中一個台北人 (台灣人) 不會特別知道的豆知識,因為,中華電信的技術力一直以來都把我們寵壞了。
This is one of the trivia that Taipeian don't know: because we have been spoiled by the IT power of Chunghwa Telecom.


給直接end的人:每次換Optus 的SIM卡時,Android 手機需要手動按"網際網路設定"才能正常使用手機網路和MMS。
TLDR: Every time you change to Optus SIM, you need to download "Internet Settings" manually if it is an Android mobile.


Thursday, 25 July 2019

Gas leakage / 瓦斯漏氣 (solved in July)

第二個問題是瓦斯漏氣。
The second issue was gas leak.

從六月搬過來之後,在打開廚房的櫃子的時候就發現了,當地的朋友告訴我在這裡的房子聞到瓦斯味很正常,回家前與房仲及房東提過,得到的回覆是瓦斯味不是問題,學期末的時間也很急迫,因此熱水修好之後沒有接著去找瓦斯確切漏氣的位置就先回家了。
The issue was found back in June after I moved in. However, my local friend told me it is normal to smell gas in houses in Adelaide. I sent emails to both my agent and my landlord, and the response was "I don’t think the gas smell is an issue either." The end of semester was a whole series of disaster that I didn't have the chance to test where was the gas leak after the water leakage. Therefore, I went back to Taipei before solving the gas leakage.


回到台北之後,因為台灣發生過不只一次瓦斯造成的氣爆事件,對瓦斯味和瓦斯漏氣的宣導很多,看著這些新聞我對櫃子裡的瓦斯味更擔心了起來。回到這裡之後的當天晚上,就照著台灣的宣導資料,泡了肥皂水確認是哪裡漏氣。
Because there were more than one episode of exposure and fire caused by gas leakage in Taiwan, the promotion of gas safety was very serious in Taiwan. After reading this news, I was getting worried about the gas leakage in my place in Adelaide. On the night I was back to Adelaide, I tested the gas pipe with soap water.

漏氣的地方其實很明確也不難找,查了SA政府網站,瓦斯漏氣的處理方式和台灣一樣,關掉瓦斯總開關之後請有執照的瓦斯安裝人員來維修。
The leaking point was very clear and easy to identify. Searching on the Internet, the SA gov website of gas leaks gave the same instruction as Taiwanese government: turn off the gas supply and contact a licensed gas fitter.

把冒泡的照片傳給房仲之後,詢問這裡的瓦斯總開關在哪,隔天收到瓦斯總開關的位置並且接到瓦斯安裝人員的電話,約了再隔天的中午過來檢查。在等待維修人員過來的時間,我自己先把總開關關掉,因為這裡的熱水是另外的系統,不使用瓦斯,因此等待的時後除了不能用瓦斯爐,生活沒有受到影響。
After sending the photo of bubbling pipe and asking him where the gas supply was, I got his text message in the coming morning and also the gas fitter contacted me to confirm when he will come to check the issue. While waiting for the gas fitter, I turned off the gas supply as my common sense. The hot water system was separated from the gas system so my life was not affected.

維修人員來之後,把瓦斯開關打開,同樣噴肥皂水檢查漏氣的位置,把連接的螺絲鎖緊之後,漏氣的問題就解決了。他也檢查了瓦斯管路的另一端,確認沒有漏氣才離開。
It only took a short period of time for the gas fitter to fix the problem. He turned the gas supply back and then tested with soap water. He identified the leaking point and tighten the junction of the pipe. He also checked the other end of the pipe before he left.


所以,在Adelaide的家裡聞到瓦斯味道底正不正常呢,至少從SA gov 的網站上看不是。
So, is it normal to smell gas in houses in Adelaide? At least SA gov website says no.



Water leakage / 浴室漏水 (solved in June)

搬到第三個住處之後,第一個遇到的問題是浴室漏水:所有能想得到的地方都在漏水。
The first issue in the third place was the leakage in the bathroom: everywhere was leaking.



水龍頭打開洗手之後就關不回去了,一個晚上下來滴了一臉盆的水。
Once I washed my hands, the tap could not tighten anymore. There was a significant amount of water after the first night.

蓮蓬頭打開之後同樣也是關到最緊還在滴水,只是不像洗手台滴得這麼誇張。
The shower cap was also leaking when I tightened it. But it was not as bad as the tap.

洗手台下面的熱水管也在滴水,大約每分鐘一滴。
The pipe under the sink was also leaking. One drop per minute.


下面墊的抹布一個晚上之後也是濕透了。
The clothes under the pipe was all wet overnight.



熱水管下面的夾板長時間泡水之後,邊邊清出腐爛的木屑。四個金屬的鉸鍊 (尤其是左下方的) 也生鏽得很嚴重。
The plywood under the pipe are seriously damaged. The hinges are also severely rusted.


浴室裡的洗衣機進水的時候漏水、排水的時候也在漏水,從洗衣機後面找到一條沒有封住的進水管,進水的時候從這裡滲水,加上水龍頭、熱水管和蓮蓬頭的漏水,整間浴室在頭兩天非常溼。
The wash machine was leaking during the water filling AND the drainage phase. There was an unsealed filling pipe behind the wash machine. This was one of the leaking point for wash machine.
With the leakage from the tap, the shower cap, the pipe and the wash machine, the bathroom was very wet during the first two days.


與房仲連絡之後,兩天後水電先生來把整組水龍頭壞掉,蓮蓬頭他認為沒問題,一次轉不緊就多轉幾次 (?) ,洗衣機原本他不認為會有問題,但實際上一開始就進水地板就是溼的,撈出沒封的進水管讓他看的時候,他找了一個蓋子把進水口封起來,並且說這洗衣機本來就不行了。
Contacting with the rental agent, a plumber came two days later. He changed the whole set of tap and pipes. The shower cap was no problem for him, and he suggested just tighten it several times until the water stopped.
At the first, wash machine should not have had problem for him. But after testing it by starting the wash cycle, there was water coming out under it and I also showed him the unsealed filling pipe. He closed the pipe with a cap and said this wash machine was a crap.


住在 Adelaide ,基本上要先能夠自己找到問題,才有辦法請專業人員修好問題,不然原地轉圈鬼打牆超過兩個月的機會很高。
Living in Adelaide, it is necessary to problem shooting for most of the problem and show the very specific problem to their professionals. Otherwise, it takes very long (can up to 2 months) for them to locate issues.




Friday, 19 July 2019

Taiwanese street food / 台灣小吃: Chicken rice 雞肉飯

作業日,簡單吃了家附近的外帶雞肉飯。經過嘉義人認證的嘉義雞肉飯。
Assignment day. Dinner was take-away Chia-Yi chicken rice, proved by Chia-Yi person.

左:雞肉飯。右:筒仔米糕。
Left: chicken rice, right: tube rice pudding.

Tube rice pudding is the number 27th in 40 of the best Taiwanese foods and drinks by CNN.

Eat in Taipei / 吃在台北:Din Tai Fung / 鼎泰豐

回到台北下飛機之後的第一餐,非鼎泰豐莫屬。台北,好吃的食物,我來了~
The first meal I had in Taipei is Ding Tai Fung, one of the world famous Taiwanese restaurant, and also my favorite one.


小菜的滷牛肚。
Appetizer: spicy beef tripe (cold).


絲瓜蝦仁小籠包 (半籠)
Green squash and shrimp xiaolongbao.

酸辣湯 (小碗) 。
Hot and sour soup (original).

蒸餃 (半籠) 。
Steamed fish dumplings.

排骨炒飯。
Pork chop fried rice (with egg).

甜點:紅豆小籠包 (半籠) 。
Red bean xiaolongbao.

There are several Din Tai Fung restaurants in Australia in Sydney and Melbourne. It is also the number 20 in 40 of the best Taiwanese foods and drinks by CNN.