My Collaborator's Article for Alpha Sight

When my camera fell on February 14th I had gone online searching 'SONY' and 'LCD' to see if anyone had experienced something similar ... and, if so, what they had done about it. I didn't find anything in that vein, but I came across a site called Alpha Sight run by someone called Diego.

Reading his posts, I realised he was very knowledgeable about SONY cameras. I e-mailed him, told him what had happened to mine and asked for advice.

He took time to do research before getting back to me with a long, detailed e-mail outlining various options. I thereafter kept him updated and some time ago he asked me if I would write an article on the experience for his website. I did one and he posted it on Alpha Sight today as an article from "a collaborator".

You can read it here.

Return of Synchronicity

Source of image: Archangel Gabriel who accompanied Synchronicity on the long journey

*

At last ... I got my camera back today.

Perfect timing.

Came in via UPS (which I will use from now on if/when I need to send anything).

Only $67.17TT (approx 10US) in courier fees to bring it in to TT.

I thought this would all have cost me an exhorbitant amount of money ... but in all I only ended up paying a total of approximately $300TT (approx $50US) to send to Texas and return.

Thanks to SONY Repair Centre for honouring the warranty - repairs/replaced part and shipping to US Skybox totally free. I'm really pleased with their swift and professional service.

And thanks to Gabriel too.

Latest on "Synchronicity", my camera

With Synchronicity before the 'adventure'
*

Several people have been asking me what is happening with Synchronicity.

RECAP: I sent my camera via courier to the States on 16 February 2009.

After an unexpectedly long and frustrating period of waiting and wondering, on 3 March, my DHL online status update finally indicated that someone at Sony in Texas had signed for my camera.

The next day, 4th March, I received correspondence from Sony with details of my service number, etc (so that I could check repair progress online). I checked that very day and there was no report yet.

The next day, 5 March, I once again checked the status of my camera online and was surprised to see this message: The Sony product that you have inquired about was shipped back to you.

What?! I couldn't believe it. So quickly?! One day after they had received it?!! Sony states that prior to starting repairs, they send the customer a quote and then proceed once the customer agrees. I had received no such quote ... and, as the camera had accidentally dropped, I wasn't even sure if the warranty would have been honoured.

There were no details accompanying the message that my camera was being shipped back, so wondered what was going on. I wrote to ask them what had been done with the camera.

Almost immediately I got this response:

Greetings Elspeth Duncan

We are pleased to inform you that the repair of this Digital SLR Camera was restored to factory specifications. According to the technician's report the LCD screen was replaced as well as a part that is described as a CV LCD Lower Cov. You should not have any more problems with this unit in the future.

The package was returned via UPS 3 Day Service and shipped to the following address: (Sky Box address) If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us.

After the frustrating delays with the courier service and US customs, the SONY experience was a dream. Swift, efficient, honouring my warranty (free repairs), shipping at their cost to the Sky Box, all within two days. I am highly impressed with SONY's customer service ... from the time I made my first two overseas calls to them to report the problem and get advice ... to the time they received the camera and communcated with me. They have been professional, knowledgeable, responsive and courteous.

Whenever I check UPS online, it is up to date - scheduled to arrive at a friend's Skybox in Miami today. I went yesterday to the UPS office to give them the customs form so I won't have to pay the exorbitant fees of a new camera when Synchronicity comes in - most likely by the end of this week, all things permitting.

As I walked into the UPS office I instantly knew that I was in the right place. I had walked into a big bright box of Love. The entire office had hearts of all shapes and sizes pasted upon the walls and hanging from the ceiling in clusters and on globes/worlds. I felt like I had come full circle back to the Valentine's Day when my camera had fallen ... only this time, in a much better place.

The camera plot thickens

Enough is enough
*

I called DHL first thing this morning as business hours opened. I got Donna, the same woman who had dealt with me when I'd called the other day.

As furious/frustrated as I am with DHL right now - and in the midst of my venting of displeasure - she remained calm and spoke so peacefully and kindly that I found myself softening and my bristles lying back down.

Well, I softened as much as one can when:
(i) one imagines one's camera possibly passing from hand to hand of strange customs people who may or may not be honouring the FRAGILE sticker
(ii) one learns that in US customs they like to "hold" things, especially in Miami and Ohio (the latter is where my cam has been since Sunday)
(iii) There is little that DHL TT can do other than re-open the trace on my item (which the US people closed when the shipment left Miami) ... and wait.

"Do they think my camera is a bomb?!" I asked Donna (feeling very explosive myself).

"Miami customs will hold anything for a long time ... even a document."

She is re-opening the trace and will get back to me when she learns why the camera is being held.

I told Donna that as a first (and last) time user of DHL, all of this is beyond ridiculous ... and at this point I just want my camera to arrive in Texas in one piece with no more damage done to it than the LCD crack I sent it off with.

So, I've done what I can ... contacted DHL USA (twice) where Jane is investigating ... and now there's Donna in TT re-opening the trace. Either one will contact me when they find out what's happening.

I hereby let go and close the matter with an affirmation:
My camera arrives at the Laredo Repair Centre in Texas, safe and sound within (at most) the next two business days. It is repaired swiftly and successfully, at no or minimal cost to me and is returned to me safely and soon ... like brand new, ready to begin again.

First and Last Time (camera update)

When DHL Trinidad told me my package would reach by Wednesday, perhaps I was overly optimistic to assume that they meant Wednesday 18th February ... when they really meant Wednesday 25th.

As you can guess, my package has not reached its destination. 9 days later. Even though I knew yesterday was Carnival Monday and businesses are closed until Wednesday, I still rang DHL Trinidad to find out what is going on. I was told by the voice message that the operator is unavailable ... which means she was no doubt out on the streets prancing around in her Carnival costume. For those who don't know, Trinidad and Tobago is in the midst of our annual Carnival, billed as 'the greatest show on earth'. The whole country basically shuts down for Monday and Tuesday to party ... and kind of goes back to normal on the Wednesday (Ash Wednesday).

Rather than wait until Wednesday to contact DHL Trinidad and possibly be told that they "don't know" what happened to my shipment, I contacted DHL in the US with the necessary information and asked them to investigate.

In a few hours I received the following from a customer service rep called Jane:

Dear Elspeth,

Thank you for contacting DHL.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Regretfully the package is being held by United States Customs officials for further inspection. Once the shipment is inspected and released DHL will expedite delivery to the receiver. DHL is unable to advise how long the inspection and/or release may take by United States Customs officials.

However, if the shipment is not delivered within 2 business days then please get back to me so that I can research further.

If I can be of further assistance please advise.

Thank you for using DHL.

**

Earlier this morning I checked the tracking information and was relieved to see: "Processed for clearance at DHL Wilmington Airpark - USA" (where it has been 'on hold' since Sunday).

11:50 a.m. Just checked again, thinking maybe I would see an update like: "Shipment on way to Texas".

But no ... what do I see?

"Shipment on hold" (... at the same place it's been at since Sunday! DHL Wilmington Airpark, OH - USA!)

This is the first and last time I'm using DHL.

The adventures of my camera (cont'd) ...

Photo taken using Photobooth on laptop
*

My camera was supposed to arrive in Texas on Wednesday ... but up until yesterday when I tracked it, status message was "Clearance delay at Miami". Yesterday (Thursday) I called DHL and a woman answered. I gave her my airway bill and she tracked it.

"Hmmm, it's being held in Miami," she said.

"Why?" I asked.

"I don't know ..." she said slowly. I could hear her thinking. "Did you fill out a Commercial Invoice?"

"Yes."

"I'll have to call them tomorrow and find out what's happening. And I'll call you back." She referred to the information she had in front of her. "Okay, your name is E-l-s-p-e-t-h Duncan ... Your number, (868) 89 ..."

I stopped her there. "My number doesn't begin with an 89 ..."

Sigh. Whatever number she had for me was the wrong number. How come, I don't know, since I had personally written it on my documents. I guess the wrong thing had been typed into the system ...

Anyway ... tracked the package again this morning and it says "Clearance processing complete at Miami Gateway - USA."

Finally Cut

Countdown

*

All over T&T there are people counting down to Carnival, which is this weekend, Monday and Tuesday. That's not what I'm counting down to in the above photo, though. I'm playing around with a new Photobooth feature on Satya (my laptop). The feature allows you to take four photos during the camera countdown. I bought Satya some new 'toys' the other day ... upgraded her OS to Leopard (which is what has, among other things, new features in some of the programs), bought a terabyte external drive and increased her RAM.

The computer I used to edit all my videos on (see right hand side bar for some videos) conked out the other day and it makes no sense to fix it. It was a PC (Windows). The only reason I would have wanted to fix it is that I loved the editing program I used - Sony Vegas (hm, there's that Sony name again). Unfortunately that editing program doesn't run on Mac :(

Mac people are always on about Final Cut and often laugh at anything else, but I genuinely loved Vegas. I found it powerful, customizable and 'intuitive' (to use the word people sometimes put to technology). Sometimes Mac/Final Cut editors would come up to me and say: "Wow, how did you do that?" or "How did you get it to do that/look like that?" Then when they heard it wasn't anything to do with Final Cut, they would be surprised. Well, it's not always what brand name you use or what equipment you have ... it's what you DO with what you have.

Anyway, I miss editing. Without my Vegas I've been tinkering around in iMovie, which is very limiting, but okay for putting together quick, simple things. Kind of like being without Synchronicity and getting my photography fix by taking screen shots and using Photobooth.

Seeing that I'm "a Mac girl" now, the time has come for me to switch to Final Cut. Plus, it's "the industry standard". I've used it before but didn't think it was sooooooooooo great. Kind of like going to see a movie that everyone is raving about and then wondering why (as often happens with me). But ... I feel this time around I will love FC and be really glad that I'm using it.

For now I'll use Satya for editing (which is why I got her those new toys), but at some point I'll need to get another system (computer). Many would advise a Mac desktop, but I'd rather a laptop, because of mobility/travel and wanting to carry the system with me when I go. Who knows? Time will tell what is what.

Camera update

Screen shot of DHL tracking information
*

Just checked to see where Synchronicity has reached. The DHL man told me it would get there by Wednesday. From the looks of it, there have been two clearance delays ...

Off to Texas, protected by Angel Gabriel

My camera - body only
*

Today I sent my camera off to the service centre in Texas, using DHL. As I was filling out the relevant forms in the DHL office, two men in the lobby were on about DHL's service. They were dissatisfied.

"DHL has become Trinidadianised!" one man, clearly upset, was saying. "They not doing things properly like they used to!"

I finished filling my forms and was ready for my baby to be packaged carefully. The DHL man gave me one of those regular envelopes with one layer of bubble wrap to put the camera in for shipping. I looked at him like he couldn't be serious.

"What? This has to be wrapped in at least 2 - 3 inches of protective material and then put in a sturdy box!" I said, quoting the exact recommendation on the Sony repair form.

"It will be okay. It will be in this envelope and then in a box." He showed me a flimsy box. I didn't know if to feel angry, upset or if to burst into tears. Is this the way a courier service handles a fragile and valuable item? I felt like I was watching myself or a loved one going in for an operation, into the hands of a doctor who had never studied medicine.

"You don't have proper packaging?!" I asked in alarm. I had thought that they would package items in a professional way. At least that's what a friend (who had once shipped his camera out for repairs) had told me would happen.

"No,well, you have to provide packaging for it if you want more protection," the DHL man said.

"Well where can I get bubble wrap around here?" I was starting to get frustrated ... the opposite reaction to the thorough service I had received over the phone yesterday from Sony USA.

"I don't know where you can get packaging," he said.

The man who was saying DHL is now Trinidadianised started going on about the envelope the man wanted to put my camera in. "You mean that is what they will put an expensive piece of equipment in?! You ever see how those men fling boxes?! Whatever you do, you make sure you see how they package your thing! And make sure they write FRAGILE on the package! If that breaks, they're not liable!"

What a feeling ... sending my camera off into the wilderness with people who didn't seem to care.

The guard whispered to the DHL man that I could get packaging at a place around the corner ... so I went. When I got there (a dark warehouse filled with large wooden crates and cardboard boxes), a polite gentleman came out to deal with me. "All the packaging men are out," he said. "But I'll see ... maybe I can find one."

He came back shortly with a slim, older Oriental man who, upon seeing the camera and hearing I was sending it via DHL, immediately started giving me a whole set of advice. "Make sure this ... make sure that ... Make sure they do a,b,c,d,e, etc etc etc." He then got bubble wrap and wrapped the camera body so carefully and securely that I felt my concerns fall away. He then put it into the box the DHL man had given me and taped the bottom and sides securely, leaving the top open for DHL to inspect, etc.

"Make sure you see them tape it up properly," he said. "And make sure you sign up your customs form stating REPAIRS so you don't have to pay when the camera comes back. Otherwise they will kill you with that price, like bringing in a new camera!"

I left, feeling a lot more secure about the safety of my camera on its journey.

"What's your name?" I asked the slim Oriental man as I was leaving.

"Gabriel," he responded.

My previously concerned face broke into a smile. It felt like Angel Gabriel had been sent to protect my camera on its journey (literally ... with both bubble wrap and angelic vibes).

**

WOW ... I just looked up Angel Gabriel ... and check this out ... S/he is patron saint of (among other things) postal workers!! (DHL can fall into that category) ...

Some people believe that Gabriel is a female spirit; others hold that angels have no gender.

Because of Gabriel's role as a communicator and mediator between Heaven and Earth, Catholics hold the Archangel to be a Patron Saint of broadcasters, telecommunications workers, diplomats, messengers, postal workers, and stamp collectors. Because Gabriel helped the prophet Daniel interpret his dreams, those seeking similar aid with their own dream work may petition the Archangel for help ...

Interesting indeed! And ... this is this and this are the other things that popped into my mind when Gabriel said his name. An interesting coincidence that would take a whole other post to explain ...

Update

Synchronicity still takes shots ... but I have no idea how they look until downloaded.
Here, the image on my computer screen is reflected in Synch's lens.

I called Sony e-support in the States to find out what can be done for my camera after yesterday's unfortunate turn of events. I got a rep called Adrian.

Like most people, he didn't know how to spell my name, but politely asked "Can you please spell your first name for me, Miss Duncan?" (As opposed to "Eh? Was dat? Nesbit? Lispet?")

It was refreshing to actually deal with someone who asked specific, professional questions and could knowledgeably answer the queries I had about my camera and the process without sounding like "the valued customer" was bothering or interrupting them.

What a huge difference is made by: (i) a well trained, polite service rep and (ii) good customer service. Trinidad and Tobago has far to go in that respect. In bigger countries, companies stay on top of the game with customer service, knowing that it can make or break their image and build or break their customer base. Here in TT people just accept "whatever" or laugh off bad customer service with a casual "Dat is Trinidad, yes ..."

As the afternoon progressed, I began to feel overwhelmed by thoughts of what to do with my camera. After further discussions with the Sony people (this time with a rep called André) and Chookooloonks, who called from Texas (where the Sony reps told me I would have to send my camera) ... I'm still not sure what I'll do in the end. But ... I intend to have a clear course of action soon.

In summary, what have I learned from this experience? A few things ... but the main one:
Listen to my inner voice above any other voice(s). Don't second guess myself.

The 'good' and 'bad' of yesterday's Valentines Day ...

This will be a long post. Yesterday, "Valentine's Day", was a mix of good, fun, interesting and ... what can I say ... unexpectedly and unanticipatedly upsetting?

I'll tell you first about the good/fun/interesting part ....

I spent the day-into-night surrounded by hundreds of red roses and different flowers (lilies, tulips, chrysahthemums, etc) as I worked, along with another friend, in our friend Randy's flower shop in Gulf City. When I'd first heard that he had a flower shop I got excited and said I wanted to spend a day in it, working ... preferably doing deliveries. I wanted to see peoples' faces when they received their blooms. He told me that V-Day, along with Mother's Day, is the busiest day and he would definitely need the help. That's how I ended up there ...

This new in-the-shop experience was interesting to me, observing the mass phenomenon which on one hand can be seen as people wanting to be 'romantic' and on the other hand can be interpreted as: "I HAVE to buy flowers for my woman or else ...!!"
Due to the economic situation and "belt tightening" there were apparently not as many customers as usual/as expected. On V-Day the shop is normally a buzzing hive of activity way up to closing hours. Yesterday there were less, but still a steady stream. Mainly men came in to buy flowers. Their expressions ranged from stressed, confused, scared, embarassed ... to innocent, hopeful, eager, cassanova-ish.

Some would come in and mumble something quickly under their breath, forming an entire sentence into one incomprehensible word:

"Ahcometobuysomeflowersfuhmuhgirlfriendwhatallyuhhave?"

... seemingly embarassed to be buying flowers. Akin to going to a supermarket to buy tampons or sanitary pads.
Some men, upon buying the flowers, were embarassed to walk through the mall with them. One girl from my French class (small world) came in with her brother who was buying a bouquet for his girlfriend. He was shy about buying them and embarassed to walk through the mall with them after purchase. He wanted his sister to hold them and she said "No! You have to." As they left, I noticed him walking with the flowers in front of his face.

Most of the men had interesting ways of asking for flowers ... almost like cave men. One man came in and said simply: "Ah want flowers."

One man came in, cast a swift glance around, pointed to rose bouquets awaiting collection in a corner and said: "Gimme one ah dem ting like dat."
One man came in, pointed to some helium balloons and said: "Gimme wanna dem."

Hmmm ... very eloquent.
(N.B. I'm only highlighting the ones I found were funny. Some were quite normal, politely asking asking for advice on what to get, etc.)

Some of them didn't know what to write on the little gift cards. They get people in the store to come up with words and write their messages for them. I wondered: what does a man say when a woman gushes over a beautiful message that he knows he didn't write? Some of them wrote their own simple messages ... basically To (woman's name) From: (Their name) ... and some would add something extra like "With Love". One man stated that he had to go away and think about his message, but he knew "some Brian McKnight songs so would put in some of those lyrics."

Some men looked like they were under real stress. Buy flowers for your woman or die! I watched in fascination, actually feeling quite sorry for them, realising that (some!) women are very difficult and demanding! I don't think men in general have it easy!!!

I observed people streaming past the shop door, along one of the main corridors of the mall, like robots programmed to buy buy buy. Never before had I sat for so long in a mall, deliberately observing the masses, seeing the drama unfold before my eyes. Made me glad I'm not a slave to the commercial, material world. I noted many women, clearly in their element, walking confidently ahead, determined to buy (0r be bought for) ... with 'their man' slowly trailing behind, looking unenthused and submissive. A kind of "Is Valentine Day. If ah eh come wit she and buy she ting ah go be in trouble."

One man, who came in later in the afternoon to buy roses, said: "Gorm! Ah already get cuss!" I asked him: "Why? Because you didn't get her anything?" His response: "No! Ah order de ting! Look it dey! But ah now comin' to collec! She cussing because she ent get it yet!!"

There's much more to say about that experience, which was interesting, enlightening, funny, endearing ... Glad I did it. A new experience to add to the growing list. I even got to make two or three deliveries to various women who worked in the mall ... and (with my friend Gab, who had popped in to see me), spontaneously gave a rose to a little mentally challenged girl (or very short woman?) who, upon receiving it, folded her arms, twisted her face into a horrible grimace and growled emphatically: "I HAAAAAAAAAATE FLOWERS!!!!!"

Well ...

to cut a long day-into-night short ... let me now tell you about the 'bad' part of the day.

:(

Let's just say that something important to me broke at 9:30 a.m. ... and it wasn't my heart.

It was my brand new, lovely, trusty and might I add expensive digital SLR, Synchronicity ...

:(

I was sitting in a food court, waiting for a friend, Lee, to come and pick me up to head south to the flower shop. I was taking my camera at request of my friend Nish who said "Go and take some nice shots of the store for Randy!" Before leaving home, something was telling me not to bother ... because I was already carrying a cooler with my raw supplies for the day. But ... I went against my instincts. My camera was on my lap in my (padded) camera bag which, as I thought, was strapped around my neck as always. But when I stood up to greet Lee, the camera bag dropped to the ground. I thought nothing of it because it wasn't a hard drop, it didn't drop far (12 inches, if that far) and the bag is padded.

When we reached Gulf City and were in the carpark, I took out Synchronicity to take a shot of some hearts in a window display. I clicked as usual and then went to look at the image in the LCD screen. I saw a set of lines and a strange black blob and NO IMAGE!!! "What?" I thought, thinking it was just that shot. No ... the LCD screen is completely conked out with those lines and strange dark shapes, looking broken within! Aaargh ...!!

This is what my LCD screen now looks like ...
almost like the curtains opening on a stage for the play to begin.

There's nothing for me to say. I can take it for someone to look at it on Monday ... but from what I see, it doesn't look good. I could send it back to the US for repairs, but ... often the cost of doing that could be more than the cost of buying a new camera. I'll have to investigate all possibilities and move swiftly on my best option. After all, I do 'need' my camera.

:(

As you can see from the shots in this post, I can still take photos with the camera ... but I can't look back at the images I took (until downloaded to laptop) and can't use the menu display, etc without the LCD screen. When I really think about it ... that's just like using a non-digital SLR. You don't get to see the images until you develop them ... and you just have to know what you're doing manually to get your shot.

But ... I still miss my LCD! I want to see my controls and to look at the image firectly after and make sure it's what I want!

That first shot I took (after 'the fall') ... when I realised that something was seriously wrong with the LCD screen.

Immediately thereafter, wildly taking pics of anything (here, car door) to see if LCD was really damaged.

My friend Gab, who came to visit me in the flower shop. This is her face, still in shock, when I was showing her the camera and clicking to demonstrate that it could still most likely take shots. She looked more upset than I did.

Angel in flower shop.