ISD

White House snubs Crowe:

"Crowe's latest blow-up – which could send him to prison for up to eight years – happened at 4.20am in the lobby of the Mercer Hotel when he hurled his room's cordless Panasonic phone at concierge Nestor 'Josh' Estrada after being unable to get through to his wife, Danielle Spencer, in Australia."

I tried the international direct dialling in Vanuatu. It was hilarious. The first time I was told I was calling to Australia by some nice female voice but I had not dialled properly. The second time I was told by the same female voice that the number wasn't correct. (Like I don't know my own number??) I reread the literature in the room..leave off the 0. Okay. I left off the zero and was then told in French by another nice female voice that I couldn't connect and check the number. So I plopped the phone down and got out my mobile. Now, I had a fair idea my mobile wasn't going to work, but you never know your luck on the lagoon in island paradise. So I tried to connect....NUP! No signal out. No surprise. I found out I could've organised all that before I left and I couldn't use the short term SMILE packs, which were great, because my phone is , um, very old ( as you know if you read my blog). I am thinking of getting a new one. The thought is closer than the wish, though. So I had to wait until the next day, go into Port Vila and walk all over town trying to find a computer to send an email. I was just trying to say I'd got here okay and was loving it. It turned into a big challenge.A French lady at the hotel couldn't wait like me. She went up to reception and told them she wanted them to connect her to this number in France and she'd use their phone because she couldn't dial out from her room. I can't believe the phone didn't work in New York, but what I can't believe even more, is Russell Crowe, who is a big, famous film star doesn't have a mobile with international roaming. That makes him as techno deprived as I am. Unbelieveable. Get a fancy mobile, Russell, because now you've blown your chances of a teaparty and sleep over at the White House. Honestly!