I practiced my bitch-face while standing in line because I knew I was going to need it. As my dad always said, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." Well, I was squeaky today.

The only thing that get's annoying about Latin America, is the bureaucracy of pretty much everything. In the US we hurry up and wait, but here we simply wait and wait until we lose patience or get helped, or we consider homicide - even if only in our dreams - not that you can kill bad customer service.

All pictures are my original photography and rights are restricted to Open Minded Traveler. I use a Sony NEX-3N and basic photography principles, plus a Samsung S7. Most pictures are edited using Canva Pro.

Dear Diary - I am writing this from a cafe because I don't have internet

This morning my eyes popped open at 5:30 because my sweet little bedmate had jumped up and started wiggling. Doggy out, mama tried to sleep an hour more, but doggy wanted to whine at my terrace door so I gave up. By then I could smell the coffee my mom was making and it was enough to motivate me.

Again no exercise. Still no internet, so I needed to leave early, go to a cafe, and get to work. Published my other diary from yesterday, finished uploading the video from yesterday and then off to lunch.

Lunch was at one of my favorite restaurants in all of Manizales called Serrano BFFL. The first time eating out in a restaurant since before this all began. I LOVE their hamburgers. It's the only time I eat them.

After lunch was the giant pain-in-my-ass: Raising Hell With TIGO-UNE, the internet server I have here in Colombia. Yesterday, I had waited in a really annoying line for more than 30 minutes to put in a request for tech support. No call. Today, still no call. It was time to escalate the issue. I was going straight to the top, any manager who would listen to me.

Finally, it was my turn. Long story short, I did what I had to. The agent actually told me they couldn't direct me to a manager, but she would let me direct myself to a manager. Her directions through the mask were so confusing I directed myself to their break room. Let me tell you how surprised they were.

In the end, my tech support supposedly will be prioritized. They could just hand me a few tools and a ladder. I'll go to the tap myself and start sorting the problem out if I have to. Hmm, maybe my neighbor can help me make this happen... Better not, they might take exception to a gringa fixing her own internet from the tap to the house. Many years ago in Oklahoma, I was a cable girl - even had my own truck!

Internet errand done, I am now at a cafe defusing my anxiety with a cappuchino and the company of friends. Sandro really should have told his friend to not hold wine in front of my face...

It is now 4:00 PM and as soon as this post is finished I am going to walk home. Helps me recoup the cost of the lunch I splurged on. It was so delicious! 21,000 COP or about $7 USD. Not much to say about my evening, it's Friday, but nowhere to go because at 7:00 PM the COVID-19 comes out and runs wild therefore we must hide inside our homes or the government will kidnap us.

Until tomorrow...here's hoping I have an internet connection by then...

If you feel a kindred spirit with my DIARY entry in times of Coronavirus, New Opportunities and Colombia, then do your part to help a neighbor! Be sure to upvote, comment and/or give me a resteem, of this post. Tell a friend - and join #thediarygame so we can all bring home the rewards of high quality content curation on the @SteemitBlog ecosystem during #the50daysofsteem

I am a proud member of Team Colombia with @marpa @franyeligonzalez @josevas217, and @helengutier2.

If you missed my last post from Day #20, you can read it HERE: https://steemit.com/thediarygame/@openmindedtravel/the-diary-game-or-08-21-20-or-day-20-coffee-snob