Easter Monday. Should have been the day we went to Emma’s for lunch with the Clarke clan, but more pressing needs, though the fact that it’s a bank holiday means that places like the Canadian High Commission and HSBC will have to wait for tomorrow. We do go down to Apple in Covent Garden in order to set up the ipad mini that I erased yesterday as I was unable to tell which ipad mini 4 was the stolen one. Should be clear now, and the missing one will be erased if there’s an attempt to connect it to the net. Confirmed by phone that my debit as well as credit card has been frozen.
Unfortunately J’s debit card, not used for ages, appears not to work. BMO says they have no record of its existence - go into a BMO branch and have them sort it. J volubly unimpressed. Does, however, succeed in having them concede that we should not, under the circumstances, be charged interest on a cash advance on credit card. The first bloke he spoke to kept asking how many dollars our last withdrawal had been, and seemed unable to grasp J’s explanation about UK withdrawals coming in pounds sterling. Did give him an approximate exchange rate, but to no avail. Entire procedure made somewhat more difficult by the fact that advertised willingness of BMO to accept collect calls is hampered by inability, despite much inquiry and googling, to find a number to dial (does anyone say dial any more - it’s not what happens) for the UK international operator. All info online apparently erroneous or outdated.
But happily Three, our mobile provider only charges 4p a minute for calls to Canada. And J’s credit card does work as it should, so looking up. So, back at our room, we open a bottle of red wine, providentially stashed in the wardrobe. It promises “classic aromas of tobacco and cigar box” - which fortunately proves to be untrue. It’s very nice, though honesty compels me to admit that the 18, prominent on the label, refers to months and not years aged in oak. And then we listen to a British man on BBC news channel paying tribute to his wife and two children who were killed in the Sri Lankan massacre, talking with dignity and gratitude about his wonderful family and the help of Sri Lankan hospital staff and consular assistance. And know we are very lucky.
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