Cell Phone Fun!

In Tacoma I was always with my cell phone. I didn’t have a home phone and talked on my cell phone at least ten times a day. I planned to come to Lagos and not have a cell phone, but I soon found out that for safety I should get one to bring with me when I go out anywhere. So, jumping in my car and going to the nearest Cingular store was out of the question. But, getting in the car with a teacher who is on his third year here and pulling up in front of a run down store was more like it. We passed the store and went down an alley to a shop about 4 feet by 4 feet. Apparently this location got us phones for $40 rather then $200. The nicest man in the tiny back alley shop helped me pick out my Motorola telephone that I am quite sure is not truly a “Motorola” telephone. I soon found out that you purchase a SIM card on the street and then load the phone with minutes from cards that are bought in the “go slow” (traffic jams). I tried to set up voice mail this past week and when I called the number on the instructions a message of a woman said “your request for voicemail is being processed, we will get back to you “in time””. I am learning that simple things just aren’t simple. Three days have passed and I have no voicemail… Will I ever learn what “in time” really means? Does it mean anything at all?