Nobody told me that to be a fangirl, you have to be IT-savvy and occasionally do some hacking. Not to mention figuring out a foreign language in the absence of a “download” icon and don’t get me started on the gazillion of software and missing codex I have to download too.

You see, it’s not enough that you order CDs or DVDs/BDs. You need those in your gadgets too so you can listen or watch them any time, right? The music is not a problem but the videos sometimes need a degree in hacking, rocket science and patience. In order to do that, you need to extract and encode and figure out a lot of things that are even more complicated than all those equations you had to solve in school. All these sometimes make me wonder if it would have been easier if I went into computer engineering instead. But would I have the time to fangirl and would I even know a world outside protocols and html codes?

Over the past few days, I had to figure out what the hell is a cpgz and how do I extract zip files that end up like this. I was also introduced to an mkv file and thank goodness for the ever reliable VLC player, this one was not as complicated and frustrating as I thought.

And it’s not only software I need to hack. I need to hack into hardware too, so that I can play my Region 2 DVDs in my flat’s home theater system. My landlady has just replaced the system because the previous one was apparently insulted I forced a bootleg Hollywood movie into the player. It refused to budge since. However, the new one does not play Region 2 either. Of course I can’t tell landlady what happened and now, I have to try hacking the system again so it would allow me to play Region 2. Ah, #japanrelatedproblems.

It’s also not enough for you to be tech savvy. You have to be tech-equipped too with a fast laptop and Internet connection that would allow you to download and stream without tearing your hair out. Not to mention the TB external hard drive to store all your files because GB just won’t do anymore. Just make sure that you have them stored elsewhere too in case you know, tech shit happens…

You haven’t seen a frustrated fangirl until you witness her waiting for hours, and even days, to download a file only to find out it’s corrupted, or having her computer crash or all her files wiped out.

Fangirl problems indeed.

Let me go back to that hacking…

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