Just a Simple Call ~ R-i-i-i-g-h-t !

My long distance plan with Telus is called "North America One Cent" meaning we can make long distance phone calls, 24/7, for one cent per minute. Sadly, although I was taught that Mexico is part of North America, Telus regards Mexico as part of Central America.

Geopolitics aside, I have been unable to phone my daugher in Mexico on her cell phone or land line. I looked up the procedure in the phone book; no success. I double checked online; still no connection. I called the telephone company several times with no results.

For some reason I decided to phone Telus again today. I should seriously consider buying a lottery ticket. It must be my lucky day!

Initially the woman gave me exactly the same spiel, offered no new suggestions for calling either the cell phone or the land line. As she was about to sign off she asked if there was anything else she could help me with (as if she had helped me at all to this point). I'm not sure where it came from but I blurted out a question.

"Is there a different procedure for calling a cell phone in Mexico?"

"Oh, yes!" she replied. "You have to add a '1' between the country code and the city code."

Wow, Mexico is not part of North America and all I needed was an extra single digit and you didn't think to tell me that the first time I said I was having problems phoning my daughter's Mexican cell phone!?


Thirty-five cents a minute to her cell phone is a small price to pay for the privilege of an actual live voice conversation, a price I would happily pay. Her boyfriend suggested I call the land line at fifteen cents a minute. I was leary. I'd had no luck with that either. At least if it didn't work this time I would just call her cell again, now that I knew how!


Huzzah! Yippee! Wohoo! Yay! Hooah! Joy! It worked!