Greg I dont know if you have used them before, however I have a couple of friends who have tried them and they all agree that they seem to done nothing to help equalizing.
To the OP, try wiggling your jaw, or holding your nose and blowing SLIGHTLY. DO NOT FORCE IT!
Also as a nice little trick, some people find it easier to look upward as it helps open the Eustachian tubes (Ear tubes) open up when trying to equalize.
If none of that works see your Doctor, unfortunately there are some people who physically just can not dive. Better to not be a diver no matter how much we want to encourage you then to have blown ear drums.
Finally I highly encourage you to find an English speaking dive center near you that offers certified courses such as PADI. It is highly important that you have an instructor that you can communicate with. Scuba is a very dangerous sport if you do not have the proper training before hand.
Finally keep us up to date, we would love to hear that everything worked out. Have fun, be safe, and get wet!