Tuesday, January 18, 2011

new phone

After (cough) years of being stuck with my thoughts when outside…After years of waiting until I get home to know stuff…after being the last person in the first world with no internet on my phone…
I have an IPHONE!!!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

my phone died

My phone Died

My phone died and I feel powerless to function without it. I am so distraught I want to spell phone with an F (fone). I used to judge people who were always on their phone but now I find that I am not so much better.

My phone was three years old. I did not use it to internet or to check my email. I often turned it off when hanging out with people so I could give them my full attention. I didn’t care that I couldn’t check my phone at work. I have lived most of my life with a cell phone. And when I was in Costa Rica I did not even have a phone (not that a Costa Rican would stand for life with no phone).

But I feel very lost with my phone. I keep trying to check my messages because I am worried about what I might miss (no one ever calls). Goodbye red phone (unless I fix it).

Sunday, January 9, 2011

vacation homes

Even with my clean drinking water, library full books, rapid transportation options, climate controlled wok condition, stable government, etc.-sometimes I need a vacation. Most of my vacations have been around the USA where I marvel at peoples regional accents, or in other first world where I marvel at the fact the people can function with roughly half the amount of stuff as we Americans have. I have spent a month Mexican, reassuring the citizen that I knew that Taco Bell is not real Mexican food. I also spent a long weekend in Nicaragua where I spaced out for a minute, forgot where I was and drank tap water.

I like to travel as much as anyone else with air sickness, and there’s a lot of cool stuff on earth to see. I don’t like places like Cancun or Caribbean resorts. When I go to new place I like t0 interact with the local people, learn about the culture, and get to know a place (as the long as the place is safe and I don’t have to eat beef).

What I do not like are vacation homes. First of all you always have to go to the same place, and I like to harass a new group of people with my snarky commentary. Also, you have to maintain and take care of your house and that sounds like wok and work is not vacation. Plus you can stay in hotels where people pick up after you, or you can stay in a hostel which is great for sleeping around.

I am ok with vacation homes in Europe or Wisconsin. But I hate it when people buy homes in economically challenged countries (with no middle class). First and foremost they are pricing locals out of their own country. You driving up the cost of living to the point that people cannot afford to live in their country. How is that fair? People who vacation in Cabo may wonder why everyone is so rude to them.
They are probably just upset they have no place to live. Also, economic instability tends to go along with political instability-what will if while you were surfing the government fell and now you r home the castle of the new dictator? In addition to losing your home to a new regime you cannot even drink the water. You now live in a place you cannot drink the water from your own facet.
If you buy vacation home, you are displacing the local population (who now hate you), the government may fall (putting you in serious danger), and you cannot even drink a glass of water to celebrate.

Enjoy your vacation!