A pink taxi

A pink taxi

July 7, 2010

Electric Dreams


I am not technologically savvy and so I don't actually post on this blog. My favorite sister in the world does. Patiently. Without complaints. She receives, reads, edits, and posts. Daily. Well almost,  except for when she is traveling without her laptop,  and that is when my husband does the job.

My sister and I communicate via blackberry. We discuss the blog entries on the BBM chat. Once she even censored an entry. It was an essay about Israel which she completely wanted to rewrite to reflect her viewpoint, somewhat different than mine. I argued with her and took it to the editorial board: my father, husband, older brother. The discussions became fierce, just like the Middle East  peace process, we hit a standstill, and so I decided not to post  it in the end. Too much controversy, although you never know, it may reappear at another time.

I bought the blackberry at the urging of my younger brother's wife, who always complained that I never checked my emails, or checked them so late they became as stale as my Le Monde news.The truth is I  am not sedentary enough to sit in front of a computer or even a laptop. I am always rushing around with my children, or at a social event, and rarely have time for internet surfing. My husband  also convinced me that the blackberry messages would save me money and would cut off a lot of Etisalat's revenues. Indeed I had become such an  avid sms sender, that a relative of mine even pleaded to remove him from my sms list!

Recently, many members of the family have become adepts of the infamous IPad, which I have respectfully coined the modern day "Rosetta Stone". Perhaps, come September, I will trade my expensive Le Monde subscription to read it on my very own IPad. I hope I will still have access to old articles as you all know my penchant for dated news!


So  it is on this small palm sized machine that I type my entries and send them to my sister. People can be judgmental about the use and abuse of the blackberry. Respectful of etiquette, I always keep my blackberry in my handbag when in social gatherings. However, and with exception of school and sports when the machine remains in the car, the blackberry is on at all times. To commemorate a souvenir with a photo, to keep in touch with my relatives abroad and my friends next door, to carry World Cup conversations, and especially to jot down these thoughts. They get emailed to an address I call "Blog", draft saved and sent to my sister who edits patiently and posts enthusiastically.


The other day, at the French consulate where I was patiently waiting for a visa to be issued, I was typing another entry for this blog. The curious French consulate officer couldn't help asking:

- "Are you texting Madame?"

- "Non Madame", I retorted. "Pas du tout. J'ecris. Vous savez, je suis bloggeuse."

Here is a Link to AHA's "Take on Me" which could provide a soundtrack to this entry :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EXxMlIExpo

4 comments:

  1. I laughed while editing this entry and posting it. I truly enjoy being a part of this process as I feel like, miles away from one another, we still manage to communicate as though we lived next door. I feel like each of these postings have a little piece of me in them.....which is why I don't post commentaries too often.
    Blackberries and I phones (but I like BBs a lot more!) have revolutionized communication. They are so tiny yet keep you so in tune with the world. I will speak of my experience as a mother with a BB, because initially these smart phones were really geared toward the workforce. Actually when I was a lawyer, and in those days believe it or not we still had a choice whether or not to be given a BB, I chose not to have one, as it would make me too readily available to the partners.....Now that I am a stay at home mother, I never go anywhere without it. I take the NY subway and type draft emails to different people, which get sent as soon as I get back on to the sidewalk. While waiting to pick up my son from school, I place a call, or BBM my friends and family. It's in those empty pockets of time that I use it and it's great to be able to fill those times efficiently. Although sometimes the book I carry around gets lonely, and so I resist temptation and read instead, remembering the pleasure of a non electronic read!

    The BB can be a problem as it is addictive. I try not to look at it too much when I play with my kids, although even my youngest likes to play with it. At dinner, we have a no BB rule etc....If we (my husband and I) didn't abide by these rules, we would live an electronic life, with no real relationships or conversations. It is still so important to speak to someone in person, to connect and to take time, as social relations should not always be efficiency driven.
    So technology is a gift but also can be scary if you don't draw the line....

    Have a nice day "bloggeuse"!
    love
    Amira

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  2. Ok all I could think of is that I want you to post that controversial blog about Israel. I mean you cant tell us about it and not post it??? There are rules against these things. Please post or as a compromise email it to me.

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  3. From my iPad to your BB with love.Now we travel with so many gadgets and their paraphonelia that we need to pay overweight when we travel with Easyjet or Baboo.com! If getting the blogger her black berry was the reason for her blogging overflow,it was definitely worth it.
    But one thing is worth mentioning,is that they are tools of anti social behavior for many of us!

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  4. BB and other communication devices are tools to ease our live. We are now truly mobile and the traditional office setting is becoming quickly obsolete. We can also easily keep in touch with family and friends. Moreover, they can make information easily accessible anytime anywhere. However, they are also too often abused and intrusive. Today, we live in a world where people expect you to be accessible 24/7. Privacy is no longer respected. And it's encouraging anti-social behavior where people no longer know how to be in the present.

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