Computerless

Being computerless for all but three days of the past 1.5 months has taught me how much I depend on my computer.  The internet is a big part of that, including Skype for phone calls home, email to all sorts of friends, checking facts and quelling curiosity on Wikipedia, and entertainment downloads like music or movies.  But there's also the non-internet time when I listen to podcasts, use the calculator or dictionary, and work on my photos.  I'm not going to say I can't survive without my computer.  I absolutely can.  But in this life - my alone-in-an-apartment-on-a-small-island-with-no-English-speaking-friends life - that the computer helps bring sanity to what might otherwise become a difficult environment.  And it's not until I find myself computerless that I learn this.

At first it was cool - I used all the extra time to jump into Anna Karenina and begin work on a sewing project that's been on my list for two years.  But then when it became really cold and winter vacation came and I wanted to just chill and watch some movies, it got old.  Then it lasted another month.  I nearly finished said sewing project and read A.K., Reading Lolita in Tehran, Harry Potter 6 and 7, and Memoirs of a Geisha.

What stands out the most from this time is how quiet it was.   I don't have a radio (we don't receive any stations) nor a tv (no interest), so when my computer goes down, it takes my music, streaming radio stations, podcasts, and movies with it.  Quiet is nice, but I don't live in a city so I don't long for it.  

But now I have a new computer and should be set for my remaining time in Japan and well beyond.  Hopefully I can adopt some of my computerless habits and keep up the reading, though I have a loooong list of computer projects to get to first.  If anybody is still reading, hopefully blog posts will pick up.