A Dickensian Christmas and a technology-free decision

A Christmas party was held at Raffles Hotel and the theme was really brilliant. Victorianism as a literature paper is my favourite to read. The dress code was restricted to the era which Charles Dickens lived in, the fare was Victorian food and even the games were classic, including a quiz on various well-known figures in literature and the mass media. I wish singing traditional carols together could have been on the agenda though. It was a Victorian way of living.

Low Shi Ping made the decision to be without technology and she chronicled the process in an article. It led me to wonder how we had managed to survive without pagers or handphones 20 years ago. It probably helped us to instill more self-discipline within ourselves when we arranged outings with one another. We had to ensure we were punctual for our appointments. In a way, now that we have handphones, we have the liberty to change the time or venue anytime we wish to.

I remember turning off my handphone on a few occasions and people complaining that they were unable to reach me. Somehow, it gives me a sense of freedom not to expect to pick up calls or answer messages, and yet it makes me feel too that people do not bother to contact me. After a short while, I turn it on again so that I feel thought about. My insecurity wins the day. :S I am thrilled each time I check my emails or turn on my handphone, and discover many messages or missed calls.

I never fail to check what emails I have and which friends I have online on MSN each time I log on to the Internet. The former is more urgent now that I am expecting replies from employers.

She mentioned how she could not inform her interviewee that she was in a traffic jam and thus would be late. We probably had this problem too 20 years back but I believe traffic was not so congested and heavy then. There were fewer vehicles on the road as people were not so well-off and the economic situation was not so rosy. We had more chances of being on time for our appointments.

She is staying loyal to the technology that is such a dominant part of our lives. I can understand her reason for that but seriously, a handwritten card is more personal than an e-card, and spending time with someone or talking to someone on the phone is more intimate than sending messages to him.