How technology has transformed communication for expatriates

By Jon Russell

It was with great anticipation that I’d look forward to my grandma’s packages in the post. They came once a month, without fail, and always contained a piece of home that no money, luxury shopping mall or, in fact, anything on the island could ever give to me.

It was then that, at the tender age of six, I began to appreciate what it means to communicate and how precious getting a message to a person is. My grandma’s cassettes were very much the first phase in that learning experience.

We’d spend just two years in Hong Kong, but the time left a lasting impression on me, and not only because I relied on my cassette player (and the books that would accompany them in the post) for a bedtime story from a very special person. Living in the then-British colony was not hugely different from a more cosmopolitan (and obviously much hotter) version of England; most people spoke English, for example, but when we headed down to the markets, we met a language barrier that fascinated me from that young age.

Back in 2008

Fast forward 20 years and I returned to Asia, this time to Thailand, in an entirely new era of communication [more... ]

Full story: http://thenextweb.co...or-expatriates/

-- TheNextWeb.com 2012-07-08

The world truly is a smaller place, I was sitting by a river bank at midnight in the Borneo jungle recently, taking photos and uploading them directly onto Facebook. That's not right, we've got no wilderness left.

There are lots of ups and downs on this, but one of the downs is Head Office having direct minute by minute communication with people assigned overseas - The urge to micromanage is seldom resisted.

^

Spill the beans GH.

Was it you that screwed up or somebody else

The world truly is a smaller place, I was sitting by a river bank at midnight in the Borneo jungle recently, taking photos and uploading them directly onto Facebook. That's not right, we've got no wilderness left.

That is one reason, why we should up developing some rocket engines to go to other planets.

The world truly is a smaller place, I was sitting by a river bank at midnight in the Borneo jungle recently, taking photos and uploading them directly onto Facebook. That's not right, we've got no wilderness left.

That is one reason, why we should up developing some rocket engines to go to other planets.

or develop some self restrain and not screw up this one

But I do like the Idea where some of you guys go to other planets I will help pack your bags

Edited July 11, 201213 yr by sirineou

The world truly is a smaller place, I was sitting by a river bank at midnight in the Borneo jungle recently, taking photos and uploading them directly onto Facebook. That's not right, we've got no wilderness left.

Seems like such a waste to be playing around on Facebook when you are surrounded by such incredible sights!

Technology is my profession and a passion of mine since I got my first computer (Amstrad) when I was 5 years old. However, travel and climbing/hiking is also a huge part of my life.

I spent 1 month climbing in Bolivia and Peru without ever touching a cellphone. Spent 2 weeks on the Appalachian trail without a cellphone.

You have to have balance. Technology is a great thing, but it can also be a bad thing. Need to know when to leave your iPhone at home if you know what I mean!

The world truly is a smaller place, I was sitting by a river bank at midnight in the Borneo jungle recently, taking photos and uploading them directly onto Facebook. That's not right, we've got no wilderness left.

That is one reason, why we should up developing some rocket engines to go to other planets.

or develop some self restrain and not screw up this one

But I do like the Idea where some of you guys go to other planets I will help pack your bags

Thanks for the help offer....I can pack my bags myself, but you could send me the rocket engine....