This Blog post comes directly to you from Sparta, Greece a small town about four hours south of Athens where I'm visiting relatives. The home in which I'm staying belongs to my mother's family and is about 100 years old. I decided to bring a small laptop with me so I could do some work while everyone is napping in the afternoon. Much to my amazement, when I turned the laptop on, I connected to the Internet wirelessly! Now, mind you, there's no air conditioning in the house (100 degrees today) but there is connectivity.
The time in Greece is seven hours ahead of the time in Michigan meaning that when I wake up at 6 a.m. it's 11:00 p.m. the previous night at home. So, this morning I turned on my laptop and opened IM and, lo and behold, one of my team members was on IM. So, across the world, we communicated for about 1/2 hour.
Subsequently, I checked and responded to email and did some work for my program - all before my first cup of Greek coffee. And, here I sit 5500 miles from home and am writing my Blog post.
So, what's my point? It is this....with technology as accessible as it is globally, I don't have to put an "away" message on my email server, I don't have to be inaccessible to my colleagues, I can respond immediately to important email queries, I can blog long-distance and, most important, I can keep in touch with what's happening back home. Not only is it a flat world, but it is definitely a small world- thanks to technology!
I have befriended a wonderful little 10-year old boy, Pantele, who lives downstairs from my aunt. He comes upstairs each day to use my computer and connect to the Disney website. He is learning English at school - although he says he's learning "American." In school, the children study throughout the summer going to a Frontistirio, commonly known as "cram" schools where they study specific subjects so that they can pass annual exams to progress to the next grade. Pantele is studying "American" this summer and I'm helping him so he can pass on to what we would consider 6th grade. Today, he and I read chapter 1 & 2 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows which I had brought with me to read ....some things are the same no matter where you are in the world.
OK - can't Blog more because it's time for my Greek coffee and baklava!
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