Posts Tagged ‘twitter’

Day 2. I reached for the F key much less today. Muscle memory is learning to not ready for that key when mind is bored. Progress. petit à petit. I feel less attached to that social network, and while it’s still rather bizarre, I am much more aware of other things that I could be doing. I realize that there are plenty of other things that one can procrastinate with. The news, Twitter, writing messages, stare out the window. I even revamped my online identity – put a new picture up, changed my twitter name to @wleerpcv and the like. However, none as fun as seeing what your friends are up to. There is something pretty genius about this Facebook. You gotta give them credit.

Now that I am consciously staying away from Facebook, I realize there are so many things in our lives that are so relied on this tool. I joined when it was purely a social thing, but now, it’s a legitimate marketing/communication tool. Yesterday, I said I got an email asking me to join a Peace Corps community, today, I clicked on various links that took me to Facebook. I had to self-restraint and hit that x button. Facebook is everywhere!

Also, people really got some time in their hands. I was looking for some images for this Facebook Hiatus writing, and there are so many funny cartoons that people have done. I’ll take this chance to show some. There are some funny stuff. Enjoy!

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This week while in Tunisia, a part from a few international text messages, I unplugged myself from technology, making the getaway a true break. It was incredible the effect few days of unplugging had on my mental state. Partly because I was immersed in a new place and discovering a new surrounding, but being disconnected made me feel so free and my thoughts were much more clear and creative.

Don’t get me wrong. I love being connected via technology as much as the next person, if not more. Heck, I somehow managed to get Internet connection in my village house that didn’t have running water! Usually, I check email constantly, and like most students, I procrastinate with Facebook. In addition, I blog and I tweet. When I’m alone, I’m often signed onto instant messenger, perhaps as a way to feel the virtual presence of my friends.

Because I am always connected, I maintain relatively good contact with friends from around the world. And through various social media channels, I’ve been connected to some fascinating people. The constant connection can sometimes feel like an addiction. It takes a lot of effort for me to consciously shut everything off and focus on one task. I have yet figured out why it is so difficult. The fear of missing out? I’m not sure.

Yet while I was away, I had no desire to have any access. I was completely content to live in the present and enjoy the moments as they passed. Why then, is it so hard for me to do the same in the “real world”?

In the past few days, I finally had time to read the book that my friend Katie had so graciously sent me. It amazes me that I have friends in this day in age who would send me a book just because they saw it and thought of me! Anyway, the title is Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire written by Mireille Guiliano – the author who also wrote the popular book, French Women Don’t Get Fat which I’ve yet read but will order a copy soon!

The book talks about women succeeding in a man’s business world from a lifestyle angle. Appropriately enough, it talks a lot about being in the present in life since time is the most valuable commodity and also being comfortable in one’s skin - être bien dans sa peau. As I get older, I feel that time is passing ever so quickly. It’s thus important to cultivate the ability to take the most away from every moment and not be distracted and pulled in so many directions in today’s multi-tasking world.

I had a clear mindset and felt very positive after the lovely vacation and great reminders from the book, but as soon as I got home and replugged myself in technology, I feel trapped. This afternoon, I was determined to tackle the nearly 300 unread messages in my inbox that have been accumulated throughout the term. Talk about serious information overload. Half way through the 300 messages, I seriously wished I was unplugged again.

How do you manage your online-offline balance? Do you also take occasional breaks to unplug?

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Someone on Twitter reminded me that today marks my one year anniversary since becoming a member of the Twitterati. Quite strange that it’s been a year, and boy how it has changed my life.

Before Twitter, the extent of social media that I knew was Facebook and the blog that I kept to keep in touch with friends and family during my Peace Corps service. Someone I knew was talking up the benefit of this micro-blogging device and I figured I would give it a shot. It took a while to become accustom to the idea, and I was rather skeptical of this “status portion of Facebook” thing.

After the initial period of adjustment, I became enthralled by this world of never-ending information. 24 hours a day, there are people from all corners of the world expressing their thoughts and sharing new information in various languages. I was hooked!

Meanwhile, people seem to be equally interested in my tweets about life in a village of Cameroon that doesn’t have running water, but have access to the Internet. The National Peace Corps Association approached me to write a piece in the WorldView magazine about my Twitter usage. Via Twitter, I also became connected with other volunteers around the world who are also tweeting about their experiences.

Besides Peace Corps volunteers, I came in touch with interesting people of ALL kinds all across the world. Social media enthusiast, excited Gen Y who shares thoughts on humanitarian issues, an American blogging about her experience at the LSE, a  young yogini who promotes a healthy lifestyle, and so many more. These wonderful individuals have inspired me to incorporate social media into my life and share my own experiences!

Information sharing is wonderful, and I’m so glad to be living in this era in history where the Internet facilitates this process and brings wonderful people in the world closer to one another than ever before!

What are your experiences with Twitter and other social media tools?

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No, I did not get botox. I am only 23, after all.

Hope everyone likes the new design of this blog! I’ve transformed the blog into my personal online portal. Not only will I write about my musing as I find my next step in the world, one language at a time, I will also add in my two cents about various topics: economics, international development, travel, literature, or simply anything that piques my interest.

In transforming this page, I realized I really love web design and wish I had the ability to create my own theme rather than adopting a prefabricated one. Learning web design has now officially entered my list of to-dos once I re-enter the “real world”.

The inspiration for me to re-organize my blog stemmed from searching other people’s blogs online. I am in the process of applying to graduate school, and like so many previous experiences, I like to search the blogsphere to see if people have written about the experiences I hope to share – both the process of application and also lives at the institutions that I hope to attend. I did this prior to joining the Peace Corps, and it inspired me to create RoundII:Cameroon. In a “giving back” sort of way, I hope to give a glimpse of my own experiences to those who may wish to pursue in the future.

As I learn more about social media, I value the power of virtual networking. Through Twitter, I connected with Akhilak – a fellow 20-something hoping to bring a small difference to the world. Her website is an inspiration to this new layout. I thought this blog can become my “one-stop” portal for all of my virtual contacts.

On a related note, Akhila recently began the Be the Change blog series featuring Gen Y changemakers and she featured my “Small Step – Big Change” article discussing fostering change as a Peace Corps volunteer. This is a great blog series! Have a look!

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