Looking back at the internet and forward at Facebook.

I'm not the only one who dashes across the street in high heels!

I feel old. In fact, I feel really old. And my feet and back hurt, probably from sprinting across Place de la Concorde in high heels to avoid being late for a behind-the-scenes tour of Hermes on Monday. Rather than arriving on time, I surprised the receptionist by turning up one day too early. While I would like to blame my mistake on enthusiasm, it's because my brain is frazzled. I suspect that it has something to do with an overdose of social media and lack of sleep. Oblivious to the amount of time that I've been spending online, I was confronted with reality when Sylvia sent a text message inquiring if I was ill because she hadn't seen any tweets or activity on Facebook yesterday. Talk about a wake-up call!

Long gone are the days when I had to make an appointment with the overseas telephone operator in the Philippines to place a call to my mother in the United States. Perhaps that's another one of the reasons why I feel so old. I can remember the days before the internet made communication instantaneous and easy.  When we lived in Indonesia, all of the parents with children at the international school were invited to attend a special meeting to educate us about a new fangled invention called the World Wide Web. With a series of slides and numerous handouts, the superintendent attempted to assuage our fears by assuring us that our children would only be allowed to use the internet in the school's library after they had received signed permission forms from us. Worried about this mysterious new technological innovation, I remember parents chatting after the meeting about the drastic impact that the internet might have on our children's education. What we didn't discuss is how it would change our lives.

When we learned that we were being transferred to Port of Spain, half a world away from where we lived in Indonesia, I was astounded by the amount of information that I could find by simply typing "Trinidad" in the search field. One thing led to another and before I knew it, my mind was in the West Indies while my body was still in Surabaya. Online newspapers kept me updated on the latest happenings while other websites taught me about foreign foods, like Callaloo, Buss-up-Shot and Bake and Shark, that I would encounter. I felt as if we had moved to a new land before I even set foot on the plane.

Fast forward to Paris where I'm blogging, tweeting and have recently ventured into what was previously my children's domain, Facebook. Ever since I discovered the flexibility of FB, I've been blogging less because I really like that FB allows me to post information about upcoming events in Paris and photo albums. If you haven't seen Out and About's page yet, please take a look. And best of all, you don't need to have a Facebook account to view it. It's how Stephane followed my progress while I rode in the Paris-Deauville Rally last week.

Click here to visit Out and About in Paris on Facebook.

On a completely different topic, Stephane and I will be making weekend trips to Bordeaux/Dordogne and Venice this month. Please let me know if you have any tips for places that we should visit, restaurants that we have to try and/or castles that we shouldn't miss.

Comments

  1. I'm so glad you're on FB!!! It is a perfect channel for you. Sir L and I adore Venice. I'll send you an email with some stuff. Do you know where you're staying yet?

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    1. Thanks, Kristen. I would appreciate any info that you send! We reserved a hotel in the Cannaregio district but please let me know if you there's another place that you recommend. We're going to Venice in 3 weeks.

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  2. I like FB too but do actually prefer the blog. I like the entries for being a little more thoughtful, a little more to consider. I did just upload an album to FB for my JtB account and that was a new move for me. How to handle all these things at our disposal? Maybe running in heels is easier. With scissors.

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    1. "How to handle all of these things..." - that's exactly what I'm wondering. Social media is like a new frontier for me, which is what makes it exciting and overwhelming at the same time. As you said, running in heels with scissors may be easier. I would offer to try it but after dashing across the Place de la Concorde in heels, I switched back to flats this week! They're much easier on the back.

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  3. Hi MK. I see your FB entries, but like Joseph, prefer the blog.
    GM x
    p.s. You are not old!

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    1. I like the blog (and bloggers!) as well, mainly because it has introduced me to some lovely people like your daughter. I can't think that would have happened if I had only been on FB. Thanks for reminding me that I'm not old. Some days I just feel older than others and yesterday was one of them. It usually happens when I think of myself in relation to social media.

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  4. They turn the lights on in St. Mark's at 11.30 for one hour, don't miss out, it makes a huge difference! Apart from the more obvious sights, the Scuolo di San Rocco was one of my favourites - beautiful Tintoretto ceilings. I went in (late) October as well & got a kick out of the Acqua Alta, so don't fret too much if it's forecast for rain!

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    1. Thanks, Gwan! Your tips for Venice have been duly noted. I had to laugh about "Apart from the more obvious sights" because Venice is probably the one city that I've never visited in Italy. So, I'm completely unfamiliar with what's obvious and what's not obvious. I've got a lot to learn before we go! At least Stephane has been there quite a few times so we won't be completely lost.

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  5. Aquapazzo in Venice and a Bellini on St Marc's Sq, of course. You may want to indulge your self in a scarf from Fortuny. They are scruptuous!

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    1. Thanks for the suggestions, Sylvia! I can't wait to eat all of the yummy Italian food. Our conversation yesterday afternoon prompted a dinner of spaghetti aglio e olio. Seafood risotto is on the menu for tonight.

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  6. I'm not a Facebook fan I have to confess. I'm much more of a blogger and Twitterer but I guess I need to move with the times, like you are doing. Well done for blazing a trail!

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    1. I wasn't a Facebook fan either. I only tried it because everyone kept telling me that I should have a page. Even after I opened an account I wasn't convinced because I couldn't figure out how to use it. I told myself to give it a couple of months and now I'm hooked.

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  7. I love Facebook, but I like the content blogging offers. Glad you have great content on both!

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    1. Thanks, Jacki. You've got great content on both, too - I'm still thinking about cupcakes after reading your post this morning!

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  8. Strangely enough my social media activity has gone the other way, started on twitter, then with forums next, then facebook, then to blogging.

    I preferred facebook to twitter, as it was more private, but I like how blogs can allow you to say more. I am not good at short sound bites.

    Blogging has allowed me to meet some great people, including you. I love how the world is opened up to people who would not otherwise have met.

    Love Denise

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    1. I'm so happy that we met, Denise! And you're right, I can't imagine that we would have met any other way...unless we sat next to each other in Angelina's! ;)

      The thing that I really like about Twitter is that it's one of the best ways to know what's happening in Paris - like demonstrations, special events, rail closures, etc. I probably wouldn't use it as much if I lived somewhere else.

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  9. All of this social media stuff can certainly be exhausting...! And i'm not even on Twitter. I don't want to get started!

    Hey -- if you're old, what does that make me?????

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    1. You're definitely not old. I'm not either...I just "felt old" when I wrote this post. There's a difference!

      I follow quite a few people in Boston on Twitter. The only problem is when I see something about a great restaurant or event and get all excited before realizing that it's not happening in Paris.

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