I am thankful for so many things; this is a list of a few technology items that are especially apparent to me in this fifth week of my time in China.
Skype
This is by far the internet technology I am most grateful for today; I can not say enough positive things about the skype application. It has allowed me to have video calls for free around the globe. I have had consistently good connections almost every day. The number of dropped calls or bad connections has been very minimal. In addition, I have made a few calls to regular phones for only two cents per minute! My AT&T plan has no service in this area of China and even if it did it would be two dollars per minute. This is a big expense savings if you do international business and a great option to build stronger business relationships with video calls. Or if you have friends and/or family then use this great technology to stay connected and watch the kids or grandchildren grow up.
Internet Radio
I found myself going through withdrawal for my favorite radio station and then I realized that I could easily listen live via my laptop! I have no TV station reception at all (some of the other faculty report they have CNN); thankfully I have not missed TV and kept up with the headlines via the internet too.
Heat
Winter arrived earlier than usual this past week. The snow fall was record-breaking; roads and airports were closed for days. The temperatures are 30 degrees lower than the normal 50’s and typically there is only light snow in January. Most of the Chinese in this rural area of China have no heat. They put on more clothes. I am thankful for the heat here in the faculty dorm although if I had control of the thermostat (which I do not), I would have it turned up a bit.
photo credit: re-ality
What technology you are most grateful for? Please post a comment.