Dear Keren,
At student group yesterday, Amy came up to me and asked for ideas of what she could get for a Chinese friend who was turning 18. She went on to explain that this friend had arrived in New Zealand two days after she did, and so she was her first friend, which made the friendship special.
It made me think of our first days at AU. You were my first friend too, but it wasn't until years later after you died when I was processing with Jenny what "home" means to me, that I realised you were also my piece of home away from home. Sure, there were lots of great memories made especially in the summer months when the campus was quieter, but I think what made our friendship special was that you made it ok for me to feel displaced. You were my home in that displacement, and you helped me made sense of so much of what eventually became a part of my identity as a Third Culture Kid.
Dear Keren, today I thank you for being that friend, and for helping me find a piece of home. If you were still around, I'd want you to be a part of this new thing I'm starting next year because you helped me become good at navigating these transitional waters. Nonetheless, I carry our friendship with me as I begin helping these international students find their place of home as they arrive in New Zealand and begin a new chapter here.
Dear Keren, thank you.
Arohanui,
me
Showing posts with label Tweet Blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tweet Blog. Show all posts
14 September 2013
08 January 2013
On Social Media
Ok, I'll admit it. I'm a social media snob.
When my parents were here recently, Dad asked what kind of smart-phones Kiwis were using. It made me realise a couple things:
1) I don't talk much about these things with Kiwi friends.
2) Social media hasn't quite caught on here like it has in the US or Singapore.
Take for instance one of my biggest pet-peeves on social media: those who don't understand how to really use it. No, I'm not even talking about those who go off on their soap-box. Even those rants can be considered proper use.
No, there's one particular Twitter account that drives me nuts with the way they tweet.
If news is your business, by all means, make it your business. But recognise that Twitter's 140-character limit has conditioned the human (at least this human's) attention-span for that much information. To have to click on every link to read the end of your sentence is just a little bit annoying.
Ok, end rant.
Anyhow, for the last several months now, I've been mulling over how to use social media more effectively. It began with Katherine's question about how I use Facebook, and the realisation that I've become so dependant on those avenues to communicate with the global village--the local whanau, the supporters in other corners of the world, old friends, new friends, and staying in touch with blood relations. Realising that I'm such a social media snob made me realise that part of the reason I stopped communicating this year was because I keep beating myself up over communicating poorly.
As mentioned in a previous post, one of my goals for 2013 is to live simply--which translates to these outlets as well. So in the next couple weeks before kids' church kicks off for the year again, I'll be working on coming up with strategies to better use these tools to say less and communicate more.
Watch this space.
When my parents were here recently, Dad asked what kind of smart-phones Kiwis were using. It made me realise a couple things:
1) I don't talk much about these things with Kiwi friends.
2) Social media hasn't quite caught on here like it has in the US or Singapore.
Take for instance one of my biggest pet-peeves on social media: those who don't understand how to really use it. No, I'm not even talking about those who go off on their soap-box. Even those rants can be considered proper use.
No, there's one particular Twitter account that drives me nuts with the way they tweet.
nzherald National @nzheraldnznewsPolice identify Arkles Bay body: The body of a woman found dead on the beach at Arkles Bay on the Whangaparaoa P... http://bit.ly/WqGmYk
nzherald National @nzheraldnznewsAuckland barrister denies drink driving charge: An Auckland barrister accused of driving drunk and carelessly ha... http://bit.ly/V5D5C4
If news is your business, by all means, make it your business. But recognise that Twitter's 140-character limit has conditioned the human (at least this human's) attention-span for that much information. To have to click on every link to read the end of your sentence is just a little bit annoying.
Ok, end rant.
Anyhow, for the last several months now, I've been mulling over how to use social media more effectively. It began with Katherine's question about how I use Facebook, and the realisation that I've become so dependant on those avenues to communicate with the global village--the local whanau, the supporters in other corners of the world, old friends, new friends, and staying in touch with blood relations. Realising that I'm such a social media snob made me realise that part of the reason I stopped communicating this year was because I keep beating myself up over communicating poorly.
As mentioned in a previous post, one of my goals for 2013 is to live simply--which translates to these outlets as well. So in the next couple weeks before kids' church kicks off for the year again, I'll be working on coming up with strategies to better use these tools to say less and communicate more.
Watch this space.
14 January 2011
"Tweet Blogs"
So I started having these series of thoughts lately that would be too long for a tweet, but too short for me to want to dedicate an entire blog entry to. Then I figured, you know, what the heck, this is my blog. I can "tweet blog" my too-long-for-Twitter-but-too-short-for-blog thoughts if I want. This is the first one.
You know how they say "live like you'll die tomorrow," or something of that equivalent? Why? Why do we say that? Why do we wait for endings before we try to do what's right, or what's good? Why do we wait till people are about to leave before we say, let's get together soon since it'll be our last time to hang out before (insert event involving some kind of farewell here)...? Why don't we just do the whole, let's get together thing during the in-between time? Wouldn't it be just as fun during the in-between times, without the drama of having to say the final goodbye at the end?
You know how they say "live like you'll die tomorrow," or something of that equivalent? Why? Why do we say that? Why do we wait for endings before we try to do what's right, or what's good? Why do we wait till people are about to leave before we say, let's get together soon since it'll be our last time to hang out before (insert event involving some kind of farewell here)...? Why don't we just do the whole, let's get together thing during the in-between time? Wouldn't it be just as fun during the in-between times, without the drama of having to say the final goodbye at the end?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)