Today the internet and mobile network was out for a few hours. It doesn’t sound drastic, and it wasn’t. Not really. It did stop me in my tracks for a while though. This phenomenon is becoming more and more rare and it’s amazing how much we rely on staying connected. I was going to check that email before I did this, I needed to call some people to arrange interviews, no and nope. I’ll research this… oh yeah, no. I wonder if this is everywhere? I’ll just check on… oh yeah, no. I could of course rely on old-fashioned calling round someone’s office/ house and that’s what I did. Reading a book, another good option.
It was a momentary glimpse into what life must have been like in Longyearbyen when there was no outside communication at all and how those living out in the remote huts around Svalbard today isolate themselves. It must be a peaceful life, but I don’t think I would be up for those levels of loneliness for prolonged periods!
I might not need fancy labs and probes, but this is a lot easier than scrawling pages of illegible notes…Not the slickest of set-ups, but they all have an important role (especially the mug of tea :)).
samsaville.org 