Black Hole

 Don't adjust your screen.

We are blurry. Just like the view our loved ones get when they Skype with us, in China we are just a little bit hazy, just a little bit unclear, just a little bit out of focus.

And anyway, I love this picture because it is our first family picture taken in China, and like real tourists we are in front of something as goofy as an everyday grocery store. To quote Caddyshack: "Hey Wang! What's with these pictures? It's a parking lot."

Lately, I feel like I am in a void or something. Sometimes I don't even know what day it is. I am still synced with Indiana time and so I am operating on these two clocks. I am sure I have yet to look at a clock and not process the time here and immediately correspond it to the time back home. And I don't know what is happening in Franklin. Or Indiana. Or the US for that matter.

I have never been one to watch to news in front of the kids. There is just too much violence. Too much arguing. We get two English speaking stations CNN and BBC. Oh and an old movie channel. And frankly, knowing that I have one heck of a plane trip to get out of this place, watching CNN the first week here was absolutely out because all they talked about was the recent crashes/bombings. So when on Monday evening the email came in asking if we had heard about the deadly Chinese earthquake the day before it rocked me a bit. What earthquake? Where was it? How close to us?

Okay, so I will admit that Facebook was my primary news source prior to coming here, but no judgment...at least I was getting the news. Here, I don't have a clue about much. I can not even get Facebook!

Based on Instagram, I know all my friends are headed back to school or their babies are and I feel like I am in the Stone Ages waiting to get 4x6 pictures delivered by the postman. Does everyone just assume that you will see their status update and move on? What happens when you no longer have one?

Taking a break from technology is a tricky thing. In the USA, I think we are all getting increasingly annoyed with everyone's face stuck in their iPhone. So, I was excited to separate from that. Yet, I realize how much I need all that technology to keep me in sync with the world. Here I am in supposedly this technologically advanced land and I am the most out of touch of my life.  Or is it my old life?

Most of the time I can only check my email twice a day. My iPhone is basically useless except for its (awesome) camera feature.  And do you even remember that sound when your computer made when it was trying to "dial up" back in 1998? Yeah, that is My Life. I've watched that little clockwise beacon spin to "refresh" for times than the people at the grocery shower.

I feel pretty whiny today. Maybe it is because the kids are sick.   Perhaps I am in some type of technology detox. Maybe I am just in a black hole.

Whatever, my excuse, I will just show you my pictures from the parking lot.