Sunday 19 September 2010

A virtually computerless holiday

I'd intended devoting some attention to this while on holiday in Nerja in Spain, but unlike previous years we couldn't pick up any free wifi on the apartment's balcony. So I'll have to catch up now.

There were plenty of internet cafes - and indeed bars - with cheap or free wifi, but I found that was always eager to switch the laptop off the moment I'd finished work-related tasks, checked my email and made the odd free voip call.

One location was a fairly serious cybercaff packed with computers - we're members there and it is very efficient, but we tended to favour a new and smaller place, run by a friendly Estonian family who have a sideline in selling beautiful Estonian wooden mats etc (several of which have accompanied us back as souvenirs or pressies).




There was also a very friendly cafe, Bagels & Tapas, where we did try working once but it was hard to concentrate while drinking cold beer and eating their excellent chips! Instead this became our preferred place for making phone calls via the laptop - free via VOIP Cheap - though of course you need to spend money in the cafe to access the free wifi to make the call!

In fact I really enjoyed being without constant web/email access - there was so much more time in the days! I'm aware how much time I've spent (wasted) in front of the computer since getting home, surfing, emailing, sorting photos etc. Time sort of zooms by, and sitting down at my desk for a minute turns into an hour. So I'm determined to learn the lesson from Spain - being in front of the computer is fine when I'm working, but I'm going to start setting a kitchen countdown timer to 20 minutes when it's for something more aimless!

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