I’m comfortable being a geek (and wearing the thick glasses to prove it). I immerse myself in technology. I admit that I do depend on the Internet a lot.

I’m currently got two laptops set up side-by-side. One is used for watching the re-run of the Chinese Grand Prix. The other is used for email and writing this blog. My phone and my (sister’s) pink iPod is not too far away. I’ve spent the weekend setting up a beta version of the Windows 7 operating system. I now have three operating systems on one computer. I’ve also set up Twitter. I don’t usually follow the latest fads – except for technology.

Google

I’m a slave to the Google corporate machine. I use the following services regularly:

• Gmail – all my email and (nicely alphabetised) contacts are up here.
• Calendar
• Documents – used for the online spreadsheets for my challenges
• Reader
• Maps
• and Google search – of course

Other tech stuff

• Blog (obviously) – how much longer before I run out of stuff to write about? Not before any readers leave.
• Facebook – I don’t use anymore, but contemplating rejoining
• Twitter – I’ve not made up my mind about Twitter. Clever communication method or self-indulgent Generation Y crap?
• Phone – still use a bog standard phone because I’m too stingy to pay for a smartphone
• Windows XP – still better than Linux / Vista / Windows 7
• Camera – none, both my previous cameras are still lost somewhere in China

Was life easier when I didn’t spend ages dealing with email every day?

Despite moving back to the UK, Tianjin has not left my thoughts or my life. Yesterday, I got an invitation to join the Tianjin Blog Network. I was flattered to be invited but it didn’t seem appropriate. Anyway the solution was to just have a link to all my blog posts about China.

If you have come from the Tianjin Directory site, then I welcome you to a blog about an ex-expat going through reverse culture shock after leaving Tianjin in July 2008.

Well, I’ve finally updated this blog and I can tell you it probably wasn’t worth the wait. My time has been consumed by teaching, learning Chinese and designing the school’s new website. Check it out at www.teachers4china.com I’m quite proud of it (though I’m sure the code is amateurish) but it has meant that this blog has been neglected. (15 Jan 09 – www.teachers4china.com has since been disbanded!)

I have spent the evening marking my student’s homework. I always appreciated the teachers take marked my homework promptly and gave me good feedback so I try to do the same for my students. Sitting on the other side of the desk has given me a greater appreciation of how utterly boring this is. Actually, I don’t sit behind a desk during my lessons because I normally stand. All my students scored As, so I must be doing something right as a teacher.