Internet magic

What wonderful times we live in!

Of course there's plenty of bad stuff going on in these times--just as there in in all times--but it's a good era to be an American living overseas. I find myself amazed, from time to time, just how simple it is for me to live in England, and I've just had another moment of extreme gratitude for the technology of our age.

Not only can I bank online with the same account I had in Chicago, share photos online, order Christmas presents that are conveniently shipped to family back home online, conduct business through an online (voice over Internet protocol) telephone number, and even read favorite books online that were simply too heavy to carry overseas ... I can see my family online!

For my birthday my parents sent me a Webcam (well, they went online and ordered one from an English Web site that they then had shipped to me). I was initially excited before realizing that it was more a present to them than to me--after all, I pointed out, they'd be able to see me during free online video conversations, but I wouldn't be able to see them. Good point, they agreed, so as an early Christmas present my parents went out and bought a Webcam not only for themselves, but also for my brother and sister-in-law. Yesterday we all installed our Webcams and downloaded Skype and, before I knew it, I was talking to my parents in their Mesa, Arizona home! Or that's how it felt, anyway.

I could see the very familiar house and ask about why the table behind them, for example, was covered with rocks (for one of my mother's art teacher projects). I was able to see the new family puppy, and even hold up my English family's two cats so the three pets could meet (all three quickly wriggled out of our respective arms and ran away for far more interesting pursuits). My grandparents came over to my parents' house during this conversation, so they sat in front of the computer along with my parents and we all chatted. In fact, at one point my scientist grandpa wandered over to the table of rocks and began examining them (he is an amateur geologist) and I was able to interrupt the conversation with the witty observation, "Hey, I see Grandpa is being true to form and looking at rocks." It was almost like being there, to see what was going on behind the conversation. They, in turn, got to meet my "English mum" and "English dad", who joined me in our Nottingham kitchen to chat for a few minutes.

This afternoon I was working away on a newspaper article when all of a sudden my computer started ringing! I clicked on the tab to answer and it was my sister-in-law, who was sitting in front of her computer holding my 16-month-old nephew! It was so fun to catch up with her and also talk to her son, who was very interested in that person on the screen who knew his name. He kept squealing and pointing to me, even waving and showing me (on his mama's cues) his teeth, nose, ears and other intriguing body parts that he's recently learned to identify.

My nephew trots happily from the living room, toys in hand. (What's the point of having a blog if you can't post annoyingly cute kid photos from time to time?)

The little guy got very excited when I held the cats up again (who are beginning to run away from me with more and more alacrity each time I reach for them whilst sitting in front of my computer) and even told me what he'd had for breakfast ("nanana" and "ereal"). He then started bringing his new toys in from the living room to show them to me. After he got bored, my sister-and-law and I enjoyed some girl talk, and while I was telling her about the dress I hoped to wear for an upcoming Christmas party, she said, "Hey, you could try it on right now and show me!" So I ran upstairs, got the dress and wriggled into it, then turned and spun in front of my computer for her opinion. I even took her on a tour of my English house, holding my laptop in one hand and Webcam in the other as I walked around all of the rooms and pointed out favorite features, including my "shrine" to my nephew (really a bedroom windowsill covered with his photos).

This is very fun. Technology like this bridges the thousands of miles between my family and me in a wonderful way. I'll say it again. It's a great time to be alive.