2015/09/19

Your better half

Once upon a time I thought "your better half" is somebody like your partner, spouse or whoever. But nowadays I think it became questionable if it's not your smartphone (or your facebook profile?!). There seem to be quite a few parallels: You hang out with the person a lot (but the smart phone seems to be there all the time as well), you interact, you get to know other people (partner's friends / new friends on fb ...). And the smart phone calender plans your day (of course it's saved online), but it's your door to the world.

Facebook group for all new graduate students at the UCSB.

But what's really important and different to Germany is the organizational part on facebook. Our year has a facebook group to organize hiking and biking trips; all new graduate students are registered in one group and "official" announcements are posted there (e. g. campus tour tomorrow with the head of graduate studies). Of course, this exemplary event is not compulsory at all, but without facebook I would not have known about it.
The dancing group has got a facebook page, my sponsor in Germany, the Institute of International Education, George Orwell, everybody! To be honest, it's unbelievable pragmatic because otherwise I would receive a lot of mails...

Luckily I got a new smart phone which works properly in the US and a "cheap" prepaid plan or 30$/month. I finally exist in the US.
I smart phone, therefore I am.