A lesson in technology

Gluhwein overlooking the ice rink

I have 'seen' my mother 4 times today - once in person when I paid her a visit, and 3 times when she 'FaceTimed' me. She is really impressed with her new iPod Touch, but she wasn't actually using much of it. She got it for listening to music on, but I have a feeling they will be getting another iPod for music and will keep this for their new toy. She now has AccuWeather, and is fascinated by the hour by hour account of the weather close to where we are, or may be going. By putting me in as a contact, and tapping my address, the screen suddenly changed to a vision of the outside of my house. FaceTime was something else though. I've only just got it myself, so we were both learning, and it really is amazing. They were fascinated while I was at their house, but couldn't get over seeing me later, in my house, and being able to check out my new curtains etc! I could even show her how to do things on her laptop, by pointing the camera at mine. I haven't introduced her to Twitter yet but that day must come! As well as having a technological week, I've been busy doing other things too. I've been tending my sloe gin, although I'm not that keen on the current colour which is a bit like Ribena. Last night I went to the Christmas Markets in Manchester before going to an 'adult' Panto - Panto's on Strike with Paddy McGuinness and Coleen Nolan. It was very funny, and very adult. It seemed strange having the baddy (Gail Tyldesleys husband who tried to kill her) telling the audience to go forth and multiply, and even the "Oh yes you are"s were full of bad language.

This year there are 8 Christmas Markets in Manchester, and when I went through the main one at gone 8pm last night it was heaving. This year we have:
European Christmas Market at Albert Square, 10am - 9pm
World Christmas Market on Brazennose Street, 10am - 8pm
German Christmas Market at St Ann's Square, 10am - 8pm
Christmas Arts and Craft Market on Exchange Street, 10am - 8pm
Christmas Market on New Cathedral Street, 10am - 8pm
Christmas Market on Exchange Square, 10am - 8pm
French Christmas Market on King Street, 10am - 7pm
Weekend Craft and Gift Market at The Triangle, 10am - 7.30pm
They are all open until the 21st December, and as well as all the individual stalls there are plenty of places to stop for a drink of mulled wine, European beer or hot chocolate. The food is a bit pricey at £4 for a Bratwurst or £7 for a Raclette, but it is all very nice and can definitely compete with the big European markets. An ice rink has been built in Spinningfields for over the Christmas period and a temporary bar (The Lodge) has been constructed in a 2 storey tent, complete with balcony to watch the skaters from.

Spinningfields ice rink

I struggle with technology, and I can understand how people a generation up from me must find it really difficult! The changes just since I was born (not that long ago ha ha) are amazing. If someone who died just 30 years ago came back to life, imagine the things you would need to explain to them for them to cope with everyday life.

Before we get onto the Internet, just telephones are so different. No longer can we have a 'party line' shared between neighbours to cut the cost where only one household could make a call at once and the rest could listen in. No longer do we carry around an emergency 2p to use in a public telephone box. Calls could only be made after 6pm, and then had to be short as calls were so expensive. Even when I got my first mobile phone, it was for emergencies only, and I bet I used it about once every 2 months. Texts seemed really complicated, and as you paid per character sent, not per text, no wonder 'text language' quickly evolved. We had a video recorder 30 years ago (a Betamax!), but now not only have DVDs taken over, we have digi boxes and PVRs so you can pause television, and record 2 channels while watching another. Try explaining that to someone who the last time they were on earth had just 3 channels (Channel 4 didn't launch until 1982), and the National Anthem would play when the channels stopped at around midnight.

My mum would spend a day a week doing the laundry in a twin tub washing machine - we got an automatic washing machine in around 1982. Frozen food would have to be stored in the little ice compartment in the top of the fridge because it wasn't common to have a freezer. When my then boyfriend's family got a microwave in about 1983 it was a huge novelty, and I loved going to make baked potatoes, and scrambled eggs. Now many homes could cope very well with a big freezer and a microwave, because not as much fresh food is bought, or proper cooking done.

To get money, you queued up at the bank and drew it out. If you were lucky your branch would be open on a Saturday morning for a couple of hours. Someone returning after 30 years would have to be shown cashpoints, where you can get your money at any time on any day. You could then take it to one of the massive supermarkets and buy anything you wished, all under one roof. Another thing that doesn't make sense is some of the price changes. OK, so most things have gone up, but now you can buy £4 jeans, or a whole school uniform for a tenner. My school uniform, even more than 30 years ago, was a huge deal as it was over £100.

All these changes may be amazing, but then there is the Internet, and social networking. I did joke with my mum earlier (it was a joke, honest, mum!) that I'd never have to visit her again now she had FaceTime and Facebook. We no longer have to write a letter, buy a stamp, post it and await a reply. We just send a quick email and can have a reply the same day. We know what our friends are up to via the social networking sites, and we can always access up to date news stories, rather than watching television at 6pm or 9pm (yes, it was the BBC 9 o'clock news in those days). We can send a quick text message to anywhere in the world and get an instant response, and if it is done via a wifi app it is totally free too. Where family in Australia would receive an annual Christmas Day phone call, now you can chat freely, either using an actual voice or by typing messages, and you can see them at the same time.

I've put my dad on Twitter, where he can complain about Condoms to his heart's content (his predictive text doesn't recognise ConDems) so it is only right that I see if my mum can cope. However, I think she won't have time - and I may not have time for much else either if FaceTime doesn't lose its novelty soon!

Sloe gin day 19