Skip to main content

“Nomophobia” ……..And breakfast in Kuwait


“Nomophobia” ……..And breakfast in Kuwait 

Picture a world sans YouTube, WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook, emails, video games, Dropbox, Yahoo, Google, SMS, or a camera at your fingertips. 

Sacrilegious in the present context. The universe would presumably be a gloomy spectre. Un-contactable, with absolutely no one to probably chatter, share your memories or just simply be in digital dialogue. The mere thought of being lonely is a distressing concept to many and an unthinkable situation in the modern world of constant information overloading and transmission. 

Eighty percent of the world population owns a mobile phone and more than 60 percent of the population claims to suffer from 'nomophobia' - the fear of being without a mobile phone. Some 54 percent of people worry about being 'out of mobile phone contact’ and 17 percent of women suffer from 'nomophobia' than men. A quarter of a people even consult their phones during a dinner date and most tend to take it even to the beach on holidays for fear of losing contact-ability.  

Visualize the envisaged doom the prohibition of mobile phones would probably bring upon us.…..OMG! 

But for a moment, just stop!……. Imagine a person that does not require or use one…and if one does exist, would the individual be castigated from a tech-savvy modern society? 

Incomprehensibly, I happen to stumble upon one; A unique individual who does not feel the need for a mobile phone. Comprehend that in an environment constantly requiring one to check an avalanche of online updates from services and safety to world happenings, rosters, flight details, flight preparation to passing exams. 

I met her at breakfast in Kuwait whilst the entire crew was at the restaurant with a mobile phone, speaking fleetingly to the present. Monalie was enjoying her meticulously served food on her plate with absolute pleasure and speaking eloquently to all at the table with equal attention given to every little detail around her, except to any tech device. 

Intrigued, I venture to inquire. The lady confesses to never having the necessity to ever carry or own a mobile phone. Her mode of communication is through the land phone at home or through her mom’s mobile phone, which is in its basic status. To fulfil her job functions, she carries a laptop computer, updates it whenever time permits and uses Skype, if in dire requirement and in rarity. 

Furthermore, she is also an undergraduate at a National University and uses the same laptop for her academic functions. Her tendency is to give prominence to “call booths” or communication kiosks in Sri Lanka and as a crew member, she explains that she is always ready in advance and geared with all the information, literally by memory or through a little paper notebook. 

Eventually, the inevitable dilemma cascades upon me. We are breathlessly dependent upon our mobile devices which become incoherently omnipresent in our lives. 

In this minuscule world that we have fabricated for ourselves and through a blast of marketing gimmicks by the large mobile companies around the world, the surrounding has become a phantom. We are to ourselves. Not to our families, friends, country and the world, but selfishly to “ourselves.” 

Therefore, I need to relish this breakfast… A rich cheese omelette with mushroom, fruity yoghurt, buttered croissant, and the honey glazed waffle to friendly joyous chatter and laughter in synchronized bliss. 

Let’s at the least, be incommunicado at breakfast….and start smiling….LOL! 


Labels:
Location: Kuwait

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Moragolla - The village unknown

Fifteen kilometers from the bustling city of Kandy, the village of Moragolla lies along a winding, ascending road that leads to Galaha via Ampitiya and Thalathuoya, offering a scenic journey through Sri Lanka’s countryside. In the spirit of adventure and discovery, my wife, two sons, daughter, and I ventured to this tranquil village, staying in a charming, well-equipped cottage far removed from the rush of daily life. The transition was remarkable—slowly shifting from the chaos of city life to the serene, untouched beauty of the mountains. The change was not only in the landscape but also in the relaxed, yet vibrant attitudes of the locals, making it a truly refreshing experience. On our second day, feeling refreshed from the peaceful start, we decided to hike up to "Muthukeliya Wewa," a serene lake nestled in the mountains. This region, once known for its pristine, manicured tea estates, has now evolved into a landscape of thriving farms and expansive, wild green f...
10 comments
Read more

”Oomph” on a bicycle…… Cabin Crew of UL

“Cycling is a blissful diversion; one would realize its pleasures only through indulgence and not otherwise.”   The big fellow was a muscle builder not ridden for 12 years. Two more purchased their push-bikes the day before, and a few found rusting two-wheelers from some sort of refuge.   As confusing as it may sound, the four ladies and the five guys were gearing for a never before accomplished adventure in their lives. The bikers, from ages of 17 to 50 years, capitalized on an opportunity to cycle from Nuwara Eliya to Gampola on machines they were not too comfortable with. A new venture for this team.   At three in the morning on the 7th of August, expressing enthusiasm, the bikers left Colombo in a minibus to Nuwara Eliya whilst the bicycles were dispatched carefully stacked onto a lorry. On the way, breakfast heavy and yummy was at Pussellawa rest house and the presumable riders reached Nuwara Eliya at nine thirty. The weather chilly at 12 degrees Celsius, breez...
Post a Comment
Read more

Great Western Mountain (GW) — Talawakelle

16th of March 2019, designed by a group called “Art of Travel,” my son and I embarked on a venture to conquer the sixth highest mountain of Sri Lanka as a part of a quest to fulfil our objective of achieving the task of climbing the ten highest mountains of this beautiful island that we so cherish to call home. Peaking at an elevation of 2212 meters “Great western” has nothing significantly or remotely related to any western film but situated amidst the tea plantations in Talawakelle named the Great-western tea estate rather perplexingly. One must take a left turn at the Talawakelle town to a point that has only a walking path to the GW railway station at the foothills of this mammoth massif. The access from the town consists of a 14 kilometres drive plus 1.5 kilometres walk to the station and is the last place to fill up on your non-elaborate essentials for the hike. A two-kilometre walk along the railway track took us to a methodically paved Kovil stairway on to our l...
2 comments
Read more