The Computer as Blessing and Curse

I always seem to be talking about change, but that's not unusual. Everyone is talking about change. Technology is driving the change, and most of us are just trying to hang on. Talking about it is the way we're learning to adapt to it. itAlmost everything we do in daily living is changing in remarkable ways and at remarkable speed.

When I started practicing law in Los Angeles I was a lowly associate in a big firm. A big firm in those days was 33 lawyers. That same firm, the last time I checked, had 520 lawyers. In those days even I, a lowly worm, had a secretary (an executive assistant in today's politically correct gender neutral parlance). I wrote what I had to write on a long yellow legal pad or filled in the blanks on a printed form used for filing motions. And, when I was done the secretary typed it out on an IBM Selectric, a primitive word processor that could at least store a document and re-type it. Now law firms (and other business entities) function differently. All but the senior partners work without a personal assistant. They draw from a pool of assistants when they need help, but for the most part they draft documents, compose letters, and communicate with clients on their own personal computers. Technology has cut out the middle man (or woman) including the personal secretary and the mailman.

It has also dramatically altered the way we make travel arrangements. It's still possible to make a reservation on the phone, but it costs more and usually takes more time. My guess is that it will cost even more and possibly take more time in the future. The future is online, but it has it's drawbacks... This morning I needed to make reservations for three round trip flights - two to East Meets West headquarters in Oakland and one from Seattle to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City these days) and return. The problem was that only one of them was a straight forward to and from situation. That was the first trip to Oakland - traveling alone. No problem.

The second trip to Oakland, with Marilynn, involved an Alaska Air companion ticket, and in order to get the discount code for the ticket I had to login to the Alaska website. But, although I had a frequent flier number and an Alaska Air Visa, I had never established an online account with them. It didn't take a lot of time, but it did take some and then I had to wait for a confirmation email that validated the transaction. Then I was able to go back to the website, login, and make the two reservations with the discount code. Slight irritation, but not really a problem - manageable.

The third trip, actually the third and fourth trips, are more complicated. This is where human to human contact can really make it easier. First, the login, followed by the reservation selection process. Seattle to HCMC is more complex than Seattle to Oakland. No airline flies non-stop, so there are a number of choices about when to depart and where to stop. I knew that Northwest/Delta offered the best fare for the dates and times we wanted to travel, because I researched fares yesterday on Orbitz and Travelocity. I also knew, from previous experience with Orbitz, that it is always better to cut out the middleman - there goes another middle person - and deal directly with the airline of choice. So far so good. Northwest on its own website was $100 cheaper than on Travelocity. But, there was a problem. Marilynn and I would be traveling to HCMC together but returning separately on different dates. You can't do two different reservations in one transaction online, so the process has to be repeated for each ticket.

First, I made my reservation (Seattle - Tokyo, Tokyo - HCMC), and then I went back to nwa.com to make Marilynn's. Login again, but this time I had to enroll Marilynn, because she has her own World Perks account. Enroll, wait, receive email confirmation, login again. It takes a little time - again. I repeat the process. I put in the flight cities, departure and return dates, etc. and check to ensure that I am booking her on the same flights that I have chosen for myself. Yup. Put in the credit card info, hit Purchase, and it's done. But not quite...

I purposely did not make seat selections, because I thought it would be impossible to coordinate online. I would, I thought, give them a call once we had confirmation numbers and ask that we be seated together outbound to HCMC. It didn't work that way. When the reservation confirmations arrived each one included seat assignments. I tried to solve the problem online, but a series of unsatisfying email form letter responses about how to make seat selections drove me to the phone. After sitting on hold for what seemed a long time a pleasant customer service agent came on and solved the problem. We are seated together to Saigon - at last.

These three or four transactions took almost 3 hours. I know that businesses and individuals are more productive now that we are able to work independently with the help of such extraordinary technology, but Oh my God did I wish for the old days when my secretary called the firm's travel agent and Shazzam the hard copy ticket showed up the next day by courier. I know we can't go back to the future, but look at the jobs we could create if we did.

Social Networking

I clearly remember sitting in a sidewalk cafe in Florence writing postcards to all my friends in the States. That was in 1965. I still write an occasional postcard when I think it's a particularly beautiful picture, but the world has changed incredibly since 1965. Now it's more likely that I will snap a picture with my iPhone add a short text message and email it on the spot to a friend in the United States or Europe. Instant communication is the norm now. That takes care of the touristy kind of correspondence that lets friends and family know that you're still alive and well in some far off place.

Until now I've been resisted other forms of social networking. Some will say I'm slow when it comes to commitment, but that's another story. I did join MySpace a couple of years ago because my grandchildren were on it and I could see (and hear) things they posted. My grandson, Larsen, is a talented rapper and I was able to hear him in action. Still, I never really got attached to MySpace and although I was a member I never posted a profile or picture. In the last couple of years Facebook, LinkedIn, and other sites have grown like mushrooms, but I still didn't buy in.

But - today - I caved in and joined Facebook, in spite of a National Public Radio feature last week that was entitled "Oh, my God, my parents are on Facebook." What about "Oh, my God my grandfather is on Facebook?" Actually, I think they'll approve as long as I don't get too hip, start sexting or acting like some depraved predator. It's a deal kids - nothing off the wall. After all, I don't want to be seen as some aged teen wannabe. What I really want is an up to date way to communicate with as many of my friends as possible, and the Facebook network is the way to do it right now.

I don't need to tweet on Twitter. My friends don't need to know that I'm stuck in Saigon's nightmarish traffic. They don't need to know that I'm watching CSI or the Dancing with the Stars. But, I would like to let them know the things I'm doing that might hold their interest for more than a minute or 140 characters.

Oh, by the way, I Skype too.

The adventure isn't always a rush

Getting ready to go on an new adventure can be tedious, stressful, frustrating, expensive, depressing, and downright unpleasant. I'm experiencing some of these emotions as we prepare to move, live, and work in Saigon. The visa process is a bit of a crapshoot. Vietnam is not a democracy, at least as we know it, and the process can, at its worst, be arbitrary and capricious. My new boss suggests we apply for a one year multiple entry visa but not to expect one for more than 6 months. The application requires a cover letter for business related visas that explains “purpose of travel, duration and moral and financial responsibilities.” John had never heard of such a letter requirement and "moral responsibilities" is a quagmire. I find myself getting irritated, and then I try to sit on the ugly American in me.

Life has always been easy for us. The US in essence ruled the world until recently and we have allowed ourselves to assume an air of entitlement. Of course, a Vietnamese wanting to visit or work in America would be expected to jump through a innumerable series of hoops and time delays. Why should it be different for us? We're spoiled because we have become accustomed to crossing borders without visas or even without passports until recently. The European Union has made it a smooth transition from country to country and Americans have been the beneficiaries of a soft immigration policy that gives most favored nation status to American citizens traveling in the EU. But, the world is changing. America has worn out its welcome in many parts of the world, and national pride has risen in emerging nations that are striving to establish boundaries and national credibility.

So, I'm writing a cover letter explaining my purpose, my sponsor, and my moral responsibility so I can live and work in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Never mind that my purpose is to help build the medical and educational infrastructure and/or deliver public health services to a portion of the Vietnamese population. I owe it to the people and the government of Vietnam to explain my purpose. So, I'll suck it up and jump through the hoops.

Travel is always interesting whether it's for business or pleasure. It can be a metaphor for living. We have to prepare well, set reasonable expectations, and be flexible. This is particularly true for the lone traveler or a small self supported group. Trips rarely go as planned, but that's part of the adventure. At home there is usually a routine that serves as a template for the day, week or month. On the road you have to make it up as you go along. Every day there are new challenges - where to eat, what to see, how far to travel, where to sleep, am I paying too much, etc. At home these decisions are supported by a familiar environment. On the road every one of them asks us to consider a number of alternatives - most of them unfamiliar. They take us out of our comfort zone in some cases. That's where the adventure kicks in. Business or pleasure it's always different and sometimes challenging but it's never routine. That's what I like about it.

The Next Adventure

I am a relentless world traveler and want to share the pleasure, adventure, and insights (past and present) that this experience has given me.

After graduating from college in Seattle I zigzagged through a series jobs that allowed me to live in a number of interesting places - Florida, Texas, California, New York, Idaho, Utah, and Washington as well as overseas in St. Tropez, France and Berlin, Germany. When I wasn't working I was busy skiing, hiking, and cycling around Europe and Asia. My world view has been shaped by my work/travel experience.

We live in a global culture. We are all interconnected. In September a new adventure begins for me - helping the East Meets West Foundation (http://www.eastmeetswest.org/ )raise money for important medical and educational programs and projects in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Three years ago my partner, Marilynn, and I spent three weeks touring Vietnam by bicycle. We fell in love with the country and the people. Now we are going back in a work capacity.

As Americans, we want to show the people of Vietnam our best selves. I think East Meets West is doing just that. It is improving the lives of the Vietnamese people by underwriting programs that improve infant and maternal health, repair infant heart defects, provide clean water systems for villages, build schools, clinics, and hospitals throughout the country. Many organizations are doing good works in the world. East Meets West is one of them. I'm very happy to be helping out.

Stay tuned and I'll take you along on the journey.