My mobile now is out of order.

I only read my friend’s email this morning. It has caused me to have nice dinner in a fine dine Italian restaurant in a big chain five-star hotel in Nusa Dua last night. When I met my Indian friend family a few days ago, we promised to let each other know if something cancels our appointment. I didn’t hear from them and of course I let them know that I was on my way.

Anyway, I don’t know what happened but I didn’t get any message in the reception so I had no idea how to find them in such a big hotel. I called their room three times and no answer. Later I found out in the email they were waiting for me at the Club Lounge. How would I know? Sitting by myself in the restaurant, I was pondering those days without cell phone that I survived a pretty smooth dating in my twenties. How did I do it that now I could not do? Or, people could not do it anymore. We have depended on our communication device so much that we lose our creativity to connect in ‘the jungle.’

I had no complaint. It’s just nice to be in different ‘island’ for a while. Nusa Dua and Jimbaran areas are like different island to me because of different atmosphere and vegetation. Later I sat with drivers and guides picking up hotel guests on road borders in airport waiting for a friend to arrive. Bali has really nice weather these days. I didn’t feel December in Bali last night, the breeze was cooler like end of winter in Bali in September. The sky was so clear so it was really nice to sit in open air.

Thinking that my friend might have thought I have a Blackberry that I could read his email real time, I smiled. Many people believe I use one. Knowing that I don’t use one, they laughed at me considering I’m stingy. I am stingy when it comes to updating cell phone to the latest model. Yes. I don’t like to say but I simply have ‘that feeling’ when it comes to BB (popular term for ‘that’). In my view, BB has changed people's behavior. They connect with virtual friends more than with people around them. In Jakarta it’s so easy to spot such scene where people sit together but all are busy with their device. And more, the other day, a friend told us via Facebook that he plans to get a low-priced computer to put in his helper quarter as the helpers want to... Facebook-ing. Oh wow!

Go to extremes, which I should choose? Engaging more with virtual friends via any device or disengaging almost completely like some?

I like real friends by keeping virtual ones. Like my friend said… Being a purist - insist on absolute adherence to traditional rules. I’m into that now.

Jakarta scene I caught last July.