International Internet

Today I am in love with the internet.

I saw a news article yesterday about how a newly-developed custom of chaining locks onto the oldest bridge in Rome has turned into an infrastructure problem. Someone's set up a website where lovers can put virtual locks and chains on a virtual lampost: www.lucchettipontemilvio.com.

Visiting the website made me feel very nostalgic. When I was a junior in high school I went to Italy for a month as part of a summer student exchange. I have often thought of Alessandra, my exchange partner, but not known how to get in touch with her after all these years. As I was looking at the locks on the lucchetti website, reading the names and hoping to see one with her name on it, it occurred to me that the Internet could help me get in touch with her again.

I "googled" her name, but didn't find any contact information for her. However, I did find her brother's name on a website. I filled out a contact form for the website asking the webmaster to pass along my email address.

All this was last night about 10:00. I went to bed thinking maybe my efforts would pay off in a couple of months, if ever.

At 7:00 this morning I got an email from Alessandra!

So I'm in love with the Internet today.

People used to talk about wanting Internet access so they could keep in touch with distant friends and relatives. In reality, people forward cutsey emails with funny or poignant sayings--glurge, my husband calls it. Rarely do people actually communicate with each other.

I'm not a forwarder. If I forward something to you, it's because I really think you have an interest in the information. And I always vet the email at www.snopes.com if it's some warning about poisoned pets, etc.

At work, I use email for quick and succinct communication--just the facts, ma'am.

I'm not any better at using email for keeping in touch with friends and relatives than I was at using snail mail for that. But after today, I vow to do better. I'm going to send a meaningful email to my distant friends and relatives at least once a month.

The internet really can be used to bring us all closer. Today, I'm in love with the internet.

Q is for Duck: An Alphabet Guessing Game by Mary Elting and Michael Folsom

I've discovered a delightful picture book. Lively informal drawings are brightly colored to illustrate the pattern: "A is for zoo. Why? Because animals live there."

Each page is a little riddle for your pre-school or Kinder student or child to solve. The pattern is easy for a pre-reader to pick up on and enhances his or her print awareness.

Q is for Duck has become a favorite at our house. I won't be surprised if it's the first book my daughter reads.