My sister's answering machine message assures callers that she is 'incommunicado at present ad will get back to them later.
Once upon a time holidays were a time to be 'incommunicado' (not communicating with anyone else because you do not want to or are not allowed to.) Only urgent communication happened and that not easily.
How things have changed. On day one of my holiday I answered emails from home giving info needed for an upcoming event and so did himself.
On our first trip to Darwin in 2005 our daughter was completing her thesis and needed it proofread. So we visited the Internet cafe to access it. Remember those days? Now there is free wifi in the hotel foyer and in our room as long as we sign op for the loyalty program, and while eating my fries (and free Coke because I'm a senior) in Maccas there was free access to my Facebook friends.
In the days of our first Nokias we got a call while we were in the Museum at Townsville and I remember David standing with eyes closed trying to visualise a computer keyboard and talk a colleague through some hassle.
Or there was the time when I answered his phone. He was on long service leave and despite giving instructions on who to call when needed one of the bosses called him. Unlucky for him he got me and I informed him that we were on holiday on Mt Hotham (in October) and David was inspecting the last remnant of snow. The man knew there was someone else to call but that person hadn't answered and he didn't know what else to do to solve his problem. Really. He was plaid heaps to know what to do and I nearly told him! He was suitably repentant when next I saw him.
Then of course there's social contact with family and friends. No more perusing the tourist shops and newsagents for the cheapest postcards and sending them off. (I used to send Mum a postcard each day I was away.) Instead I'll ping them a text message 'wish you were here' and maybe a picture of me in the pool or of the leftover cold pizza for breakfast. Hm! Holidays....
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