Sunday 17 October 2010

No computer, no TV, no mobile...

What would you do to fill your time with no computer, no TV, no mobile... no electricity?

In response to ecomagination's challenge, this group of people have decided to try out camping. The video made me laugh because my parents always took me camping. If you've ever done the same, you'll realise that there's nothing quite like camping...



So, have you been camping? Did you or do you enjoy it? Would you give it a try? Would you manage a few days or weeks without your computer, TV or mobile? And, if you watch all the video, what is your answer to her question at 3:30?

12 comments:

  1. My comment just went blank... OK, I've just learned the lesson, I will be saving it constantly now.

    What I was saying was that the video made me laugh too, but not exactly for the same reason. I mean, how old exactly is she? I'm not judging, it's just that she is acting childishly.

    Anyways, let's get to the point of the comment. I have to admit I'm a great techie. I use technology for everything, it simply amazes me because it is so useful. I even find myself looking desperately for coverage of for wifi connection. However, I'm sure that I would obviously survive without it.
    The thing is, even if I could (which I can), is it really necessary? Now we have them, why not using them? They're not invented for nothing, so let's make the most of it! And that's exactly the point I follow.

    About camping, I have gone camping. As far as my memory reaches, I remember going camping just once, two summers ago, and it wasn't exactly authentic camping. Let me tell you: I summer in Sant Pol de Mar, and every summer, in mid-August, there is a party, organised by the village which is totally alternative and hippie, where artesans all around Catalunya can sell their products and stuff... It isn't exactly my ideal party, but knowing everyone makes it really fun. The thing is this celebration lasts 3 days, and every night there is a different party, and it has become a tradition to camp there those three days and follow this alternative flow. So there was one summer when we camped there. As I've mentioned, it wasn't authentic camping, because we only slept there and we could just go home to have a shower or so... But that was a terrible experience. I have never in my life slept worst than how I slept in the tent. The floor was too hard, there was a lot of noise so I couldn't sleep until the party was over at 8am, and by that time the sun had already risen.
    So with this experience I certainly conclude that I HATE CAMPING. And answering to the question of the video, I wouldn't go camping with any two people in the world, because I would simply NOT GO CAMPING!

    Carlota Guilera

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  2. And as you can see, it's not a matter of isolation, its just a matter of comfortability!

    Carlota Guilera

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  3. WOW... I couldn't imagine a life without all these advanced tecnologies. Im in front of a tv 2 hours a day ,in front of a computer 2 hours a day and speaking with the mobile more than once a day. I think that everybody nowadays needs these new technologies,they make life much more comfortale than in old days and help you to get information quicker.
    In the hypotetic case that there were no technologies, I would dedicate myself to studie or do more cultural activities like read or play an instrument.

    About camping, I have gone camping,and I find it a really good experience ,although my camping wasn't very real(in the garden) being in a tent with your friends the hole night is very funny. I remember a few summers ago we went camping and we told each other fear stories and played stupid games that you will never play after that. I really loved it but I have to admit that lots of people don't like camping,mainly because they are to ' tikismikis' and want to sleep in a bed,warm and verycomfortable,but I can sleep wherever you want so that's not a problem for me.

    Pedro Balaña

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  4. There's a great way of saying 'tikismikis' in English, which sounds very similar: pernickety.

    I have to say I loved camping as there's nothing better than being cozy in a tent with the rain lashing and wind blowing outside - as long as you have already gone to the toilet, that is!

    Plus being in a tent is part of memories of family holidays: sharing together, having fun and so on.

    My best time must have been wilderness camping in the snow, but surrounded by fire (in Iceland). I agree with Carlota that semi-camping is simply not worth it. When there are lots of people around, you simply don't sleep and start to miss a good bed.

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  5. I loved this video! I have already seen some of this user's videos on Youtube before. I agree with Carlota, she's definately childish, but her videos are always a lot of fun!

    This summer when I was in the US I went camping in a big group to an island. It was an island specifically used for camping, called Blake Island. It was supposed to be a survival camping, as we had to cook our own food for two days, which were basically hot dogs and smores, and we had to protect them from the raccoons which tried to sleal them from us! I had lots of fun, which I would've never expected because I'm not a fan of these activities in general! I have to say, however, that I shared my tent with a friend who is crazy about camping, and she was the one to build the tent, and lend me all of the 'professional' camping material, so it was a mostly lazy day for me :)

    About technology, I think we believe ourselves to be more attached to our computers and cellphones than we actually are. During a month this summer I couldn't really use either of them and I was glad to find out that I could have fun without them!

    In conclusion, camping will never be my favorite thing in the world but it doesn't have to be a nightmare. If I could go with anyone, I guess I'd go with some of my friends because it would be so much fun! One of them would have to be my camping-expert friend, because I don't think I'd ever be able to even build the tent on my own!

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  6. Elena Vall Filella20 October 2010 at 21:08

    Well, I finally have found some spear time to comment your blog again, although I was meaning to comment some recent add but they were all about football. Although I like football and I’m a faithful supporter of FCB, I hardly ever watch their matches and don’t know the rules of football and all that stuff. I hope you haven’t started to solely right about football!

    I’ve been once in my life on camping and it was a really unpleasant experience… They gave us a tent for four people and the animators of the summer camp I went to, made us share it between seven people. So we had to squash in there as we could, I couldn’t even change my position while sleeping and I had a terrible pain on my back the next day. In addition, I hardly slept that night because there was someone snoring in my tent. We had to close the tent’s door, because it was too cold at night, but we barely could breathe by the morning. Maybe it was simply a bad experience or maybe I’m just not made to camp but anyways, I’m not looking forward to repeat my experience.

    I always think I’m not addicted to electronic gadgets, but the fact is, that not one day passes by, without me turning on my computer or sending a text message by phone or watching TV. I’ve grown so accustomed to electronic devices being there, that it’s difficult for me to be sure if I would miss them in my life if I stopped using them.

    Finally, answering the question at the end of the video, as much as I regret my first try at camping, I would choose anyone which is clean and chatty because I‘m quite sure it would be very difficult for me to sleep, so at least I would be entertained.

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  7. Berta Reventós Meseguer21 October 2010 at 21:57

    This video is quite pathetic. I think the girl is very dumb, she is extremely excited for spending a night out in her friends back yard, "camping" and isolated from technology. If she really wants to disconnect from all the electronic devices that mantain her busy all day, she should try real camping, out in the mountains.

    I am not critizicing the fact that she wants to have a bit of fun with her friends, but just watching her scream as she spoke and shrieking with laughter at any stupid joke got me on my nerves.

    Anyway, focusing on the main subject, camping, I think that once in a while going camping is fun, either with friends or family. What I could never do would be to live in a tent for like a month. I need my clothes to be clean, warmth, a comfy bed, a shower per day, etc. With this I am not being pernickety: I simply love arriving home and finding everything in its place. But again, camping occasionally is real fun.

    The first time I went camping was when I was like five years old, with friends and family. I was really excited but when I woke up in the morning I felt frozen from head to toes, and I just wanted to get home and have a cup of hot milk, cover myself up with a blanket on the sofa, watch TV and slowly fall asleep while the coldness continued outside.

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  8. Andrea Domènech24 October 2010 at 19:27

    I have to say that this video made me laugh.
    She is funny, I just think is the way she talks and expresses herself. She is so excited to go on camping, one night.

    But any way, I’ve been camping before, and I have to say that if you are with your friends it can be such a good idea, you just laugh and enjoy even though you don’t have any kind of technology around you, it’s a big challenge. But you definitely find things to do, and you enjoy it!

    First time I went on camping was when I was little and I went with my group of friends and one of my friend’s parents. I have to say that It was a challenge for those parents, as it was a group of young children camping in the middle of nowhere. First of all it was the tend, it was so difficult to build but finally we did it, but then started raining, so we decided to go in and just talk, we spend ages talking, and telling horror stories. It was hilarious.

    I don’t think I would be able to stay for more than 3 days, just because I’m so use to new technologies, such as TV, laptop, mobile phone…anything. Now a days everyone but even more teenagers, use technology everyday, it can be because we are playing or working or just to do something. I think we’re kind of addicted to technology.

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  9. Definitely, going to a five-star hotel is better. I cannot think of a person who would prefer a tent than a Presidential Suite. However, camping someday with friends or to have an adventure is perfectly funny and I would probably do it.

    But that's it, just with friends for fun or something like feeling an adventurous person for one time but nothing more. Would you prefer camping that going to a five star hotel? Or maybe less, it doesn't matter...

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  10. I agree with some of the above people that said that the girl in the video is childish. However, i don't think she's really like that but that it's just a technique she uses to maintain her viewers entertained. After all, the video is really long and if she just showed what she did for 4 minutes everyone would get bored and stop watching the video.

    I have gone camping several times before and I find that it's a really good and fun experience especially when you do it with friends. I would probably recommend everyone to try camping at least once in their lives because they might turn out really enjoying it. However I have to agree with Ian that going camping in a backyard isn't the same as doing it in a wild place.

    About not using technologies in a while, I have done it loads of times before especially when I go on holidays. I don't feel the need to access a computer or watch TV but I have to agree with Carlota that if we have these technologies I don't see why we shouldn't use them.

    Even though I enjoy learning to do thing with the computer, I also think that both computers and TV’s can make you waste a lot of time. If we didn't spend as much time using these addictive technologies we would probably be benefiting from reading or other activities.

    In the end, I think it's all a matter of organisation and spending an equalized amount of time using technology and doing other activities.

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  11. Poor Elena!

    I'm sure that Silvi, my wife, must have felt the same the time that we camped in Montseny. It was a nice warm April day when we arrived... But when we woke the next morning we were frozen. Once we'd persuaded our fingers to fumble-open the sleeping bags and, trembling, put on all our extra clothes, we tried getting out of the tent... to find that the zip was jambed. Eventually we worked it open and found out why it hadn't budged: it had snowed during the night and the tent was covered in a layer of ice from our (condensed) breathing. In the end it turned out okay as we had one of the most amazing hikes in the snow. But the first half an hour was painful. Very painful.

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  12. "jammed" (not jambed - sorry!)

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