Saturday 6 June 2009

The Kiwi has landed: Part 3


....and so the story enters its final stages......

Which brings me to the point that it was strange having this woman approach and talk to me because I was in a world of my own. Despite being in the middle of a city, in a crowded supermarket car park, I was alone. The reason being that for the past hour, I had managed to go grocery shopping and get petrol without having to talk to another person. One of the surprising things about this particular supermarket is that you can do everything without the help of any staff member. After selecting all of my groceries, I proceeded through the checkout. This is no ordinary checkout though, I had to scan all of the items and pack them myself. To pay I simply interfaced with a computer which takes cash or cards before sending you on your way. I didn’t need to utter a word, less I draw strange looks for trying to start a conversation with the machine. With my discount fuel docket in hand, I headed to fill up with petrol. Again, a silent computer offered me instructions on what to do and what codes to enter before allowing the fuel to flow. Unbeknown to me, without the annoying distraction of having to communicate with living souls, my mind had shut down. Then, out of the corner of my eye I see a woman approaching me and she must have mistaken me for another human because she………talked to me! I was totally unprepared for this new type of interface in my day, but it made me feel alive like I had just woken up in a sunny new world.
What you will do matters. All you need is to do it. (Judy Grahn)

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Mt Karioi

Mt Karioi