I thought I was addicted to technology...

Right, I thought I was addicted to technology. No. Simply, no. I have been working now in southern Asia (Singapore) since early March 2009; four weeks here, four weeks back in the States. I know the people of Japan generally embrace technology with an enthusiasm that is unmatched with the other groups of people in the world. What I did not know is that it isn't the only Asian Nation that is like that. Singaporeans it seems are just as crazy about technology as the Japs are. I haven't traveled across the face of Japan's land yet, although I plan to before I die. I have only been through the Narita International Airport east of Tokyo. I have been at this airport at different times of the day and have seen it VERY quiet and VERY busy. Regardless of the time of day I have been there, I see at least 80% of the people with some kind of technologically advance device in the hand tied to their head or connected to ear buds (as no one in the day-in-age in Japan uses real headphones as they are clunky and cumbersome although they do provide superior sound quality over ear buds). In South Korea, it was much the same. Asians everywhere with a handheld digital machine used for some sort of entertainment or communication. Although there hasn't been many Asian Nations that I have visited, I have met people from most of them. From Indian to China, Mongolia to Japan, and Sumatra to the Filipino Islands technology is the common denominator. Even the poorest I have met in Singapore have a cellular phone. How they acquired it and who they talk to, I do not know. I do see that they all have one. Most have the cheapest models available. A few have procured nicer mobile phones through some means that I probably don't want to know about. Indian, Malay, Bangi, Thailanese, Bhutanese, and all the other "ese" peoples, each have a phone. Most Singaporeans that I have seen through my ever shifting eyes have nicer phones, i.e., iPhones 3GS, Blackberry Storm, etc. This I have noticed since that March I arrived many months ago. A recent development brought about by Christmas is that their fierce obsession with technology does not end by any means at the mobile phone. No. As I walked the streets on my way to Plaza Singapore (a six level building of pure shopping and movie watching)l I noticed another form of technology that was making its' presence known via bright flashes of electric light. Cameras. DSLR and Point-and-shoots were EVERYWHERE. Any direction you looked on Orchard Rd. from the Killiney Rd. intersection (except the way I came) you could see sudden illuminations that lasted less than a second that flashed about randomly. Singaporeans, like the Japanese and Koreans, love technology. Not surprising once you realize this that all the flashes make sense. Obviously we in the U.S. as a people do not come close to the technological infatuation that the Asians I have seen. I do not consider myself a technophile, but I suppose I could be. Actually, I am.