Logistics

Glad you asked, Hans. I should have included that in my Frequently Asked Questions.

I do not blog from my phone, because I am not that technologically advanced (and either is my phone), but that's not a bad idea.

In situations where I don't have immediate internet access-- in China, in the car or anywhere outside the house for that matter, I do record the conversations for future transcriptions. Seriously-- I take notes. Usually I just jot down key words, but occasionally I have to capture her exact wording (or translation thereof).

One of the reasons I don't like it when mom calls just before I go to bed is that she often says something that infuriates me, and I feel compelled to blog about it.

You asked, "Are you arguing for your mother and then excuse yourself to go and use your laptop in the bathroom?"

It's even more farcical than that-- I walk over to her computer room, and blog from her computer. When I first started doing this I was very careful-- deleted the browser history every time, etc. Now if I'm feeling careful, I switch to a different tab when she walks into the room.

I would love to use my own laptop-- first of all, we I wouldn't have to share the computer or risk exposure-- and I once brought my laptop, but she doesn't have wireless or an extra cable hookup. So her computer it is.

I do feel slightly guilty, because the main reason she hasn't caught me is that she doesn't suspect anything, and you don't see things you're not looking for. But part of it is also mom's own impatience and lack of attention to detail: if she were to stumble on the blog, she wouldn't read far enough in to recognize that it's about her. Consider this: a few years ago, she was planning a trip to Buenos Aires. I sent her an Economist article on artistic and cultural goings-on in Buenos Aires. She didn't read it; she called me and asked me why I sent it to her. Variations of this kind of thing occur regularly.

Having said that, I've gotten entirely too complacent. I really should return to deleting the browsing history and taking other precautions. Thanks for the reminder.