Laptop Decisions

I went to hang out with my Thai friend and his host brother, who is from Pakistan, on Saturday. We deicided to go play laser tag, which neither of them had done since coming to America. They had a blast! And my sister, mother, and I did too. My mom thought it was interesting how even though they were from two different countries they both acted like brothers who had known each other their whole lives. I guess that means I'll be the same way with my host family when I get to Thailand. LOL

While I did have a lot of fun, there were times that we had to wait, such as in the car on the way there, in line, etc. So we all took these times to ask each other a bunch of questions. XD One that I asked was whether or not I should bring my laptop. I had been debating this in my mind for awhile. AFS discourages students from bringing laptops (or other similar devices) with them since they can be a distraction. When studying abroad, these distractions that seem harmless can actually be pretty harmful in the relationship between student and family. For example, students who frequently spend time online may miss out on important family bonding activities.

Another point AFS adds is that laptops can increase the feeling of homesickness. This might seem strange to some of you at first, but there is some logic to it. For example, if a student were to feel homesick and turn to chatting online to people back in America, it would make them want to go back even more. That's certainly not what I want. Plus, laptops can get stolen...

On the other hand, my friends told me that I should bring a laptop because people in Thailand may want to email or chat to me. If I do not have my laptop, then I might not be able to do this, which would cause me to be an outcast. Not that I really mind being unpopular, it's just that it would be hard to relate and make connections. My Thai friend also added that as long as I do not spend a bunch of time online talking to people in America, or doing American things, then it should be perfectly fine. And as long as I make sure to use the laptop while in an area of my host house where there is family members I can talk to, my host family should not mind. Plus, there are backpacks available for purchase that are meant to protect laptops from theft.

From all this, I think I am leaning more towards bringing one, especially since I want to keep up with this blog. But I'm not quite sure. So if anyone out there is reading this, what do you think? Let me know in the comments. Thanks!

Also! A fabulous shout out to Mary Kate Lyons! For being the first subscriber to the blog! :3 *throws confetti*

*~*Thai Girl Miki*~*