Campfire Camping Teapot Tea Flask (2021)
Time Slows Down As My Appreciation Grows
As the sunlight glares radiantly through the window, I awake naturally from my slumber once again. Since modern technology disappeared, I've had to rely on the rooster's crow to attend my morning lectures at the university. But for today, it seems that I've missed the crow since I'm still accustomed to waking up to a phone alarm.
It has been three months since the death of technology, and the world has calmed down from its initial panic. Everyone has accepted the change and is trying their best to live a new life without technology, the same goes for me.
Traveling to the university has now become a journey. When I still had my car, it would only take 10 minutes for me to arrive, and I could even listen to my favourite music along the way. Now, I just sightsee while humming to my own tune while I stroll down the street. To be honest, it is quite relaxing to enjoy myself while slowly making my way to class.
Speaking of late, I can't even tell the time anymore. The clocks and watches had vanished, leaving the world with just morning, afternoon, and night. To adjust for this, the university only schedules classes at exactly sunrise, midday, and sunset. This way, students would know when to show up to class.
The funny thing, I switched my major because Software Engineering is no longer useful. Instead, I'm studying something more meaningful in a world without technology, agriculture. As for the many other technology-related degree students, they dropped studying and entered the workforce as manual labour workers.
My mother usually sends me texts on social media to make sure I'm safe and well. Since the disappearance of the Internet, we have been sending each other handwritten letters to keep in touch. Oddly enough, I've actually communicated with her more than ever when social media still existed. All of a sudden, a ton of postal service companies were established, enabling people across the country to communicate in as little as a few weeks.
I can't go back to my hometown as walking across different states would take at least several weeks. Since I have my own responsibilities, I cannot afford to just leave for a long period of time before finishing my studies. The same goes for material goods and food being transported across the nation. But even then, water and food are plenty across Malaysia, so no one is complaining about starvation. If you ever have cravings for a certain food, you just have to endure it.
Surprisingly, medicines still exist as they are not technologies. Unfortunately, procedures such as ICU, X-ray, and Ultrasound no longer exist. I've heard from others that many had perished due to the lack of facilities. Fortunately, drugs and surgical tools still exist, and the sick can still be cured. I'm just thankful that my friends, families and I are all in good health.
Without entertainment such as videos and games, life suddenly became a whole lot more boring. To stay occupied, a lot of people suddenly picked up cards, board, and verbal games. I would play many rounds of chess with my friend each and every day. I think this phenomenon is great for the population as it stimulates our brains to think critically, rather than mindlessly scrolling through social media for hours on end. It honestly is quite a refreshing change to the entertainment scene.
Soon, I came to learn about chaotic events that had occurred since the disappearance of technology. Firstly, nuclear power plants had malfunctioned because the nuclear reaction could not be maintained. Luckily, no meltdowns had occurred, preventing a nuclear fallout. Secondly, national confidential information and public records were all lost because they were all stored in computers, causing a lot of people to be considered as unofficial citizens. How are we supposed to prove our identity with just an identification card?
As the gasoline lamp illuminated the room dimly, I sat on my bed, reading the international newspaper detailing all the chaotic events. The international newspaper is only published once a month, and I think it is a good idea to keep up with the current state of the world. Once the moon shines gleamingly in the night sky, it would be time for me to hit the sack.
Laying on my bed, I reflect on the world before and after the disappearance of technology. I believe that I've come to appreciate how much simpler life has been since there is no technology. I no longer play video games until midnight and doom scroll on social media. Time itself had felt slower, not in a boring way, but in a meaningful way.
Life is harder, sure, but it also feels more real. From boiling water with sticks over a fire to walking everywhere for hours to get things done, every task requires effort, but it also brings a sense of fulfilment. My days always start with the rooster's crow and end when the moon shines the brightest.
If technology were to suddenly suddenly one day, I think it would completely reset how we, as humanity, approach technology. But if it never returns, I don't think I would be too upset either. For the first time in my life, I'm not just living through time; I'm experiencing and appreciating it.
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