Globalisation
Now I know this will sound like a far-fetched story to many local readers, but - believe it or not - there are places in the world where it is not possible to buy a copy of the Stornoway Gazette for love or money.
Despite repeated pleading in my local news agents, the best they could offer was a copy of El Pais, the Irish Times or the Daily Record (European edition) all at least 36 hours old.
This apparent poverty of information came home to me as we crossed La Rubicon on the way to the airport, and I thought about what I might be missing. And then I worried that there had been something important. And then I stopped worrying.
To have been largely out of touch with the news - bar a flickering intermittent CCN Europe and BBC World service - has been refreshing, and the prospect of being smothered in everything I have missed over the past two weeks is almost frightening.
Hopefully, there will be three copies of the Gazette waiting for me, so I can catch up on the Butt to Barra News and read all the letters from serial correspondents bringing heat, but rarely light, into the hot topic of the week. Usually, this is some major religious dispute about some arcane aspect which has the audience snoring in their seats.
Thankfully, my cynicism glands are fully recharged and refilled and I hope to entertain and irritate in equal measure until my next well-earned break.
Despite repeated pleading in my local news agents, the best they could offer was a copy of El Pais, the Irish Times or the Daily Record (European edition) all at least 36 hours old.
This apparent poverty of information came home to me as we crossed La Rubicon on the way to the airport, and I thought about what I might be missing. And then I worried that there had been something important. And then I stopped worrying.
To have been largely out of touch with the news - bar a flickering intermittent CCN Europe and BBC World service - has been refreshing, and the prospect of being smothered in everything I have missed over the past two weeks is almost frightening.
Hopefully, there will be three copies of the Gazette waiting for me, so I can catch up on the Butt to Barra News and read all the letters from serial correspondents bringing heat, but rarely light, into the hot topic of the week. Usually, this is some major religious dispute about some arcane aspect which has the audience snoring in their seats.
Thankfully, my cynicism glands are fully recharged and refilled and I hope to entertain and irritate in equal measure until my next well-earned break.
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