Early start to the day, and it's heart-breaking. I left a birthday boy a message on his answering machine after calculating transatlantic time. I ate strawberries and cream and learnt to distinguish between sour cream and pouring cream.I know now that there are chilli and lime-flavoured chocolates and I don't really enjoy the cold.And that there is a difference between oranges and clementines.

Skype, emails, gchats-nothing makes it better. Relying on words rather than actions to communicate can only be a part of the picture. What about the lived-in experience of it all?

I know I am missing out on the nuances of the lives of  some of the people I love.