On my desk : Amanda Donigi

Connecting the Pacific

My working day tends to be stimulating but also quite technical. My days begin with emails, both responding to them and starting new conversations with new networks. It can continue on with research and writing and sometimes I hit the streets or attend events and press conferences where I try to find interesting new ways of telling a story.

So I can’t get by without my iPhone. I feel a little anxious when I lose track of it, even for a few minutes. It’s my mobile office. I can email from it, search online and update social media for my business, and of course it has all my contacts in the address book and a calendar. I am loyal to a set of apps that I check in on every few hours. I can do my banking on it, and it takes great photos and has an inbuilt voice recorder that I use as back up to my camera and digital recorder. I draw the line at writing or editing stories on my iPhone though. I need my computer for this.

My iPhone keeps me connected to all the people in my network from Papua New Guinea to Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Australia and New Zealand no matter where I am. I wouldn’t say I am available any time, but I can certainly reach out when I need to because of this amazing piece of technology.

The best thing about it is the size and practicality. It’s compact and designed to our human instincts. The worst thing is its battery life, so I also carry a pre-charged battery, a wall charger and a car charger when I’m out of the office, just to be safe.

I think my family thinks I’m addicted to my phone but I try not to be anti-social and I know they are slowly joining the bandwagon and understanding the benefits of a smartphone. I wouldn’t give it up for a glass of water in the hot midday sun.

Amanda is the founder and editor of Pacific Pencil Ltd, publisher of Stella Magazine in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Her vision for Stella Magazine is to provide an outlet for emerging and established writers to entertain and inform a young and influential audience in and from the Pacific region. Amanda hopes to challenge stereotypes levied on Pacific islanders by mainstream media by sharing positive stories and celebrating indigenous role models. Follow Amanda on Twitter and on Instagram.