所谓的办公室，无处不在
<p>“<span word="Where">Where</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="office">office</span>, <span word="amai">amai</span> (<span word="mother">mother</span>)?” <span word="the">the</span> <span word="phone">phone</span> <span word="card">card</span> <span word="vendor">vendor</span> <span word="asks">asks</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="stride">stride</span> <span word="toward">toward</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="shopping">shopping</span> <span word="mall">mall</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="eastern">eastern</span> <span word="Zimbabwe">Zimbabwe</span>, <span word="my">my</span> <span word="laptop">laptop</span> <span word="slung">slung</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="shoulder">shoulder</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="stop">stop</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="second">second</span>. <span word="Office">Office</span>? <span word="I">I</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="one">one</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="worked">worked</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="office">office</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="nearly">nearly</span> 10 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="headquarters">headquarters</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="news">news</span> <span word="agency">agency</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Paris">Paris</span>. <span word="Computers">Computers</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="sprinkled">sprinkled</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="desks">desks</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="ungainly">ungainly</span> <span word="confetti">confetti</span>, <span word="colleagues">colleagues</span> <span word="ordered">ordered</span> “<span word="recasts">recasts</span>” <span word="and">and</span> “<span word="wraps">wraps</span>” <span word="as">as</span> <span word="coolly">coolly</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="milkshakes">milkshakes</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="graceful">graceful</span> <span word="Place">Place</span> <span word="de">de</span> <span word="la">la</span> <span word="Bourse">Bourse</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="several">several</span> <span word="floors">floors</span> <span word="below">below</span>.</p><p><span word="Before">Before</span> <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="my">my</span> <span word="office">office</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dark">dark</span> <span word="newsroom">newsroom</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="International">International</span> <span word="Herald">Herald</span> <span word="Tribune">Tribune</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Neuilly">Neuilly</span>-<span word="sur">sur</span>-<span word="Seine">Seine</span>, <span word="where">where</span>, <span word="fresh">fresh</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="university">university</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="distributed">distributed</span> <span word="photocopies">photocopies</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="day">day</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="paper">paper</span> <span word="layout">layout</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="dreamed">dreamed</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="swashbuckling">swashbuckling</span> <span word="future">future</span>.</p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="in">in</span> 2000 <span word="I">I</span> <span word="met">met</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="man">man</span> <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="d">d</span> <span word="marry">marry</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="six">six</span> <span word="months">months</span> <span word="later">later</span>, <span word="my">my</span> <span word="life">life</span>—<span word="and">and</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="subsequent">subsequent</span> <span word="offices">offices</span>—<span word="changed">changed</span> <span word="beyond">beyond</span> <span word="recognition">recognition</span>.</p><p><span word="As">As</span> <span word="freelancers">freelancers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Southern">Southern</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="learned">learned</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="set">set</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="makeshift">makeshift</span> <span word="workrooms">workrooms</span>, <span word="my">my</span> <span word="beau">beau</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="I">I</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="places">places</span>. <span word="Like">Like</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="dingy">dingy</span> <span word="cafe">cafe</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Mozambican">Mozambican</span> <span word="border">border</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="lurid">lurid</span> <span word="flowery">flowery</span> <span word="lampshades">lampshades</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="greasy">greasy</span> <span word="toast">toast</span> <span word="but">but</span>—<span word="joy">joy</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="joys">joys</span>!—<span word="a">a</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="flat">flat</span>-<span word="screen">screen</span> <span word="TV">TV</span> <span word="showing">showing</span> <span word="CNN">CNN</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="living">living</span> <span word="room">room</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="flat">flat</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="rented">rented</span> <span word="once">once</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="posters">posters</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="dolphins">dolphins</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="walls">walls</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="cardboard">cardboard</span>-<span word="thin">thin</span>: <span word="When">When</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="washed">washed</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="linen">linen</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bathtub">bathtub</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="hear">hear</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="answering">answering</span> <span word="slap">slap</span>-<span word="slap">slap</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="neighbor">neighbor</span> <span word="doing">doing</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="own">own</span> <span word="laundry">laundry</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="inches">inches</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="nose">nose</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="hung">hung</span> <span word="duvets">duvets</span> <span word="round">round</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stairwell">stairwell</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="create">create</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="soundproof">soundproof</span> <span word="booth">booth</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="husband">husband</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="radio">radio</span> <span word="recordings">recordings</span>.</p>
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