What's app? What's that?

In the last 16 hours or so, I've become quite familiar with the image you see below.  It's the icon on my phone for the What's App app. Is it something you use also?

I am a brand new What's app user, I will confess.  About six months ago, a friend in England suggested I download it so we could stay in touch more often and not pay for phone calls. I didn't do it.  About two months ago, one of the Pink Lionesses asked me if I was on What's App.  No. I'm not. I didn't give it another thought.  Truth be told, I communicate with most people regularly via Facebook.  

A few weeks ago after finally upgrading to a new phone, I was loading apps onto it when I decided, what the heck, and onto my phone went What's App.  It sat there, I didn't use it. Until last night. 

Just before dinner time I noticed my phone was vibrating, a notification of some sort.  I checked emails, checked regular text messages, checked Facebook. And then I saw it- What's App had a new message!  Little did I know that message would significantly impact my life over the next few hours. 

The message was from one of the Pink Lionesses announcing she'd created a What's App group for us, and was in the process of adding members.  One after the other in rapid-fire succession came greeting messages from Lioness after Lioness after Lioness.  Who knows the numbers of other Lionesses that should be added?  How is everyone doing?  What a great idea this is to keep in touch? Is everyone ready for tomorrow's festa?  Don't forget to bring your cake! What boat are you getting on?  

For the next few hours there was a joyous interaction of Lionesses there in my own living room!  I could not resist reading each new one as it displayed. Some took me longer than others just to interpret them- I recognized they were writing in Venetian dialect, which is worlds apart from the Italian I am learning.  Not only that, several of the more technology savvy Lionesses were writing in Venetian text-ese, making  them even more complicated.  I need a translator.  Does "x" mean "per" or "che"?  

The night ended with a flurry of buona notte's and See you tomorrow's.  Finally all the vibrating of my phone came to a halt as bedtime approached.  I settled in for the night with a silly grin on my face, realizing the joy these unexpected little messages brought into my life.

This morning, around 8am just after the high water sirens went off ( yes, again), my phone began to vibrate.  I knew right away to check What's App.  And there they were- good morning messages, lots of happiness being spread around as we Lionesses prepare to head over to the Festa di Murano for a  day of celebration. 

My days may never be the same now that I belong to a What's App group.  

If you are on What's App, let me know so I can send you a Buona Notte or two!