I was having breakfast yesterday morning. And I put my wallet and cell phone on the table sometimes when I eat, like I did yesterday. So I was eating, and I started looking at my phone, which was just sitting there, with the display off, doing nothing, and it suddenly occured to me;
I have a very nice phone.
Yeah, I know - why would I buy it if it wasn’t nice right? But anyway, it’s got good features – a nice user interface, media player, and a camera with surprisingly good image quality. Not to mention the cool, black exterior that looks so elegant in it’s simplicity. It could use a camera lens cover, but other than that, it’s got everything I want.
So why do I realise this only after owning the phone for about 7 to 8 months? The thing is I’ve been eyeing this phone for a long time before I bought it. I didn’t wanna get it earlier, because I was still in the Army, and we all know how anal the Army is about “image-capturing devices, blah blah blah…” Anyway, I like to keep up with tech news. You know, stuff like the iPhone, the new Motorola Razr 2 and the Nokia N95 (which is this sick phone which does everything imagineable, and then some). I keep up with other forms of tech as well, not just cell phones, but I’m just trying to keep it in context. So I’m going gaga over these gadgets that I forget how cool my phone already is.
It’s kinda like many things in life. You see something that someone else has, or something that’s better than whatever you have, and you want it. And then you forget that what you already have is actually pretty good, and you start taking it for granted.
Or maybe I’m just trying to console myself by telling myself that my phone is nice, because I can’t afford another phone…
Anyway, my brother’s thinking about getting the N95. You know, the big overpriced thing that barely fits into your pocket. I have no idea what he’s gonna do with the GPS, but the phone does have a 5 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi and a rather nice 2-way slider design. And how can you say no to a 2-way slider design? Everybody needs a phone with a 2-way slider design… So he’s still thinking about the N95, though I have a feeling that when he’s finally done thinking and decides he wants to buy it, something else better would have been released by then, and he’ll forget about the N95 and start thinking about that……
Filed under: Ramblings
I was having dinner with my parents at the local coffeeshop this evening, when suddenly, this old lady limps into the place, and starts cursing at her invisible friend in Cantonese. I don’t understand Cantonese, but anyone could tell from her tone of voice that she was cursing at someone or something.
I’ve come across such people more than just a few times. One of the more memoriable incidents I’ve had was one with this old Chinese dude who hangs out at this coffeeshop near my church. He doesn’t curse or shout out profanities or anything like that. In fact, he doesn’t really say much at all. He points, waves, and does all sorts of complicated actions with his arms. Not his legs, just the arms. Though with the vigor of his gesticulations, one would think he’d be capable of walking a lot quicker than he actually does. One time in that coffeeshop, a couple of friends and myself ended up playing a game where we tried to guess what he’s trying to mimic with his gesticulations. It was kinda fun, in a twisted sort of way.
And if you think about it, it’s kinda scary as well. Because the first question that comes to mind is “How did they become like that?”
Ok, maybe the first question for you would be ”Can’t he just shut up?” or “What does he do for a living?” or in my case, “I think he’s fishing…”
Actually, that last one wasn’t really a question, but I digress.
How did they become like that? Stress? Family problems? Stressful family problems? What pushed these people beyond their breaking point?
Will I become like that?
Given the pace of modern life in the city, it’s not absolutely impossible. Humans aren’t designed to handle such high levels of psychological stress that we’re seeing in workplaces today. Still, it takes a lot to drive the sanity out of a person. Only something extremely traumatic can have such a cataclysmic impact on a person’s life.
Or were they just born that way? Because that’ll just be cruel…
So the next time you see a queer looking man in the bus shouting profanities and insulting everyone around him, think about what he’s been through before you judge him.
Ok, that last statement was aimed more towards myself, but hey, it doesn’t hurt to think.
Filed under: Huh?
You’ve been working hard all day, and all you wanna do when you get home at night after dinner, is get into bed and relax.
So does your cellphone.
Which is why San-X has created a bed for your cellphone;
(Photo: Fredflare.com)
And those pink slippers you see on the side of your bed, they double as screen cleaners.
Them Japanese folks - they think of everything don’t they?
The bed can accomodate your iPod too, though if you’re thinking of having your iPod sleep with your phone, I don’t think it’s possible because it just doesn’t look like the bed has enough space for anything more than just one cellphone or one iPod, so you’re gonna have to get a seperate bed for your iPod.
Maybe someday, they’ll make a wider bed so your iPod can sleep together with your phone.
Then you start to realise that your iPod’s belly is gradually growing bigger, and 9 months later, an iPhone pops out of the audio jack.
Ok, that’s a stretch. But still, I really want one, just because it’s so cute. The bed, that is.
Too bad it’s sold out.
Filed under: News
I read some news about the jet crash in a military camp in Taiwan, the same installation as the one Singaporean soldiers travel to regularly to participate in training exercises. So the F-5 was trying to pull up from a low altitude attack run during a training exercise, but they couldn’t, so the pilots manouvered the jet away from a residential area and crashed it into a store in the camp, killing both Taiwanese pilots and 2 Singaporean supply personnel - from the Singapore Armed Forces - who were stationed there.
According to Yahoo! news, “the crash comes as Taiwan’s military prepares to hold the island’s annual Han Kuang live fire drills aimed at repelling an attack from China next week.”
Whoa, slow down dude; China is attacking next week???
I’ve served in the Singapore military like most dudes in Singapore, so hearing about this really struck me close to home, because they are “one of us”. And the 2 pilots are really something as well, because some reports say they were steering the jet away from a residential area. Maybe that’s why they died – they were trying to avoid that area and didn’t have time to eject.
Or maybe the jet was so old the ejection seats didn’t work anymore.
Either way, it’s a unfortunate occurence. Very saddening indeed.
Ok, I know it’s kinda mean, but I’m rather amused by the way PRC immigrants speak English. Earlier tonight, I was at a seafood restaurant with my family to celebrate Mother’s Day. So there I was, standing around with everyone, waiting for a table to empty up. And this waitress (presumably from PRC because of the gnarly accent), comes up behind me and she goes;
“Air-SEE-cue-SEE-mee.”
Me; “What…?”
*nudge*
“Oh, sorry…”
So I moved aside, and after she was gone, I was left thinking, “She meant to say ‘excuse me’ right?” Because on hindsight, it did sound a bit like “excuse me”. But if you were there, I don’t think you would be able to recognise the phrase as “excuse me”. It’s funny, the way they speak English. They say things like “aero-PRANE” (aeroplane) and “BRASTIC bag”(plastic bag).
Brastic.
I mean, what the hell is “brastic”?
Then again, my mum, who’s NOT a PRC native, but who is kind of “English-ly challenged” anyway, kinda has the same problem. I’ve just about given up teaching her how to pronounce the word “pumpkin”;
“Pumpkin.”
“Punking.”
“PUMP-kin.”
“PUNK-ing”
“No, PUMP-kin, like in ‘bicycle PUMP’.”
“Yah mah, bicycle PUNK”
Bicycle punk……
(“Yo, yo… Wassup dawg?”)
How about that, making fun of my mum on my blog on Mother’s Day…
Sorry mum.
