Better communication, paranoia ho!
When I was still in the states my cell phone was this ancient Nokia model stripped down to basics. In Japan I'm rocking a 1.3 megapixal camera, full color, Internet, and personal cell phone e-mail. I used to forget my old cell phone all the time and now I can't fall asleep without my new one being in the same room!
In Japan it's exhorbitantly expensive to call someone (none of those 600 night and weekend minutes free deals here!), but all text messaging is free. It's not just simple text messaging either it's an actual e-mail address that can be used like any other free e-mail on the web. This is the best way to communicate.
On Saturday a group of new and old English teachers in my area got together for a day at the beach. I tend to be out in the middle of nowhere, so I don't make a huge effort at getting to know people who are more than two hours away by train, but a day at the beach is not something to be ignored. Surprisingly enough one of the new guys in our program was a rather talkative, cute Brit. I'll call him Wallace (from Wallace and Gromit) because of the way his voice modulates when he tells stories. Wallace ended up having dinner with myself and two of my friends in the program. At the end of the night we all exchanged cell phone information.
Not trying to be pushy I e-mailed his cell the next day with a casual "Did you make it home alright?". Then I waited...and waited...I didn't think he was going to call me. Actually it would have been awkward at best if he had, but I wanted that special e-mail song to play. Finally he got back to me with a friendly message. I decided to wait 3 hours (to not appear overly eager) and then threw a light joke his way. Two days, no response. I guess I never expected one and if anything I didn't feel a spark, but... Everytime my phone does it's little e-mail buzzer/song dance of joy my body tenses in anticipation only to have the eventual release tinted with a hint of dissapointment. If this was regular Internet e-mail I don't think I would care so much. The cell phone is like a two day IM gone unanswered. An urgent missive left unloved in it's bottle. Argh I'm getting mellowdramatic about a silly cell e-mail.
Still I wouldn't mind a buzz or two.
In Japan it's exhorbitantly expensive to call someone (none of those 600 night and weekend minutes free deals here!), but all text messaging is free. It's not just simple text messaging either it's an actual e-mail address that can be used like any other free e-mail on the web. This is the best way to communicate.
On Saturday a group of new and old English teachers in my area got together for a day at the beach. I tend to be out in the middle of nowhere, so I don't make a huge effort at getting to know people who are more than two hours away by train, but a day at the beach is not something to be ignored. Surprisingly enough one of the new guys in our program was a rather talkative, cute Brit. I'll call him Wallace (from Wallace and Gromit) because of the way his voice modulates when he tells stories. Wallace ended up having dinner with myself and two of my friends in the program. At the end of the night we all exchanged cell phone information.
Not trying to be pushy I e-mailed his cell the next day with a casual "Did you make it home alright?". Then I waited...and waited...I didn't think he was going to call me. Actually it would have been awkward at best if he had, but I wanted that special e-mail song to play. Finally he got back to me with a friendly message. I decided to wait 3 hours (to not appear overly eager) and then threw a light joke his way. Two days, no response. I guess I never expected one and if anything I didn't feel a spark, but... Everytime my phone does it's little e-mail buzzer/song dance of joy my body tenses in anticipation only to have the eventual release tinted with a hint of dissapointment. If this was regular Internet e-mail I don't think I would care so much. The cell phone is like a two day IM gone unanswered. An urgent missive left unloved in it's bottle. Argh I'm getting mellowdramatic about a silly cell e-mail.
Still I wouldn't mind a buzz or two.
posted by ldp at 6:36 AM
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