A Brief History of Communication

I'm going to take a break from the normal whining and post something different today. I recently upgraded my mobile phone and started thinking about its predecessors of days gone by. I also started thinking that I hadn't updated in awhile so it was time to come up with something to post.

What follows is a brief history of the cell phones I've owned, used, and loved.

#1. Motorola 8000 Flip (circa 1997-1998)
My first experience ever with a mobile and I remember the day I took it home. This analog phone could only store 10 numbers, had a clunky battery that lasted about 2 hours, and a floppy aerial. I was still the only one of my friends to have one which made me feel awesome and had all of my friends asking to use it.

#2. Nokia 2110 (circa 1998-1999)

This Nokia was a serious upgrade and featured some of the first digital technology, but was still CDMA-controlled. It could store up to 100 numbers in memory, had games, multiple ringtones, longer battery life and much sleeker. It was also only about $100 and had no monthly contract. That was a big selling advantage for me as I was a poor student with really no money (or need) for a phone.

#3. Nokia ??? (circa 1999-2001)
I tried long and hard to find a photos of this phone, but sadly it has proved impossible. This phone was a small flip phone that did pretty much everything my Nokia did, but just a little bit better. It was also digital technology but no GSM. It was also my first shot at trying out "pay-as-you-go" which better suited my budget (or rather, lack of a budget) at the time. I paid a whopping $259.00 to get this thing (thank-you student loans!)

#4. Motorola H92 (circa.2001-2003)
One of the first GSM models made by Motorola. This phone blew all my others away. Excellent call quality, long battery life, SIM cards, loads of features and the ability to text! Sigh. It was also the start of the silver revolution of technology. I got a corporate rate through the electronics company I was working for so it was affordable. Sadly, this phone was stolen from my car and insurance wouldn't cover it.

#5. Sony Ericsson (circa.2004)
I had pretty much decided to give up on cell phones after losing my last one (and being very, very poor after school with a low-paying job) Then I moved to Taiwan where everyone and their grandmother has a cell phone. I got the cheapest, most basic model which was this phone and it was a chirpy, annoying little thing, but it did its' job well. This phone was lost in a taxi along with my passport, wallet, MP3 player, text books, digital camera and house keys. The phone was the least of my worries and by far the easiest to replace.

#6. Motorola A220 (circa 2004-2005)
The replacement for the previous phone. After I lost the SE, I had to wait until payday and was without a mobile for about 3 weeks. I realized then how dependent I had become on cell phones, but decided to also incorporate a camera into the mix. It had also been awhile since I'd had a clamshell, so this phone had it all and then some. This phone also allowed me to connect to my computer to synch photos and change my ringtone. It was the cats' pajamas.

#7. Motorola V3 Razr (circa 2005-2008)
This piece of tech brought sexy back to phones. Although it is shown silver here, I bought the matte black finish and fell head over heels in love with this phone. While the overall O/S and features weren't that different from the previous phone, the sheer sex appeal of this phone made me feel like a high-roller. It was thin, dressed in black and made me aspire to be just like it. Motorola was king of the mobile world when they brought this out and it took me 3 years before I let go of this bad boy.

#8. LG Shine (circa 2008-2009)
My Razr finally had a problem with its display which prompted me to look for something new. I didn't want another clamshell and most of the other phones were being marketed as entertainment players, so I decided to try another company instead. This phone was the first time I had a sliding phone. It had a nice display, micro SD card and internet browsing! It also featured a 2.0 mega-pixel camera with flash so that came in handy.It was a tad on the pricey side considering LG was an almost unknown company at the time, but overall I was pretty happy with it.

#9. Nokia E71 (circa 2009-2011)

This phone was an absolute treasure and my first smartphone. It had brains and beauty. I can't even list all the features, but it had more than my wildest imaginings. This phone was also the best I had ever owned in terms of battery life, often going 4 days without a charge, but was also compact and lightweight. I honestly don't have a bad thing to say about this phone and I could have been happy with it for the rest of the my life.

#10. Blackberry Torch 9860 (present)
I have toyed with the idea of getting a blackberry since 2009, but wanted to wait until a viable touchscreen option was available. Finally, it was released and I was one of the first in line. I've had this phone for about two weeks now and every moment has been sheer techie bliss. The camera is great, the features+apps comprehensive and the overall look and feel...sublime.

life-changing moment

really tired today. this is entirely a result of me chugging down coca-cola until 9:00 p.m. last night, thinking i would be able to go to be two hours later. well, that didn't happen and now feeling exhausted.

so, here is the life-changing moment: i will no longer drink caffeine after 3 p.m. because i a) can't metabolize it like i could at 24 and b) need more sleep than 5 hours a night.

needs vs. wants

yesterday i was walking into taipei 101 to do some shopping and i just happened to time it so that i walked by one of the anti-capitalist demonstrations which are taking place all over the world. i didn't really stop to pay attention to the demo, but a tiny part of me twinged with embarrassment as i walked into the shopping mecca of 101. 

like so many people out there, i have trouble seeing the difference between needs and wants, but i can see them. right now, i would like to buy a new computer, new phone, ipad, work clothes, a new suit, stuff for my apartment, and a whole lot of other stuff. however, i realize that these are wants and not needs. i know that a new computer isn't going to make me a better writer, or design better graphics. i know that a new phone will do exactly what my current phone does, and that i don't really have a good use for an ipad. i have enough work clothes and a new suit will only be worn once or twice a year. as for the stuff i want for my apartment, it's not like i'm sleeping on the floor or watching the wall so i'll survive. however, the effects that advertising, marketing and other power that corporations seem to have over me almost make them feel like wants. 

i guess where most of these feelings stem from is that we are taught that if you work hard, then you can play hard. well, at least that's what i was taught and have nearly always stuck to. still, some of the items on my list are big ticket and require some creative saving in order for them to appear in my home. so, saving up for months for things i don't really need and waiting in pining anticipation isn't really a way to go through life. i'm not saying that wanting something is a bad thing, but there is a difference between wanting a thing and wanting more for yourself. this is the real reason i think most people should be up and protesting about.

i just need to realize that a bit more and then the next time i walk by a anti-corporate protest, maybe i'll actually stop and listen rather than buy my overpriced sour cream.

P.S - my last couple posts have been mostly about my disenchantment with taiwan and i have gotten some very nice responses from friends...thank-you very much for your concern, but i promise you things are changing on that front as well. 

one of "those" days. (or weeks...)

i had a bad day today. 

it just started with me feeling pissed off, likely because my air cond started making a racket about 45 minutes before i actually had to get up. i shut it off and then fell back asleep. fell asleep hard and then felt ripped out of sleep when the alarm went off. after that, it was having no where to take kismet to the bathroom because other dogs were up on the roof, so had to bring kismet downstairs. every other day, there isn't a person in sight but today there were two. one for each side of the rooftop. 

you can start to see a pattern forming here no doubt.

the rest of the day was pretty much one irritating event after another. work just generally sucked. the commute home sucked. even dinner sort of sucked, at least until i finally decided to stop cooking and order some mcd's in. now, here i sit feeling a little less frustrated but feeling a blog in here just waiting to get out so here goes.

i think today is indicative of a growing problem that i've sort of been burying inside of me. i don't know how to politely say it and seeing how this is my blog, i think i'll just come out with it: i think i'm starting to hate taiwan. not literally, but figuratively it's starting to happen. i love the people, like my job (generally speaking) and have more friends than i can really handle, but i still feel this sort of annoyance/disillusionment with here. the funny thing is, life has really never been better. i'm eating right, exercising, and socializing on a healthy basis. i make enough money to pay my bills, live in a nice apartment and enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. professionally, i've changed my schedule and have a full day to focus on freelancing so what, What WHAT is it? everything is in place and still it's not enough...there must be an underlying reason. i don't want to hate taiwan. two years ago, i couldn't wait to get back here and you couldn't pay me to go back to my old life. now, i have everything the way i like it and it feels....it feels...banal? hi hao?? boring???

i just don't feel "into" this place anymore. i go through the motions, but my heart just isn't in it and i find myself almost resenting those who seem to be into it. i've seen it, been it, done it and even have the pictures to prove it. i feel like i've met no one new in a year (even tho i have) and feel like those i do know well keep replaying the same events over and over again. there has to be more, hasn't there? taiwan can't have revealed all her secrets to me after 5 years. 

these feelings have been bubbling up for a few months, but really came to a head after holidays. there just wasn't any sheen to taipei for me anymore. work was still there, with the same lame projects and tedious day-to-day. my friends weren't doing anything new...same parties, same faces, same places. so, i started taking myself out of the equation. being more selective about events, changing up my schedule at work and focusing on some projects that make me happy. while this is positive and fulfilling when i'm able to devote time to it, the rest of the stuff feels like it's just getting in my way. 

alright. so, what do i do? i can't very well up and quit my job, nor can i move tomorrow or even within the next year. too many other plans and goals depend on me staying put for a while. i think this might be part of the problem that i'm ready to go, or at least leaning in that direction, but need to be smart about things so there isn't a repeat of 2007-2009. as dull and colorless as life might seem at the moment, nothing compares to the misadventures of canada. 

i need to reconnect with this place again. i need to find the joy, the adventure, the essence, the joie de vivre that i used to feel. i'm just not sure how or where to begin. the nightlife feels played out, so no sense in trying that. i think it might be time to revisit some of the places i've been to, but only once. another thing i seldom, or rather almost never do, is go out and walk on the streets with my camera. other than those ideas, escaping taipei now and then is definitely in order. i seem to never remember that most of this country is easily accessible by train or bus or high-speed rail. yet another possibility is taking in some cultural shows, events, festivals and revisiting some museums and galleries.

ok. i feel a bit better now and hopefully once i put my ideas into action, they'll kick me out of this funk i'm in. 

doldrums

Back from holidays so time to update. The last two weeks of vacation have been great…ten days spent in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia with nothing but beach, good food, and books to keep me company. The city isn’t much to write home about, but the surrounding beaches were very nice indeed. Picture small green islands, aqua-blue water teeming with ocean life, and white sand beaches. The sunsets lived up to their reputation as well and we could watch them while dining on some excellent seafood, steak, curry, pasta or just about anything else you could want. The only downside was the town had little to do after dark and tended to gouge tourists but what can you do? In hindsight, I think ten days would have been enough to explore the place, but it was still nice to get out of Taipei for a while. As soon as we touched down, I could already feel myself thinking about work and all the things I “have” to do before starting. By Saturday, I was feeling panicked about the things I had and hadn’t done. It seems I left my brain in Taipei, but it sure kicked itself into overdrive when I picked it up again.

Now I’m back at work and feeling…sad? Angry? Tired? Whatever it is, it’s definitely some post-vacation funk and I need to find myself an out. I’m just really not that excited to be back…I don’t know if it’s work, the city, the pace, the lifestyle but I’m just not feeling it right now. It just feels like I don’t have much to look forward to at the moment…just working, eating and sleeping. I suppose I should be thankful that I could actually afford to get out of the city for a bit, but I think it’s just part of a deeply rooted feeling I’ve been having for the last couple months or so. That feeling being that my life here isn’t enough. Not enough adventure, money, time, etc. I have these grand ideas of what my life should be like professionally and personally and I don’t feel like I’m achieving any of it. In short, the cold winds of change are nipping at my nose and I need to come up with some way to protect myself from them or let them sweep me away.

I’ve mentioned the possibility of moving to Spain and that is still an option…however, after a more thorough examination of finances, the timing may be off by about six months to a year. If we were to stick things out until Jan.2013 we’d be practically debt-free and will have contributed that much more to our savings. This would be especially helpful considering that costs are going to increase living in Europe, so it would purely be a practical move. The only problem is that I’m not sure I can stick things out that much longer that way I’m going. It’s not Taiwan, it’s me that needs to change. In order for me to stay longer, I need to continue with my personal and professional goals, but also find a way to love living here again. I desperately want things to feel new again, or at least have some of the feeling back that I used to have by living here. I’m simply not ready to be that jaded expat who has seen and done it all…there is no way I’ve even seen half of what this place has to show me (or at least I hope so!)

Alright, alright, enough of the pity party already. I just needed to vent a little and actually do feel better now. I think I’m going to start by making a list of the things I want to improve and go from there. Next post I’ll elaborate more on “the plan.”