after 5 days, i decided that my old phone won't be coming back and shelled out for a new one. i got exactly the same model and the good part is that i backed up everything, so it was a quick few minutes to transfer everything over to the new one. 

i've gotten over the anger and have moved on to acceptance. that said, i shall be keeping a tight rein on ALL my personal belongings from now on. i will also do a quick sweep of seat whenever i get out of the taxi.

on a much more positive note, holidays start at 6 p.m. today and the weather has been grand the last few days....low-twenties, sunshine and dry. not exactly your typical CNY weather, but i'll take it nonetheless. 

speaking of holidays, i hadn't realized just how much i needed them until yesterday. received some feedback on a book i'm working on from the big boss's no talent/taste/tact bitch wife. she was blunt, rude and of course, completely unqualified to provide any sort of criticism. moreover, she upset a lot more people than just me which intensified my anger yesterday. 

i'm feeling calmer today, but that's likely just because i know i get to be out of here for 10 days. 

looking forward to holidays and the respite from work that they will bring.

expensive mistake

i had a bad weekend. Went out for a few drinks on friday night and lost my two-month old phone in the process. i've been searching, making calls and trying to track it online but 48 hours has passed and still nothing. i think i'm going to have to accept reality and just buy another one. man, am i pissed off at myself.

BBC News - Mount Rainier ranger shooting: Iraq veteran found dead

BBC News - Mount Rainier ranger shooting: Iraq veteran found dead:

'via Blog this'

It never ceases to amaze me that when tragedy strikes and there is a crazy on the loose, just how fast media outlets create a profile of a suspect. Not to mention the fact that it's always a typecast photo that suits the profile...I feel really bad for the woman who was killed, but they don't waste any time showing a damning picture of her killer. The man was clearly disturbed and needed help. I mean, I certainly don't have any photos of me shirtless and carrying around weapons, but BB did and that might have been my first warning sign.

the merriness is upon us

So, this is officially my first blog typed from my new iPad. I told myself I wouldn't ever have a use for an iPad, but that was before I actually owned one. Man this little machine is amazing! Have spent most of the day snuggling in bed with it, downloading apps, admiring how shiny it is and of course, basking in its soft, warm glow.

More about the iPad's awesomeness later. Christmas is clearly upon us and I always make it a habit to post something close-ish to the holidays. It's shaping up to be a very busy few days. Tonight, a bunch of us are heading out to. People's bar on Anhe road for Christmas cocktails. Always nice to get a little festive with people, especially since I might not see some of these people for Christmas.

Tomorrow, foreigners everywhere will be descending on Taipei arena for a midday holiday skate sessh. After that, we're supposed to be doing wine And cheese somewhere for a couple of hours, before the main event at a friend's place. Potluck Christmas BBQ = tastiness. And lest we forget, ample quantities of holiday drink and extras to keep things very merry.

On Christmas day, Elisha and I have decided to get our own bird, watch Christmas movies on Netflix and generally be sloths for the day. We will have seen all our friends by that point in the weekend, so other than a few obligatory calls to friends and family overseas, we will have successfully fulfilled our holiday obligations.

Lout the holiday fun isn't over yet, folks. Not by a longshot. On boxing day, yours truly has the day off and the missus and i have quite the day planned. We'll start with a leisurely breakfast at the diner, followed up by a quick onc through the 101 area before we shop til we drop. This year we decide that it would be more fu to take each other shopping and buy whatever suits our fancy. Now, I did jump the gun a little bit and buy this lovely piece of tech to keep me warm thought the cold winter months, but I still have some money to spend on clothing. Elisha has a small fortune to spend an Monday so I guess I'll be encouraging her to spend, spend, spend.

No firm NYE dans yet, but there are some ideas. I am planning on watching the fireworks from my roof as I didn't get to do it last year and this looks like the first and last time I'll be living so close to 101. We'Ve invited whomever wants to watch to come over, then head out to the event of their choosing. I think we'll likely head out to the big expat party for a bit, then back to a friend's place for the after party. I'm not really feeling new yeAr's this year for some reason, but maybe I just need to get Christmas out of the way first .

Once the dust settles from the holidaze, it's of course time to get back to life and reality. First and foremost is to get back on track with savings and health. I'm not saying what or how yet, but things need to be reeled back in a bit. What better time then new year's? I hate to be a cliche and makes resolutions about health and money, but I do have some ideas and want to put the into effect as soon as we can.

I'll finish by wishing everyone a very happy and safe holiday season and all the very best in 2012.

Catch you next year!

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.