Showing my age!

After a busy but good day at school, I had a few chores to do "on the way" home this afternoon. The first was to get a new SIM card for my "spare" mobile phone. We have visitors from down under heading our way on Tuesday, and so they don't feel totally isolated if they have to go out without a "local", a SIM card was in order. I needed one anyway so I don't have to give my personal number to parents, but so they can feel able to communicate with me, and if need be I can phone them without using my personal number. Anyway, the lady in the shop asked me if I had an "unlocked" phone. I proceeded to dig out the Nokia that I brought with me from Australia when I arrived here 4 1/2 years ago. A few days ago my Teaching Assistant had told me that it was a good phone, and that was rather pleasant to hear. When I brought it out in the store today, the lady commented, that's the type of phone the older generation like. I wasn't sure whether to be flattered or insulted. Probably it wasn't meant as either. Anyway, I simply responded with a comment that "it does all I need it to do!". Now this might make me a dinosaur, but I don't need a phone that is also a flashlight, camera and internet! I just need a phone that I can talk to people on and send SMS's on. Even the replacement phone that I now use is very similar to this one. It's a little smaller but not much (if it was too small I'd lose it!), and does basically the same things.

So am I a dinosaur? I don't think so, but having said that, I can remember the days before mobile phones and e-mail even existed! We did seem to manage to keep in touch. I did my final year of school at boarding school 1000km from my family, and we kept in touch regularly by snail mail and the very occasional phone call. There was no e-mail, sms, or skype. Long-distance calls were expensive, so it was mostly snail mail. Thanks for the regular letters Mum.

I can also remember the early mobile phones. A friend had one for his business. It was heavy, about the size of two house bricks stacked on top of each other, and could only be used for making phone calls! Wow, I'm glad technology has improved!

By the way, I realise that the phone was a bit grungy, so it has had its face washed and is now more presentable to hand over to guests! Here's the cleaned up version.