>>Cell Phone Nation<<

I mentioned this earlier, but it was such a momentous, life changing event that I will mention it again. I HAVE A CELL PHONE. It’s a NTT DoCoMo 702iD for you techies. And YES, you can call and email my cell phone from the U.S. I can also call the U.S. from Japan (at the price of a first born child). You can see pictures of my phone below, but pictures don’t really do it justice. I can browse the web, shoot movies, email, listen to MP3s and video conference on this bad boy without even breaking a sweat. I named her “Ikanago,” after the delicious itty bitty baby eels cooked in spicy soy sauce. Ikanago is my new favorite Japanese food.

Back to the phone: there is also a screen on the outside that displays the date & time and has scrolling news and weather tickers. I also love the 3.5 mega pixel digital camera built into the phone and the fact that Mickey Mouse greets me every time I boot up. *Several of the pictures posted on the blog are a bit small because the resolution on my phone’s camera was set too low. This has since been corrected.*

I couldn’t bring myself to drop $350 for the phone that plays crystal clear Japanese television. Heck, even setting up this plan was a miracle. Daisuke took me to get the phone (his only host brotherly duty performed thus far). Daisuke pockets his words in his cheeks when he talks and forgoes articulation. Add this to the super casual street Japanese he uses and the fact that he won’t utter one word of English to me and you have a sure fire recipe for one confused Ben Whaley. I usually articulate this confusion by making a face that looks like I am being punched in the stomach while starting up my nervous tick (moving my right pinkie finger against my lips repeatedly). It’s a wonder I didn’t walk away from the shop with magic beans instead of a cell phone, because I honestly have no idea what transaction was performed. Oh well, I guess you don’t question things as long as they work.

Two laws regarding Japanese youth and cell phones for your edification:

JPW 831.1) If you are under 30 years of age, Japanese law requires that you have a minimum of 10 jingly stuffed creatures and bulbous eyed figurines attached to your cell phone at all times if you are a male and 23 if you are a female, in order to harmoniously fit into society.

JPW 831.2) If you are under 30 years of age, Japanese law requires that you stop abruptly and flip your cell phone open to check for the possibility of missed emails and text messages every 24 paces while walking in crowded public places. This is to create the illusion of possessing a vibrant and ever-changing social network while simultaneously hindering the maximum amount of pedestrians possible.

B.E.W.