NOKIA FAMILY

Nokia Essay Contest

5110

I remember the first Nokia phone that our family shared. It was a Nokia 3210. My dad moved from a 5110 to this unit.

3210

When I went to UPLB my mom gave it to me and I was to use it for emergencies and tell her where I was at all times. I think that phone survived all the way to my second brother. He brought it to UPLB when it was time for him to enroll as a freshman. If it wasn't for the batteries being discontinued, that phone would still be functional today. No pun intended, but that phone has more memories shared with us than any other phone combined. I always wondered where it was until I saw my little sister play with it when she was old enough to know what a phone was.

I called this phone Keiron. 

This phone is special because I texted my first boyfriend using this. We had one of those relationships that started with an sms message and ended with an sms message. I remember that I was in church with my mom when he texted me one of those random sweet quotes that people were texting during those days and the night ended with me having a boyfriend. The worst sms I got was with another phone *I think it's with the next one but still it hurt A LOT.* He said we should break up. Harsh, right? It's okay. We're friends now.

My next phone was a 3315 that had a green dragon cover like this one.

3315

It never got lost. I left it in the UPLB library once and when I came back it was still there. I think the reason why is because it was being held together by tape. We were not a rich family so while my friends changed phones whenever they lost theirs, I kept this phone for a few years. I called this phone MIDORI. Midori means green in Japanese. I was  am an otaku so I liked to call my things using Japanese names or words during that time.

I had loved this phone despite it's state of distress until Yankumi. Yes, to those who know Gokusen, I named my new silver cellphone from Saudi after the nickname of the main protagonist. Later I would become a teacher and this would be a big irony.

The story behind this phone is a little long so brace yourself. My bessie Eyecandy of the Pink Tarha left her old passport in our apartment in UPLB. So I was tasked to retrieve said passport from her room that was locked. My super limber little brother Simonster got the passport by passing through the gap between the wall and the ceiling of said room. *Remember those old school ventilation system in old houses that lets the air run through rooms rendering none of them soundproof?* My brother was a little dirty after but we got her passport. *I think I have paid him enough with treats after that. But he still says he should be the one who got the phone.* Anyway, Reina and her mom gave me the phone *I can't remember the actual model number and there isn't a lot in the Philippines. *I only saw like one other person with the same exact model.*

Anyway, Yankumi was with me for many years. I didn't change her casing so by the end of it, she was white not silver. My friends called me the "beck and call" girl for a time. Yankumi has helped more people than I would have ever imagined. She was my partner in crime for so many of my college affairs and boo-boos that I actually feel like putting her *yes she is still with me* in glass case and displaying her in my future house. 

She had to retire finally because my mom couldn't call me during emergencies anymore. She always died when that happened. For my paranoid parents, that was not acceptable.

So enter Eikichi, my 6300. *please see Great Teacher Onizuka Live action as to why this is the name*  He was my father's phone. He didn't have a single scratch on him when I got him. Now he looks like he came through a shredder or maybe a cat fight. He's old but I like him because he is the first camera phone that I had. *yes, I know I am a dinosaur in this world of smartphones* But simple things, like taking pictures of family, friends and my Pandabear kept me happy. I can listen to music *though not as many as my bf's Blackberry* but it's enough for the ride to work.I didn't need a smartphone. I was reserving that for when I can afford one of my own.

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I am thinking since it's going to be the start of the school year I will give advice to future UPLB freshmen as well.

A UPLB FRESHMAN's NOKIA GUIDE

1. Remember to text your parents everyday. 

Since this is going to be the first time you might be away from them, don't forget to keep them up to date. This would lower your parents' anxiety level in letting you live far from home and on your own no less.

If your parents are working in another country this is like a loving hug and quick mano to them if you sms them, "Nay, ppsok n aq. Muntikan na aq di mgising ng maaga. Ala n kC ngwiwisik ng watr sa fez ko pg di p rin aq bmabngon. ;-) " For one peso per roaming message, you were able to tell your mom that you miss her, love her and that you are working hard so that someday she can come back home and enjoy being with you again, taking care of the family and being together. Piso lang yan and it wouldn't take you more than a couple of minutes to send that message. And it would lift her spirits the whole day.

Remember that to OFWs all around the world, FAMILY is not just a word that pertains to people, FAMILY is their fuel to keep going and their motivation. So your words matter. EVERDAY. Choose them wisely and never forget to say that you love them in your own way. I <3 U can go a long way.

2. Good news BEFORE not so Good news. 

Whenever I fail a test, I would always tell my mom. Yes, I was honest like that. My mom would later tell my dad. It's how we were at home. I especially tried to think of something nice to say in my message before I went into the bad parts. This cushions the blow and my mom likes it better. *I think.*

"Natapos na sa wakas ung paper ko sa SpeechComm. Hindi nagloko ang printer ko. Yey. Btw, bagsak ako sa Natsci6 exam ko pero pwede daw magremidial so babawi ako nun."

Always sandwich your bad news between good news and promise or a solution to the bad news. Never act like a kid since you are a teenager now. Don't blame others for your own mistakes. This makes you sound less able to take care of yourself and would make your family worry more.



3. Cry to your mama

If you are homesick, I am sure they are worried sick of you too. If you have no one to talk to, then you can call home using those unlicall features offered by your network provider.

4. Attach people's names with group or assign nicknames 

On my cp there is NE SARANG. That means he is MY LOVE. So to those who can understand Korean, they'll get that the number is my bf's. I also attached his name ICO there so that people who don't know Korean can still figure out who was the sender of the message.

For parental names, I used to put a special character and make sure they are the only two with those characters. So when I blind click on my cp, I would be able to get to their number. If you notice special characters are the last on the list. So if you put *nay then the last number is her number. So click the shortcut to your contact list and click up, it would go to that number. You can easily call her if you are in trouble or something. Also it's easier to sms them even if you are sleepy. ^>^

My friends have a specific group for GM *I personally hate this, I prefer face to face chikahan* and you can put affiliation in the names to remember people you don't always send messages to.

For example if you have the names of the GABAY VOLUNTEERS (peer counselors for UPLB freshmen) you can put SIMONE-GABAY so that you know that she is Simone and that she is a Gabay. Keeping one on speed dial would also be helpful in case you are trapped in an orientation that went really really wrong.

5. Be a camwhore with your Nokia.

IF your Nokia phone comes with a camera. *godbless your parents for buying that model* then take as many pictures as you can. So what if the resolution is not as good as you want it to be? Hold out for when you can get a better model and treasure the memories that you can share with people on your Facebook or Twitter.

6. Be SOCIABLE but RESPONSIBLE.


Some networks and NOKIA phones have a feature that allows you to send shoutouts to your social networks' news feed. Take advantage of that. BUT remember not to cuss or to curse your professors, people, etc because everything that goes into your Facebook is always going to be accessible even if you delete it.

In the future a possible employer, scholarship review board or the love of your life would read it and if there are racist, dirty or weird stuff on your social account, it might cost you a job, an academic achievement, the NOBLE PEACE PRIZE or the love of the one you have been waiting for.

7. HANDLE not just with CARE but with LOVE. 

Clean your handphone, don't spill anything on it. Don't drop it in the bathroom bowl. If you do, don't blow dry it. That'll just mess it up more. It could fry your phone. Try to dry it by using a cloth, cotton balls or ask a technician how. Clean your hands before you use it and remember that licking your fingers is not the same as cleaning.

Don't throw your Nokia phone in your bed. Don't throw it at the wall when you get your heart broken. Don't sit on it. Make sure you have a place for it near your bed where you won't accidentally roll over it. Keep it close to your heart. Buy it it's own UPLB ID lace.

8. Don't waste your batteries. 

You can't just throw away the batteries of your cellphone. It's hazardous for the environment to do that. So look for the special bins for these things and dispose of them properly. We are Isko's and Iska's as much as we are Pinoys. So love your country, love the Earth. ^.^

9. <Your tip here>

10.  <Send me a comment or a message about what else you think students can do with their Nokia to have fun with their friend and family.>


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If you want to win a prize for writing about your experiences as a Nokia user and how to use it to connect or have fun with your family, consider joining this year's NOKIA ESSAY WRITING contest in PEBA 201. I am looking forward to reading your piece.

I got an award last year so I don't think I would be able to join it this year. But it would rock if I could. I want an LCD TV. Ahahaha! Or a new phone to add to my Nokia family. ^.^ Still, you should share your stories the same way you share your life to those you love through NOKIA.

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Additional advice:

** Take a picture of things you want to memorize / Record your notes.
- I remembered my friend Peter, who was a Vetmed major in UPLB did this with his digicam. Now that phones can take relatively high-resolution pictures, your notes would be easier to convert to pdf or turn into images.You can also use the recording capacity of your phone to record lectures. *make sure to take it out so that you can still have free space for emergency lectures - share via bluetooth to classmates to make new study buddies*

*** Mark your calendar for fun and for acads
- This is going to make sure you don't schedule a study time on your bloc's dinner and end up double booking or forgetting a promise you made to someone. Acads are just as important as human connection when you are in your freshman year. the best way to strike a balance is if you mark your calendars accordingly. And if you are not the organizer kinda person, your smartphone or phone calendar is the best one to use. 

**** Budget your allowance / Mark food prizes 
- The best way to stretch your allowance is to remember the place where the prices of things are cheaper than the competition. You can also put in a note where you like the food and how much it costs. So that next time that you have to tighten the belt, you know where to go and how much you would need for food.

***** Be parent-stalk-able.
- This is a double edged feature of being online on your wifi-capable phone. "Checking in" on places makes it easier for parents to track their kids using this app or on their kids' newsfeed. Since in UPLB there aren't a lot of locations where you can check in, you can post the update for you mom to see *if she knows her way around fb* and ease her mind.
Note: Do not post that you just got your allowance, are alone in your apartment, or is carrying some important gadget. You don't know who's checking your social networks out so be careful. Remember that everything you put out there (in the internet) tends to stay there for a very long time.