Thursday, June 19

Overstated Opulence

I started using mobile phones 10 years ago. Don't get me wrong, I really dislike using them especially during those days when my dad will call me for a thousand times a day for no apparent reason. Those were the days when I was still single and available. Now that I'm married, he has accepted the fact that I'm no longer his little girl and he doesn't need to check on me, as my husband has taken over that protective role. Thank goodness, Big Elf doesn't call me often to harass me. I am very excited as I recently got a new mobile phone.. and the BEST part of it all, is it's FREE!! Don't ask me how, it's complicated, but LEGAL!!

I know some people who change phones to keep up with the trend, and it can happen as often as once a year, maybe less. I cannot imagine how some people do that, except for good reasons such as fortuitously losing their phones. Getting a phone is really no different from buying a car. It's just ridiculous to spend so much money on something that depreciates ever so rapidly. Yet, people still find it a sumptuous idea to own chic and high-tech stuffs. I find it annoying, seriously!

I remember once my girlfriends and I were walking towards our car in a parking lot. We walked pass a really cool car, according to one of my girlfriends. She just went all fanatical about it and wished she owns a car like that, a sports car mind you, so surely it's costly. Ironically, I don't even know the name of the car. I looked at the car and I was flabbergasted. Gosh, is she blind (no hard feelings), the car is even smaller than my Toyota Corolla, with just 2 seats!! Who else can sit in the car, other than the driver and obviously his or her partner. In addition, it is also predisposedly bigoted towards people who are really big size, in other words FAT! It's a ludicrious design and a total waste of money because it can't fit everyone. I bet the only reason people buy is to feed their massive ego in them. Period!

Same like clothings, what is the difference between a 100% cotton tee shirt from a cheap store and one from Armani (sorry, I just simply yell out an expensive brand). You still wear them, wash them, dry them and fold them the same way. Oh sorry, of course psychologically when you know it's branded and expensive, you give it special treatments like dry clean them instead of throwing them in the washing machine and hang them up in a hotel-room-type of hangar with all your other expensives clothes. Perhaps I am insensitive to the feel underneath these tee, but seriously, I don't think I can tell the difference between real cottons from different brands. So, stop the nonsense in telling me that there is a difference because there is NO difference, you moron. They are still 100% cotton!

Oh well, I guess I cannot impose on people to buy things that I think are worthwhile. Personally, I wouldn't spend my money on these things unless it's FREE!! I don't deny the fact that having own these luxury make you feel good, but they don't last. If you cannot feel contented with one, you will never feel contented because these things will replace itself and you will have to keep "wasting" money to keep up for the excuse of "feeling good".

Ok ok.. let's go back to my point. I was talking about my new mobile phone and I was reflecting on all the mobile phones I've used in the past.


My first mobile phone. At that time, there was this guy who was totally obsessed with me that he had to buy me this phone in order to talk to me. Well, of course I accepted, it was cheap for him and FREE for me! I did have a phone after this one, but in less than a month, I lost it at.. who knows where. I am hopeless with things. Yet another reason why I don't buy expensive stuffs, because I will lose it, trust me. I'm very good at that!


Leanne my ex-flatmate borrowed me this phone when I came to Sydney. She had an extra phone and bless her for borrowing me this phone when I didn't have money to get a phone. Well, not really I just didn't want to waste money on buying a mobile phone then.

Just after I moved out, I returned the phone to Leanne. Then after I got married, Big Elf and I went scouting for phones. I had a chance to get a really nice phone, yet I wasn't interested. So I settled for the cheapest prepaid phone ie the above for only $69 including $10 credit in calls. Again, my talent showed and I lost it (told ya I'm good at that), only this time I knew where I lost it. I lost it at Coles Supermarket in Leichhardt!! I don't even want to start with this. I left it at the magazine section and there was a camera right above it. Yet, when I spoke to someone there, no one can tell me anything about it, they just gave me empty promises that they will check the recording and then decided not to get back to me.

I was so reluctant to get another phone as I'm tired of losing phones. Yet, Big Elf was genuinely concern should I get into trouble and I'm uncontactable. So, ok, we got me another phone. I went for another of the cheapest phone ie the above for only $79 including $10 credit of calls. Phone is alright, except I hate the monophonic ring tone and the annoying alert sound when you on or off the phone. Just imagine, I simply can't discreetly off my phone say in the middle of watching a movie in the cinema. It's just a totally absurb feature! Thank God, I didn't lose this one. I still have it as a spare.

And alas, my latest phone, Nokia 6300. I must re-iterate the fact that I got this for FREE!!! So, not a single cent wasted. I really pray that I won't lose the phone this time. Arghh, a paranoia which I dread.

3 comments:

Athena said...

i guess this is a very personal choice.

as for me, my weakness is not phones, therefore i dun really care what i have. but for those things that i am particular about, i.e. fabrics, you can really tell the difference between good fabrics and bad fabrics despite the fact that the labels tells you that both at 100% cotton/silk/linen etc. it's ur sensitivity level to it.

for e.g bedsheets. if you cannot tell the difference between a high-threadcount with a low-threadcount then dun bother to waste your money to buy the high-treadcount ones. all are 100% cotton, mind u! :)

SarahLee said...

Well, yes.. if you are buying something for the worth of the money.. I have nothing against it. But I'm talking about the same thing, but different brand especially brands that are all out to "kill" you. Perhaps, 100% cotton ain't a good example. But if you know what I mean, there are so many things out there that doesn't really cost as much as they should be. All money goes to say for example, marketing, such as Loreal when the brand is really crap compared to some natural skin care product Angel is using. But yeah, things like the bedsheet, obviously you pay more for higher treadcount cottons which is inevitable.

Athena said...

willing buyer willing seller i guess..

for handphones, they've already invested so much money in the development, they've gotta make up for it with the high price tag... probably i'm biased since i'm in the industry... :)