Handphones and Jakartans

I was taking my usual afternoon fag break downstairs when my eyes looked at this one particular guy I always meet in the coffee shop.  The guy who always text messages.  This afternoon, I saw him with two handphones, one in each hands.  Usually, in the usual coffee shop, although he is sitting on the same table with those he knows, he doesn’t talk with them, at all.  While me and my colleagues sip our coffees and bitch about work, he just stares at his handphone, text messaging. 

Fag break is usually where people mingle and talk BS, and sip a bit of a fresh air (yeah, right, Jakarta fresh air), and feel the air touching our skin.  Small talks, communications while filling ourselves with nicotine.  Just 10 minutes and off we go back to our desks, or 30 minutes max if we go to the coffee shop.  Difficult to be apart from the handphone for 10-30 minutes and enjoy the moment, eh? 

The other place that I see people carrying and using handphone is in the gym.  While you are hitting the crosstrainer or treadmill and you are panting, watch around.  There are some people text messaging, which, of course, slows them down.  This is usually women.  Even when doing the machines, with a light weight, of course, they are text messaging instead of concentrating on their muscles.  Weights, is combination of the right moves and mind.  If you don’t put your mind to your muscles and make it work maximally, forget about being strong.  I don’t take my handphone when I exercise because I’m afraid I’ll just forget them.  Plus, it’s a PDA, bulky.  And I don’t like breaks during my work outs, and I’d rather talk with the regulars there.   That is, about 1.5 to 2 hours apart from the handphone.  Difficult to be apart from your handphone for 2 hours, eh?

The most dangerous thing that I’ve seen is a lady driving, making a turn to the left and shifting her gears with her right hand, while her left hand is on the phone (note: in Jakarta, the wheel is on the right).  Imagine that coordination.  People driving and text messaging, common scene. 

The most impolite thing that I’ve experienced, is when the person you are having dinner or lunch with, without saying any excuse, keep text messaging back and forth.   Especially during a date.  That is so impolite.  I simply hate it when I am eating with a guy and he is busy text messaging, without excuse.  I usually ask to be excused.

Of course, there are some exceptions.  During logging time (work), it has to be on 24 hours.  When a family member is critical and in the hospital, I have it on 24 hours.  Or when you are in love and expecting his/her call or messages (thank God I don’t do this…he doesn’t call, I’m not in his mind at the moment, that’s fine).

Anyways, it is just interesting seeing how difficult it is for people to be apart from their handphones.  It has been a very important gadget where you can keep in touch with your loved ones, get informations, making transactions, get emails, or, browsing the internet.  Even at the places where you don’t expect to see that handphone, like….restroom.  Would you really want the other side hear the toilet flushing?  Too important of a call? 

Handphones in Jakarta is also a social status.  Once I had a reunion with a friend who doesn’t have email (yup, married a filthy rich guy, some girls are just lucky, hmh), have the best Nokia communicator.  I had an O2 PDA because I have to have access to email and it is easier to take PDA to meetings and write stuff and transfer it in the office to my computer.  My neighbour has it too, but just use it for phone and text message and games.  “Because it’s cute, it’s white”.  Halah.  Now I use the office PDA, the IPAQ which is far from feminine but much more stable.  Which once in a while I really want to throw away because of information overflow.

Do younger generation can imagine 30 years ago there was no handphone, and some houses didn’t have a phone?  I guess they couldn’t. 

But then if telecommunication is so advanced, shouldn’t it reduce traffic?  Because people can deal with banks from their phones.  Make decisions, pay, shop, etc.  That’s another topic.

I wonder if people can stay away from their handphones for just a while, say, 1 hour.  Enjoy lunch, dinner, wine, without taking your handphone with you, and enjoy the company.  Excercise without carrying it.  Fag enjoying the smoke and coffee.  I wonder if one can live where there is no signal at all, for 5-6 days.  Me, I am proven that I’m capable.  During live aboard diving, no signals in the middle of the sea. 

I wonder if people on the other side of the world is also the same when it comes to handphones.  Note: the most tacky handphone, based on Nokia, is best sold in Indonesia, because Indonesians are such snobs; i.e. buy things to be called cool instead of the fascilities.

Why not try one day spending with your loved ones, 24 hours without handphone?