TheLeong.com

At first I thought I was going to write about this girl who rode up the elevator with me: she smelled like a dead zebra. But I think she was retarded or had a disease or something, so I guess I won’t.

One of the dumbest things ever: walkie talkie cell phones. Why in the world would you buy a phone that has this, and then why would you actually use such a stupid feature? The purpose of a cell phone is (or should be) to have private phone calls with the convenience of portability. These walkie talkie phones pretty much kill the “private” part, and also add the factor of making you look like a moron to anyone who sees or hears you. I walked past this kid on the hallway this morning who was using one of these monstrosities (apparently some people think this “feature” is worth having a bigger phone), practically yelling into the thing and hearing the customary scratchy semi-response. And don’t get me started on that “walkie talkie beep.” You know what I’m talking about.

I really don’t get the benefits of using these walkie talkie phones. Why not just call each other on the actual phone? It will be better quality, you won’t be overheard, and most of all, you won’t look like a jackass to everyone around you.

The Suica card, which looks like this: , is definitely a possible sign of the future. Basically, it’s a chargeable train pass/debit card. You can use it on the JR trains, and now you can use it in store to purchase stuff like a debit card. The nice thing about it is, instead of swiping and signing like a credit card, you just press it up against the reader, and you’re good to go. Takes literally 2 seconds. Maybe 1 if you’re a ninja. Most people keep it in a wallet or “pass case” with a little window on it. They just press their wallet/case on the suica panel and they’re good to go. Now, if you lose your card you’re screwed, but worrying about this stuff isn’t the point of progress.

This thing might actually turn Japan into a cashless society. Credit cards and checks couldn’t do that here. People literally still carry huge wads of cash with them. A lot of companies still give their employees their wages via big envelopes of cash.

I like Suica (the word also means watermelon, although I don’t know why their main mascot is a penguin). There’s also a campaign going on right now where you use your Suica at convenience stores to buy stuff, and you get a sticker. Collect 3 stickers, and you can send in to win stuff like a penguin pillow or a coffee mug. Here’s the link, if you want to see it for yourself. I found one of the conbini that just had the box of stickers sitting out, so of course I stole a handful. I’m going to send a bunch of postcards in and hopefully win something.

I seriously can’t wait til I go to Japan and get a good cell phone (keitai over there). I was browsing on (links are to English pages:) DoCoMo, AU, and Vodaphone’s sites today, and the features that some of them have are rediculous. Standards include SD memory cards, 1-2 megapixel cameras, video mail/video phone, infra red, Bluetooth, and broadband internet speed (3G). Some of the more special features include synching with Outlook, reading bar codes, using your phone as a credit card, TV output, TV tuner, and even finger-print recognition!