My First Phone
It was in the year 1999 when I had my very first cellular phone. It was a black and sleek Motorola phone. If I can remember it right, it was a Motorola 8800. It was the first cellular phone in the Philippines that introduced short messaging system or SMS or better known as text messaging.
Although my Motorola phone was of no comparison of today's smartphone. But at that timer it was introduced, only professionals and some rich kids were able to own it. It was a little pricey. Uniquely, it had only two lines for screen display of messages.
Although there were already Nokia phones available at that time but they were not meant for text messaging. They were only for calls and for plans too.
My First Network
As far as I know, it was Globe who brought and introduced this text messaging technology in our country. Smart network at that time was focused on calls yet and still tried to introduce the text messaging in the market. Hence, Globe was able to establish its name in terms of innovation in cellphone technology.
There was no unlimited calls nor unlimited text messaging at that time. There was even no electronic loads available. I would have to buy a card to load my phone in 250 and in 500 denominations. The same as today, the cost per message sent was one peso.
Despite the cost, I did not complain the my spending. Even if my card load of 250 pesos for that matter may last only for 1 week, that time, to spend some money for the phone was no big deal. There was even a time that I used to decorate my cards load in our room in Mindanao State University. Even if totaling the price in buying those cards would be able me to buy more than one of Levi's Jeans, but I simply did not mind it.
My First Textmate
Because of the text messaging, I was able to have friends whom I never met in my entire life. We became friends only through texts. There was one text friend of mine whom I was able to establish some connections with.
She was my first serious textmate. She was from Cagayan de Oro City. Truly, in the world of text messaging, everybody hides and conceals his/her identity. My textmate was no exception. I said to her that I was 21 years old at that time. I was honest. She responded that she was a little bit older. So, I said, what the heck anyway. Age does not matter right?
So after months of text messaging, we decided to finally meet. At that moment, it was not called an eye ball yet. I guess the term was coined or used 5 or 10 years later.
We agreed to meet in Gaisano Mall of Cagayan de Oro City. I wore the color of shirt as what we have agreed upon. After how many minutes my phone rang and a message popped telling me that my textmate was already at the venue looking at me already. I gazed and tried to search her location. But I was not able to find her. Until she approached me and introduced her name. I was surprised because she was not telling the whole truth about her age. I was expecting that she would only be older a bit than me and not that almost a score of age gap. Imagine that my age was almost doubled to hers.
After that horrible experience, I never ventured to text messaging just to find friends again.
