New phone

My first cellphone in Korea was free. I paid 20,000 won and had about 30 minutes calling time. I think people could call me even after my minutes were gone. It was pretty handy because I am a face-to-face talking kind of guy. Phones are for sending information, not chatting.


Later, when I decided to stay in Korea for an extended period, I bought a phone. It had a Korean interface because I was sure I would soon be speaking Korean fluently (strangely, I still have a groundless optimism about someday learning more than grammarless, single-word utterances).

It was a good enough phone five years ago but I couldn't do much with it. Yesterday, I picked this up:Two points: first, the screen looks unclear because it still has the cellophane cover on it. What's the deal with these super slim phones that are so delicate you need to buy a case for and keep wrapped?
Second, it came with a 'cellmate'. If I ever go to the big-house, I guess I'm prepared. Ah, its the charger, if you are curious.
The back of the cellmate included two PSAs regarding missing children. I'm not sure why that's noteworthy but it caught my attention.

I can already do more with this phone than the old one. I can store names and numbers and find them again. You might wonder why, on a phone with an MP3 player and a camera, I am proud of that. I downloaded the English user's manual but even still, it took a visit to the vendor to manage this small step. The English is okay, but there isn't enough of it. It's as if the writer got tired halfway through each set of instructions. I can start many things but how to finish them is a matter of trial and error. Do they think it is obvious how to save the change you make?
It isn't.
I found myself wondering if they would honour the warranty if I brought it in after smashing it against a wall.

I will try not to and now have a task for my students - teach me to use my phone (I've done this before in actual classes but this time it would be a voluntary thing before or after class).