My mobile phone, my rescuing buddy

All smartly suited up and a couple of back-to-back meetings to drive to from one end of the Valley to another, I cruised sedately into the compound of the first meeting place when an urgent call threw my day into immediate, chaotic disarray! Aaaargh! My mother’s condition had worsened since morning, and she needed emergency care. My mind sped furiously into overdrive, prioritizing, deleting, scenario-planning and whatever my powerhouse does in its craaaazy inimitable way.

Swinging away from the parking lots and out back onto the main road, I made my first call to explain that meeting number 1 had to be postponed, with my apologies, due to this emergency. Yes, yes of course, I have a headset that allows me to drive as safely as if I were carrying on a conversation with a passenger in my car – my favorite mentor had shown me how to get the most out of Time and get business done on the go ha ha! Actually, he’s been great for my business deliverables but I confess I’ve sometimes compromised my previous standards of etiquette in favor of the timely efficiency of mobility, naughty me.

Now, which route should I choose to take, to get there in the shortest time? Tick, tick, tick, ticking away, my powerhouse kept up its mental computations for deriving what my next steps ought to be. Aha! A traffic jam up ahead with vehicles patiently craaaawling their way forward inch by inch – what a perfect opportunity to text some urgent messages to colleagues explaining the situation, and apologetically alerting them of my impending absence. But suddenly ……… screeeeech! Thump, thump, thump pounded my heart! WHERE did that rear bumper appear from????? Phew! I’d managed to come to a halt literally 2 inches away. No no NO! NOT good to text while moving even slowly – slap on the wrist – I should have known better anyway. What WAS I thinking!!!!!

By the time we were in the Acute Recovery Area (ARA), my business appointments had been re-arranged, due to the cooperation of my supportive colleagues (thanks guys) and my E71. All my commitments had now been properly delegated, and I could focus on the more mmediate family matters. Mum’s occupation of the Resuscitation Room took a good deal longer than in the ARA – hmmmmm how might I make good use of my loafing around the glass doors whose sensors authoritatively opened and shut firmly separating me from those needing medical attention? Tick, tick, tick why not keep those who need to know updated as events unfold? Sometimes in the dubious comfort of a vacant chair, at others leaning against the wall, I sent numbered updates of what was happening to family and close friends in the Valley as well as those spanning the globe. Did I mention how alien I felt lounging around an Emergency area for hours on end in my corporate gear? No, coordinated accessories are NOT what one normally wears when attending to the ill and distressed. I looked sooooooo inappropriate.

But I digress ….. the waiting time was spent incredibly fruitfully, tapping into family journalism at its best by producing mini mobile newsletters each time there was news to share. I duly numbered them too so that they would make chronological sense to the recipients. Hey! Don’t’ laugh?! The progress reports helped Sibling to decide whether he should take the next flight out or not. The text messages to Europe waited respectfully to be sent till that continent awoke while those in my time zone got the updates immediately This would never have been possible in the days of fixed lines and payphones eh?

And here’s the sweetest sentimental exchange: Mum’s sibling was concerned about the whole palaver, so, while Mum was lying in bed and her sister was in another country, E71 allowed them to exchange their feelings and allay their fears, enabling 2 older ladies to feel more assured than if they hadn’t spoken to each other. Have I told you I love you, E71? Yes, I do – even though you sometimes pout and change things you’re not supposed to; but maybe your upgrade won’t do that?

I spy and see ........ excitement ahead!

Whatever you’ve got planned for the weekend of Oct 23, 24, 25, make sure you make time to savor the bonanza of goodies waiting for you at the gleaming Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. What’s happening? It’s the GoMobile Expo 2009, that’s what - with all the bells, whistles and freebies you need to get you enjoying greater pleasure at lower cost, every day. Irresistible!!!

There’s a treasure hunt laid on for you, where you can pick up one of an assortment of mobile phones as a prize among many to be won. Do you have Bluetooth? Well, that’s how you’ll get your clues to follow the trail to the treasures. By the way, start thinking about a winning slogan to clinch the deal, yeah?

Maybe you enjoy feasting your eyes on professional fashion models? You can do that THREE times each day, and even vote for your fave designs too, via SMS of course. The designs you’ll see would have been created by Raffles International College and were inspired by – no prizes for guesses – mobile technology.

And while you’re wandering around, keep your eyes peeled for QR codes that’ll be placed around the hall. Just scan them with your mobile phone, decipher the clues from these codes and use them to answer questions that’ll get you super prizes. You do need a barcode reader app on your phone, though and if you don’t have on, just download it from the internet. And you thought you’d never need one? Huh!

While you’re wide-eyed with wonder, use your phone to snap photos of what enthralls you at the expo and send them to the judges via MMS. Prizes for the best shots will be given at 5pm every day, so start snooping around early! Keep it clean, though peeps J

Treasure hunts for codes and clues, gorgeous models, snapping photos of what tickles your fancy – what else is there to get and keep your adrenalin on high? Well, you can start getting a buzz right NOW! There are photo and video competitions to enter; just use your mobile phone to capture your minds’ imagination. AND, if you’re one of the first 50 subscribers to the Mobile World magazine, you’ll get an LG phone, FREE! FREE! FREE!

Well you can head over to Cyberjaya and capture photos of what YOU think portrays the spirit of this intelligent city. Your photos will appear in Harian Metro, and of course there are prizes to be won for having fun too. Details of how to participate are at www.gomobile.my

Or maybe you like video to capture the motion? Yes, you can do that too at the ‘Truly Asia Reality Mobile Video Contest’. Now this is one that tugs at the heartstrings – you get to submit what you see as being unique about Malaysia (any part of it), from YOUR point of view. Prizes promise to be tantalizing and yes, they do include mobile phones for you! Want to see what some students have submitted in a competition for them? Visit http://www.gomobile.my/ and judge by voting for your favorite entry by the students

Panting with anticipation already? Good. Join the rest of us at http://www.clique.gomobile.my/ and show your registration at the GoMobile Clique Booth to collect your very own gift. See you there on Oct 23,24,25! Promise?

The Joys of Connectivity!

OMG – we’d been Skype-chatting for 2 hours already and there was STILL more to share as we caught up. Finally, PP had created an account, and we were savoring the delights of unlimited conversation, as starved as we were for the cozy chats we used to share before she moved away.
She’s also been indoctrinated into the joys of social networking and was now adding to her list of friends to share photos and news with. Have I said how I just LOVE new media for staying in touch with all and sundry? YES I DO!!!

But my friendship with PP? Now, THAT is extra special. It’s been about 9 years since we first met – just 2 random people in the same church cell group. PP had many questions to ask about our groups’ topics of discussion, and was also single-handedly caring for her terminally ill mother. Her life was full but she still found time to encourage other cancer patients too – she had found a satisfying vocation there which she continues to engage in whenever the opportunity presents itself. Admirable, don’t you think? My own rigid life was engaged in the diametrically opposite structured corporate sector and we kept in touch only when friends with terminally ill relatives needed prayer or other support. She and I really had absolutely nothing in common, apart from sharing a deeply-rooted commitment to being the best that we can be, within our skill sets. So HOW did we become bosom buddies? She laughingly says now that she used to find me ‘distant’ though friendly - oh dearie me, where have I heard THAT before? Ahem! Hem!

Anyway, along the way we somehow found ourselves on opposite sides of a common issue that inflamed our mutual sense of justice with an unquenchable desire to set aright, despite stone walls and intrigue. That closed the social distance between us. As we discussed how to help out, we exchanged backgrounds and found that we come from 2 vastly different worlds (um, can this even be on the same planet!?). She had not told anyone about hers for good reason, it sounded like something out of a heart-wrenching storybook to me. But the mutual sharing of our family secrets led to trust and later confidence and then to the ability to laugh together about issues surrounding our lives, and to offer each other stark moral support without frills. Have you noticed how laughter melts icicles and brings streams that irrigate orchards and gardens? Ahhh. Jocular bliss.

Then a job took her away and we caught up on chats when she returned every few weeks. BUT somehow those gaps were toooooooo long and everytime I got into a mental pickle and wanted to chat with someone who understands me, I missed hearing her incisive, challenging, wisdom. It was vice versa too. Uh-huh, that’s right – it is the blatant honesty between us that is SO very valuable, because it is shared from a common desire to help each other to improve, without pretence. Don’t you too have someone or 2 you like to vent with? You know, as I would drive away from an unbelievably idiotic meeting, or pondered over my own bungling responses (aargh yes, not yet again!) in a situation, I would sometimes indulge in calling her long-distance to get her insights into others’ perspectives. Oh, how enlarging it has been for me to hear perceptions from a vastly different world to mine! Especially so, when my work entails relating to people with social/cultural/religious/political/ etc etc , differing expectations to what I was used to.

Quite honestly, the trials and tribulations of being smacked in the face with ‘norms’ that are alien to me have made me a far better-aligned person, because of her helpful insights. Instead of continuing my attempts as the proverbial ‘bull in a china shop’ the insights have helped me to broaden my thinking and build bridges that enhance relationships. And now WE HAVE NEW MEDIA despite the physical distance between us. Did I say already that I just love the technical connectivity that enables the emotional connectivity which makes the world go round? Hey! There’s the likes of Fring too you know! Ha ha ha Mobility rules!!!! OH YES!