TBK tries- breaking his new mobile

 

When I left Bapco my colleagues in Building B bought me a ( toy) mobile phone. I had always protested that I did not need a mobile since I had mine stolen back in 2015. I liked the fact that no one could get hold of me, especially my boss, and as I lived and worked in the same place I really did not need to communicate by mobile. I laughed at the people who were slow away from the traffic lights because they were checking their phone, or who asked for the Wi-Fi code before the menu in a restaurant. In those days I preferred to eat my food rather than photograph it!

Bapco had different ideas and fixed a raffle so I "won" a Samsung Galaxy A6 but I gave it to Jhoanna in Palawan who was staying a 7 hr. drive from her mum to attend University and so she had a far greater need than I. 

I wrote blogs about the dangers of mobiles and lectured on the subject with my good friend Dr. Sayed Raza presenting a series of lectures over 2 years for 100 of our 17 year old Diploma students entitled "Is the Social Media Really social?"

His wonderful graphics and facts like the average mobile phone having 18 times more germs than a public toilet seat soon had them pushing their phones away with a tissue!

BUT then it happened. My UK Bank insisted on a two stage verification to access my account including texting a code to a mobile which I then entered on my laptop for my internet banking transactions. So after I left Bapco I got a REAL mobile and it became an indispensable part of my retired life! I downloaded a variety of apps, including my Bahrain Bank account and the Be Aware app for COV 19 which I have to show my green vaccinated shield in order to enter a mall or restaurant. 

I use Google Maps when I am trying to find somewhere, I send my location when I am inviting a friend to visit and all my holiday hotels are there on Booking.com

When I eat out, I too take photos before I eat ( and upload them to Facebook and play "Guess where I am?" with my friends!)

I clean it three times a day and I bought a protective case for it. I charge it regularly and ensure its always got load. 

THEN one day it happened. A friend put it on charge overnight and overcharged it! When I turned it on the next day it was flashing. 

Panic set in, my new phone broken after just 4 months. What to do?

I waited until 10 am and raced to City Centre Mall with my receipt but they would not let me in as I could not show them my Be Aware Green Shield! Eventually I found my COV 19 Vaccination booklet in the car and showed it to the Security guard who let me in. I raced to the Samsung shop where I bought the phone but they sent me to the Samsung repair shop in Hora. After a long wait in the queue the lady at the counter took the SIM card out, reinserted it , and the phone worked fine.

After thanking her profusely for saving my life I walked to my car and caught up on the 50 messages that had come in on Facebook and the various apps overnight.

Then I realised I too had become addicted to the social media and my mobile!

The very thing I had preached against for so many years!