This is my phone, Ricardo. He’s been with me for the last 2 years and a half. I am a bad owner. He no longer looks as great as he used to be when I got him two years back. He doesn’t even look half as good I must say.

I am not used to changing my gadgets every time a new one comes out in the market. I know of someone who keeps on buying a new phone and keeps on changing it or losing it but I also know of someone who has had his dilapidated old Nokia phone for as long as he can remember. Just to give you an idea of how in a really bad shape his mobile phone is in, his phone is being kept intact by rubber bands. Yes. Rubber bands! He’s not really poor; with no money to spare for a new phone. It’s just that, he’s like me. He likes his gadgets the way they are. I am not too keen on buying a new phone every now and then and selling my old ones when I get tired of them. Actually, I don’t get tired of them. Rarely do I go out of my way to buy something new especially when it comes to mobile phones, laptops and the like (but it’s not exactly the same when it comes to clothes, make-up, shoes… you know, girl stuff). In fact, I’ve only had three phones since I got my first phone back in sophomore year in high school: a 3210, a Siemens SX1 that I dad bought me for (a whopping) 30K and Ricardo which I got off eBay Philippines from a dealer of new mobiles phones.

The first phone saw the end of its journey after 4 years when despite having it sent for repairs twice, it still wouldn’t charge and worse, wouldn’t work without being attached to the socket. The second phone had to be put to rest after two and half years when its main board suddenly decided to give up on me one fine day (just shows how much price doesn’t really reflect quality). And now, my poor, dilapidated and overused Sony Ericsson W550i, my baby for the last 2 years+ is showing signs of heading for doom: It wiggles when it’s open. It hangs. It’s slow then the headphones won’t work one minute and the speakers would fail the next. Just over the weekend, I couldn’t use my phone to call or receive calls without the headphones. I don’t exactly know what happened but suddenly the speakers are now working fine - as if nothing happened over the last couple of days (but now I couldn’t make the headphones work! Crazy!). I feel bad. I don’t have plans of dispatching Ricardo yet. I still have plans of sending it for repairs and was even considering buying a Bluetooth headset for it and a couple of new face plates. But with the recent developments (or should I say signs of weaknesses?), I think I need to scout for a new one pretty soon. Actually, I don’t see any problem with window shopping for a new phone. It’s the money to spend for a new one that’s bothering me. With a tuition fee of 100K for med school, I think every little extra expense to ask from them is just too much.

So is anyone out there willing to sponsor my new phone?