Goodbye Atari

Astute readers will remember the comment my mei mei left after my post about the Lunar Market.

"RIP Motorola. Hello Atari." wrote my witty sis.

Avoiding the urge to voice my frustrations about having a second phone stolen whilst in China, I didn't share with my readership that along with the scorpions and roses, tea pots and nail clippers at the Lunar Market there were also thieves... those who thought my slim Motorola would translate into into quick cash in a market driven by hot items.

Needless to say having my phone stolen left me feeling frustrated and violated... angry and upset, and mostly mad that in three years I have gone through three phones. So, as a form of self imposed punishment I sent myself to cell phone purgatory and opted to use our "extra" phone... an ancient, basic Motorola that is so simplistic that I could text only in ALL CAPS (inspiring me to share with my dearest friends that I was not, in fact, shouting, but instead using some of the seemingly oldest mobile phone technology still viable.)

I tried not to be irritated by the fact that my 10 year old had a cool slider phone... a Nokia with a camera, MP3 player and a color screen. I, by contrast had the rubbery key pad and a triple flash of recognition each time I made a final selection. (And for some reason, each flash reminded me of SNL'sTarget Lady as if she was narrating in my head each selection. I could almost hear Kristin Wiig's iconic voice uttering, "Yes... you have decided to use your phone book to find a contact... triple flash ... its as exciting as vanilla candles in your bathroom..." )

So, while MGJ rocked out to Demi Lavato on her trendy mobile, I rocked the ancient Motorola, which I lamely dubbed, the "Atari Phone" (actually my phone was so lame that it was jealous of Atari graphics and functions!)

I do not have a great track record with mobile phones in China... I've had two stolen, I have one end up in the toilet (after a quick google search I learned this fact: you can sometimes bake a phone to get the water out-- which didn't work for me-- and since the words phone and toilet were both in the search I was grossed out to learn mobile phones carry more bacteria than a toilet!), I have had a mobile rendered useless after it mingled in the bottom of my bottomless-pit-of-a-handbag with the dregs of a roll or Ritz and dried seaweed (Bei Bei's snack de jour).

Despite my ineptitude with mobile technology, my husband graciously stepped in and bought me a new phone ... an iPhone no less.

Good bye Atari. Live long in the bottom of the seldom-used-electronics drawer. I hope to never use you again. Its on to FB, and Kindle, and text messages with cute speech bubbles on my mobile phone, and I might even sync up for the Camp Rock Soundtrack so I can be as least as cool as other mobile users in the Johnsons in China Household.