Welcome

I love my new cell phone! Of course, I had one in the U.S., but it was nothing like my magnificant pink all-in-one handy tool. I can make phone calls of course, but I can also:

• Take pictures in both directions. Meaning, I can turn the viewer so it points at me. That way I can take a pic of myself in front of some landmark just by holding the phone in front of me.
• Shoot videos up to 30 seconds.
• Send/receive e-mails.
• Keep a calendar/diary with reminders
• Play music
• write memos
• use the internet! (If I pay for it)

I read somewhere that most Japanese are in love with their cell phones and judging by the numbers of them I see playing with their cell phones on the trains, as they walk down the street and even while riding their bikes, I think it is truly a match made in heaven.

Being a single mom on a limited budget, I don't often buy toys for myself, but I couldn't resist the trend to get a cell phone, aka "keitai" in Japanese.

I also thought it would be fund to start a simple blog where I post things I've snapped with my keitai and share them with the world. Even if no one else is amused, it's fun for me and gives me some cheap entertainment.

I've made up one simple rule for myself: any picture I use MUST be taken with my keitai. No cheating and taking a picture with a real camera and pretending I took it with my keitai.

Check back regularly or sign up for updates to get the latest picture and bit of cultural trivia from a squarepeg perspective on life in Japan.

K.C.