I WAS so happy to own a second hand phone for first time in my life. I never thought I would able to use a mobile phone until that day. It was a day of 2005, 4 months after I start working in Malaysia. In the initial months, I couldn't afford to buy a hand phone and always need to ask senior fellow citizen worker to borrow once a month. Because I transfer my wages once a month to home and needed to inform my elder sister after I made it. So it make me borrow a hand phone for a while from those who has. Also this is only one I can afford to make a call to my family because it's too expensive to call to my country.
With the recognition of my sister, I could able to buy a second hand phone 4 months after I working in Malaysia. I couldn't afford to spend more than RM-300 and that time (2005), hand phone price are not as cheap as nowadays. Despite a sim card can be bought as low as RM-8.00 in the open market, there are variety of hand set available with the different price. Since I am price conscious and low budget buyer, I thoroughly surveyed the market, reading advertisement and asking my local colleagues at work. I realized I can't afford to buy brand new one after I read several phone broucher and advertisement from daily free newspaper. So I opted to buy a good second hand. That time a brand new hand set can cost as much as RM-1200 depend on model.
Yes, there is a market that sell old hand sets. But I don't want to buy from them because it's risky and I don't know much about hand set. Because the used one are usually sold without guarantee. So it's too risky for a customer with very limited budget like me. Fortunately, one of my college who is local Chinese engineer offered me a best deal for his girl friend's hand set. His offer was within my budget and I gladly accept it. He said his girl friend bought it only 6 months ago from Nokia authorized center. So he ensure me for the quality of material and durability. I paid RM-300 for hand set that is color screen which is not very old model. Even can consider one of recent models released by Nokia. I considered myself lucky and was happying to own my first ever gadget.
I very much take care it so that I can avoid unnecessary malfunction or spoil. Can you guess how did I take care of it? I wrap it by two layers of clothes which is made by towel wool. I roll in in the innermost part so that it can stay inside as smooth as possible. Few days later my friend asked me to borrow hand set for a while because he needs to retrieve some contact numbers from this phone memory. He was surprisingly looking at me while I am taking out of my bag. Because I put my hand set in the deep pocket of my bag. I have to unzip two pieces to reach it. Then I have to unwrap two layers of wool clothes to expose my handset. He was amazing to learn my care and even told me his surprise.
It may be far conservative action for them because they are raised among those electronic gadgets. Meanwhile, we thought those kind of electronic goods are privileged and believe they are invented for super riches only. The different the background we grow up. I don't know how much different between us exactly even within an ASEAN countries. I can't guess how far developed in the western countries like US or EU. But for sure, they are really happening to me and my action proof that how have we gone through our own life without having access modern facilities. I do understand how much behind we are compare to outside world.
Hopefully our new government may fully understand this and able to close the gap as much as possible. Whatever thing had done in past is past and we can't change it. Let's see ahead and try our best so that we can catch up our neighboring countries.
With the recognition of my sister, I could able to buy a second hand phone 4 months after I working in Malaysia. I couldn't afford to spend more than RM-300 and that time (2005), hand phone price are not as cheap as nowadays. Despite a sim card can be bought as low as RM-8.00 in the open market, there are variety of hand set available with the different price. Since I am price conscious and low budget buyer, I thoroughly surveyed the market, reading advertisement and asking my local colleagues at work. I realized I can't afford to buy brand new one after I read several phone broucher and advertisement from daily free newspaper. So I opted to buy a good second hand. That time a brand new hand set can cost as much as RM-1200 depend on model.
Yes, there is a market that sell old hand sets. But I don't want to buy from them because it's risky and I don't know much about hand set. Because the used one are usually sold without guarantee. So it's too risky for a customer with very limited budget like me. Fortunately, one of my college who is local Chinese engineer offered me a best deal for his girl friend's hand set. His offer was within my budget and I gladly accept it. He said his girl friend bought it only 6 months ago from Nokia authorized center. So he ensure me for the quality of material and durability. I paid RM-300 for hand set that is color screen which is not very old model. Even can consider one of recent models released by Nokia. I considered myself lucky and was happying to own my first ever gadget.
I very much take care it so that I can avoid unnecessary malfunction or spoil. Can you guess how did I take care of it? I wrap it by two layers of clothes which is made by towel wool. I roll in in the innermost part so that it can stay inside as smooth as possible. Few days later my friend asked me to borrow hand set for a while because he needs to retrieve some contact numbers from this phone memory. He was surprisingly looking at me while I am taking out of my bag. Because I put my hand set in the deep pocket of my bag. I have to unzip two pieces to reach it. Then I have to unwrap two layers of wool clothes to expose my handset. He was amazing to learn my care and even told me his surprise.
It may be far conservative action for them because they are raised among those electronic gadgets. Meanwhile, we thought those kind of electronic goods are privileged and believe they are invented for super riches only. The different the background we grow up. I don't know how much different between us exactly even within an ASEAN countries. I can't guess how far developed in the western countries like US or EU. But for sure, they are really happening to me and my action proof that how have we gone through our own life without having access modern facilities. I do understand how much behind we are compare to outside world.
Hopefully our new government may fully understand this and able to close the gap as much as possible. Whatever thing had done in past is past and we can't change it. Let's see ahead and try our best so that we can catch up our neighboring countries.
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