Gadgets

During the first decade of the Swallow's life, the simple telephone was introduced into her home.  Previously, the only contact she had with a telephone was the one in her paternal grandparents' home.  It was the type that had ten holes with ten corresponding numbers.  To make a call, one had to put a finger into one of its ten holes which corresponds to the number to be dialed, move that finger in a clockwise direction, release the finger, wait for the dial to return to its original position, then repeat the actions until all the numbers have been dialed.

Retro Telephone

The telephone that was introduced into the Swallow's home was considered more modern as it was a push-button type.  Simple and quick to use.

Initially, with the high cost of usage per telephone call (or what was told to the Swallow and her siblings), the telephone was only used for emergencies.  No chance to make outgoing casual calls to friends.  No, a call to check with a friend about forgotten homework was NOT an emergency!  The Swallow and her siblings were only allowed to take incoming calls.  Alas, the Swallow's friends must have had the same rule in their families, so time spent on the telephone was minimal...

Push-Button Telephone

As the Swallow grew older, this rule was relaxed and it was a time of anticipation and wonder each time a telephone call was made or received.  Who would be on the line?  Would it be the Swallow's call?  What does one say?  How to start the conversation?  How to end it?

Over the years, the simple telephone has progressed to a cordless telephone, to a handphone and it is still in a state of progress.  Now, it is very common to have a handphone.  In Singapore alone, there are at least three major handphone service providers.  The handphone too has progressed to one that has many functions, some with touch screens, some with links to the internet.

The Swallow's mate bought her a handphone recently as a Mother's Day gift, to replace the previous one which was given several  years back also as a Mother's Day gift.  The handphone battery was also in a decline, requiring a charge almost everyday and depleting its energy instantaneously whenever a call was made.

This new handphone had several functions that the old handphone did not have, and the Swallow is still discovering these functions and having fun along the way.  One of the Swallow's young one was quick to offer his assistance.  When the Swallow remarked that there were so many functions that did not seem useful, this young one was even quicker to offer, "Mama, it's ok, you can use mine.  It's easier to use.  It will meet your needs.  I don't mind using yours"!