Sometimes I forget how different my childhood was from the kids growing up today. For today's example, let's talk about the mobile phone. I think I first saw one when my dad bought his Nokia way back in 1992 - when GSM phones started popping up around here. The thing was the size of a brick and had a talk time of about 30 minutes before it would die. We didn't have SMSing because Etisalat didn't have it back then. I actually got my hands on a mobile phone when I was 19. And that too, it was my mum's, and I was only allowed to borrow it after a lengthy conversation as to why I needed to carry one to college. Mind you, I used to guard it like I was protecting fucking Hilary Duff. Then when I'd return home, mum would inspect the phone to make sure there were no scratches etc.

Now, it seems every single person from adult to child aged 5 has a mobile. The other day I was walking home and I saw these two kids below my building - both of them maybe no older than 6 years, texting away furiously on their phones. When I was their age, our best friend was the phone booth. I would carry one of the old Etisalat phone cards in my bag for emergency purposes - does anyone even remember those? They had a small hole punched at the top with the text AED 30, and the phone would punch holes when your credit reached AED 20, 10, etc. I don't even think they have those phones now - not even the coin operated ones! They used to be bright orange and have the smalled screen to show you how much credit you had left for your call, so you'd be standing there in the cramped booth trying to time your call so you wouldn't have to stick in any more coins.

Ah, the memories.

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