List: My Top 5 Electronic Devices!
In this first installment of my year-end list-a-thon, we have a special treat: pictures to go along with the list. This time around, I'm talking the electronic devices I find most indispensible for daily life. And I'm not talking basic necessities like light bulbs and a refrigerator, you wise-ass. I'm talking expensive luxury items! From 5 to 1
(5) Denshi-Jisho: that is Japanese for electronic dictionary. This is the single most important thing I ever purchased in Japan (right above instant ramen, but that's another list). It makes daily life, from shopping to talking to friends to watching tv, much easier, and is priceless when doing homework. It never ceases to amaze me with the depth of the entries of its dictionaries - including the antiquated-Japanese dictionary that I've never even used! And it fits in my pocket. Amazing.
(4) Computer: This is a rough list when my powerbook only makes it to fourth place. Even though I have my gripes with the Mac OS and sometimes it runs kind of slow and my spacebar needs oiling (that is not a sexual innuendo), the powerbook is freaking awesome. And obviously I can't live without the damn thing (and by damn thing I mean computers in general). It's strange how it makes me feel like I'm back in the U.S. still - wasting time reading websites and chatting with the same people. Absolutely amazing.
(3) Mobile phone: Being in Japan means this jumps to a new level of importance, even considering the fact my phone gets spam-emailed about 40 times a day (not exaggerating there; I'm not sure how to fix this). First of all, my phone is incredibly cool - with the large screen, 1.3 megapixel photo and video camera, scroll wheel, and the fact that it swivels open, this thing is a design marvel. Second of all, without a cell phone in Japan, you pretty much might as well write "don't talk to me" on your forehead because there is no social life without a cell phone. Kids don't really chat and email much with computers around here - it's all through cellphone e-mail. It's kind of tiring to write emails on your phone, but at least writing in Japanese using a push-button phone takes less time than in English. And its strangely cheaper than calling.
(2) iPod: My iPod currently has 3259 songs on it. The fact that I can carry all that in my pocket is an amazing luxury. Sure, the battery life on my iPod sucks. Sure, so far I've paid about a dollar a day to use it when you think about how much I paid. Sure, the headphone and remote control wires are way too long and get tangled and catch on things. But I listen to it everyday including right now, and, I mean, just look at it - isn't it pretty?
(1) Television: okay, this isn't an expensive luxury item. But if there is one electronic device I wouldn't be able to live without, it's the TV (and yes, that's Morning Musume on the screen). It's become the best tool for me to improve my Japanese, but that's not all. Ever since childhood, TV has been my greatest teacher. When I'm home alone, it's a friend. And if that all makes me sound like I need therapy, well, yeah, I probably do.
(Honorable mention: digital camera, electric space heater)
(5) Denshi-Jisho: that is Japanese for electronic dictionary. This is the single most important thing I ever purchased in Japan (right above instant ramen, but that's another list). It makes daily life, from shopping to talking to friends to watching tv, much easier, and is priceless when doing homework. It never ceases to amaze me with the depth of the entries of its dictionaries - including the antiquated-Japanese dictionary that I've never even used! And it fits in my pocket. Amazing.
(4) Computer: This is a rough list when my powerbook only makes it to fourth place. Even though I have my gripes with the Mac OS and sometimes it runs kind of slow and my spacebar needs oiling (that is not a sexual innuendo), the powerbook is freaking awesome. And obviously I can't live without the damn thing (and by damn thing I mean computers in general). It's strange how it makes me feel like I'm back in the U.S. still - wasting time reading websites and chatting with the same people. Absolutely amazing.
(3) Mobile phone: Being in Japan means this jumps to a new level of importance, even considering the fact my phone gets spam-emailed about 40 times a day (not exaggerating there; I'm not sure how to fix this). First of all, my phone is incredibly cool - with the large screen, 1.3 megapixel photo and video camera, scroll wheel, and the fact that it swivels open, this thing is a design marvel. Second of all, without a cell phone in Japan, you pretty much might as well write "don't talk to me" on your forehead because there is no social life without a cell phone. Kids don't really chat and email much with computers around here - it's all through cellphone e-mail. It's kind of tiring to write emails on your phone, but at least writing in Japanese using a push-button phone takes less time than in English. And its strangely cheaper than calling.
(2) iPod: My iPod currently has 3259 songs on it. The fact that I can carry all that in my pocket is an amazing luxury. Sure, the battery life on my iPod sucks. Sure, so far I've paid about a dollar a day to use it when you think about how much I paid. Sure, the headphone and remote control wires are way too long and get tangled and catch on things. But I listen to it everyday including right now, and, I mean, just look at it - isn't it pretty?
(1) Television: okay, this isn't an expensive luxury item. But if there is one electronic device I wouldn't be able to live without, it's the TV (and yes, that's Morning Musume on the screen). It's become the best tool for me to improve my Japanese, but that's not all. Ever since childhood, TV has been my greatest teacher. When I'm home alone, it's a friend. And if that all makes me sound like I need therapy, well, yeah, I probably do.
(Honorable mention: digital camera, electric space heater)
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