Red Headed Step Child

I was in San Francisco last week for 3 days of emergency / policy training for a new aviation company I am working with. Scintillating stuff, trust me.

One of the other flight attendants attending the training was named Mikiko. She works on the (beautiful) G550 for a private owner in Japan. They were in the States for a three week maintenance stop, so she decided to attend the training during her down time... Which, by the sound of it, she had quite a bit of. She is afraid to drive in America, really doesn't speak much English, and hasn't had much American food she enjoys besides In-N-Out cheeseburgers. Poor girl! She just seemed bored. And hungry.

Let me tell you now about her cell phone. Mikiko had possibly the coolest cell phone ever. Just to preface this story, let me explain why I was so infatuated. I am a fairly private person, and when I share things about my personal life, it's probably because I like you and trust you. So, naturally, it is a pet peeve of mine when people sit next to me, and try to read what I'm texting or emailing on my Blackberry (crackberry). You all know the move. It's the totally obvious, but casual 'over and down' glance at your cell phone, just long enough for them to insert themselves into your business. Now, I'm not above doing this sometimes myself. But only on airplanes, and when the person next to me is reading a magazine or a newspaper article I want to read as well. I'll totally pull the over and down... Piggyback on their article skimming. Harmless.... But when it's a private and personal conversation via cellphone, then it's just obnoxious.

That being said, enter Mikiko's cool Japanese cell phone. Why is it that Americans are SO far behind in cell phone technology? B. and I were just discussing this the other day. We are literally a decade behind the rest of the world in mobile technology. Why is this? Does anyone know? B. was telling me that years ago, a European friend of his had a cell phone that allowed real time video conference chat. I don't think we even have that available to us even now! Why are we the red headed step children of cell phone technology? Aren't we the superpower of the world, the land of the free, the most holy of all holies? Ok, the last one was a bit much...But you'd think that Verizon would throw us a bone to chew on... The Blackberry Storm is all they can come up with for us?! Lame.

My ranting is postponing pictures...Sorry. Mikiko explained how on the sardine-like packed metros in Japan, the 'over and down' glance was inevitable.

This picture is not blurry....It's a privacy film that covers the screen, so unless you're looking at it dead on, all the words/images are blurry. GENIUS!!!!! Now, I know they have these in larger sizes for computer screens. But, I've never seen them marketed en mass for cell phones.

Look at the fun Japanese characters on her cell phone. I always wished I could write, or more appropriately, draw Japanese symbols. I think their language is so beautiful in print. Now, I have no idea what this says in English, so for all you Japanese speakers out there, enlighten me please. Unless it says "This stupid blonde girl is trying to steal my cell phone. Dumb Americans". In that case, let me live in my ignorance. Thanks.
The screen is removable, just in case you're feeling extra sharing that day.
Oh, America. Our great Nation. I appreciate the Democracy, the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...all that jazz. I really do. But is it too much to ask that our cell phone technology keep up with the rest of the world? I mean, seriously Verizon. A clicking touchscreen is your latest and greatest?