A recent article in The Economist contrasts the cultures of cell phone use and nomenclature around the world. Indonesians are cited for their text-happy culture. On some networks, Indonesian cell phone users send an average 1,000 texts a month.
http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15172850
In Indonesia, cell phones or mobiles are called HPs (pronounced like "ha-pay" or "ha-pei"), otherwise known as hand phones. Texts are called SMS (short message service). In many instances, a brief sms is preferred to a brief call, which is more expensive.
Indonesians want to be connected. Like the Spanish, according to The Economist, people keep their HPs on all the time and feel free to interrupt almost anything to attend to an incoming call or sms. In my language class, the instructor will halt everything to take a call if his phone rings during class.
At my first Indonesian wedding, as the bride and groom sat grandly center stage in front of 300 people, the groom's mother, also seated onstage, chatted on her HP throughout parts of the ceremony. Quite an initiation into cell phone culture here!
With the recent new year and holiday season, I received thoughtful well wishes by sms. In lieu of Christmas cards, plenty of Indonesians (especially Christians) send happy holiday wishes to friends via sms. New Year's offers an opportunity for a reflective, poetic sms to ring in the fresh start and look forward to the future.
Hi Melinda,it is nice to read your article "say it with SMS".
ReplyDeletewhy does it with SMS?
the possible response to this questions will be; easier, cheaper, faster, pretty much not interupted the receiver compering other ways to comunicate and stay connecting to other people.
in term of using the hand phone (hp) or cell phone (cp) during the class session in your language class like what your instructor did and what the the groom's mother did during the wedding ceremony, these things are not commontly found in formal class setting or formal occasion....
keep writing and sharing with us what do you find and see....
warmest regard
(Badwi)
Thanks, Badwi
ReplyDeleteI agree: sms is a great way to communicate conveniently and discreetly, until a longer discussion is warranted.
The culture of sms greetings for holidays and special occasions is particularly nice. I wonder if that is a growing trend in the US as well...