Thinking of you, Mi

Please try listening to Katy Perry’s “Thinking of You” as you read this article.

Mid-October last year, I received a free phone from Smart Telecommunications for my postpaid plan. It was a Xiaomi Mi 3 phone, a smartphone made by the Chinese.

Most people would frown (especially here in the Philippines) if they would hear your phone is from China. They have this connotation that Chinese phones are mostly unreliable and easily breakable. Just the sound of “Xiaomi” is pretty much worth the eyebrow raise.

However, as opposed to the general public’s opinion (even the sales person from Smart who suggested I take the LG phone instead), I still took the Mi 3. It was the best decision (as a rebel to the public) I ever made.

Four months into the happy relationship my phone and I have made, it was prematurely taken away from me. Just yesterday morning, another commuter tale worth telling, my phone was stolen by a middle-aged man in the jeepney. I was heartbroken.

Now, as I am using a generic smartphone (please cue in “Comparisons are easily done…”), memories of my Mi 3 surfaces. Oh how my fingers loved its Gorilla glass. Oh how I easily navigated in and out of its MIUI. Oh how I miss how it captures pictures I see with my eyes. Mi 3 and I were perfect.

But alas, just like every other good thing, it must end. I must live with it and go on with my life. I have to be an adult and accept what has happened. Block my sim number (but I was able to get a sim replacement and as of the moment waiting for its reactivation), send emails to all my applications to delete my account, and change passwords.

As much as I miss my Mi 3, the thing I worry about most is what’s in it. The delicate private stuff we put in our phones could be used against us. I know for one that if that person is more evil than I thought, he could put my life in great danger. Even my loved ones. Amazing how a single device that is meant to make our life easy can also destroy us.

So, lesson learned here is: never text and commute. There are people out there who like to prey on people when opportunities arise. Never give them that opportunity. Keep yourself and your things safe.