The 'Backup Bubbla'

Was anyone trying to reach me? Well, my phone was down for quite some time (You don't realize how important your cell phone is until you don't have it!)

It started out with me being unable to hear and converse with others - They could hear me, but I couldn't hear them...I resolved that situation by using the speaker phone option and turning the volume to a level that I was personally comfortable with and it moved into me adding volume with a 'hard of hearing' app that came with the phone.

 THEN, I had difficulty texting and dialing out...which carried me back to creating voice notes and using emoticons etc instead of typing...sigh.  THEN, (yes, there is more!) my screen started to fall apart (it had dropped and cracked months ago) and I started losing the sensor capabilities on my touch screen - I solved this solution by either applying pressure to the top right hand corner while simultaneously pressing what I needed to, or (when it got worse) squeezing the bottom left corner, OR (when NOTHING else would work) removing the phone from it's shell (not a case, THE ACTUAL HOUSING) and  slightly lifting the screen whilst squeezing the top right hand section of the phone...LOL!

And then...it began to have some difficulties charging....My husband would laugh at me as he watched me wrap the charger cord around my phone repeatedly, praying to see the sensor light up to indicate charge. At this point I knew I needed a new phone but I simply couldn't afford it.

I went in for a job interview a few days ago, and I was worried about the fact that I would not have a phone to keep in contact with him.  (I like to notify him of when I have arrived to a location and when I'm leaving, so that he can have an idea of where I am and what I'm doing) Before I left for the interview, my husband came into the room grinning - he had resurrected on of the very first phones I had : A Nokia 5110!

I could not believe it!!!! There were a few reasons I had put it down - the battery slid out of place (Remember that the whole back was the battery) and my antennae was broken, so it was rare to receive calls or texts if I wasn't in the right location.

You better believe that in the end, it was a 'Franken-phone" - he said that he 'upgraded' it, but we all know the truth - I really needed the laugh! The best part about it was the fact that I could play 'Snake' again :-)

 Do you remember how fun and frustrating it was to use the 2,4,6, and 8 keys to maneuver that ever growing snake around?  My score pales in comparison to my husbands, but it was so much fun to apply strategy :-D  I remember at one point, there was a Nokia model that allowed you to sync with another Nokia and play (was that the first attempt at Bluetooth?)

Okay, so all fun and jokes aside, the phone was resurrected and was OFFICIALLY a 'bubbla'.   In The Bahamas, a bubbla is an old phone model that can only do the basic tasks: call and text.  In most cases, a bubbla is the phone that you probably put away when you got your new phone.  In my case, I had a bubbla that fell into a few categories: 1) It was a classic. 2) I had to retire it due to the fact that I badly needed a replacement (so into the drawer it went). 3) It had to be modified to be used again.

See, the thing with bubbla modifications, is the fact that it really is not worth modifying.  You WILL NOT carry it into the shop because the repairers will laugh at you...and if you ARE brave enough to do so they probably don't have the outdated parts to fix it anyway.  You're best bet is to use what you have around the house because it will be your transition phone : tape, krazy glue, rubber bands, thread or string etc (You will have to be very creative because your communication with the rest of the country or world depends on it.)

So here is the picture of my bubbla that I have been too ashamed to be caught in public with (but surprisingly
enough, not ashamed to share here on my blog for millions to see...go figure.)

Let's start with the tape (which is actually my double-sided craft tape) He calls it the "racing stripe" which is not just for aesthetic purpose, but it also holds the battery in place (remember, that was the main reason I had to replace the phone.)

The second adjustment was the hair pin (no you DID see it right...he used my hairpin for boosted reception.) LOL! He said that it boosts signal...I wouldn't really know because when I DID carry it, I texted with the phone deep in my bag, and when it rang I turned it off.  Seriously.  (people were looking around trying to figure out where that old ringtone was coming from...sigh)

Hands up in laughter, heart full of amusement,

xoxo Jenna (Official Bubbla Owner)