The Art of Missed Calling... So miss call me already!

Many years ago, I used to hear my lil'sister's (for my blog's namesake, I'll call her DeeDee *snicker*) Nokia 7210 suddenly ring out of the blue, then stop. Then it'd ring again, and stop again. DeeDee would just totally ignore it, and continue reading or watching tv. It would happen quite frequently throughout the day.

I still remember asking her, "Aren't you going to answer that? Who's that calling and getting cut off all the time?". And I still remember her answer, "Don't worry, its just my friends. They always miss call me to say HI".

"Yeeesh! Crazy KIDS these days!" I remember thinking to myself, "What happened to the art of actually TALKING to your friends?!" shaking my head as I walk away. This was about 3 years ago.

Yesterday, there was an article in the Sunday Bulletin about how popular "missed calling" is these days, like in Sri Lanka and other parts of the world. It made me think. I truly believe Brunei is no exception too!

I'd say missed calling now makes up about 20-25% (a guesstimate) of mobile phone usage in Brunei? Believe it or not, there are people who swear on using missed calls as a method of communicating and giving signals even when the call rates from DST and Bmobile are getting cheaper and cheaper (as they try cut each other's throats as time goes by). Good for us you'd think right? Good for more actual TALKING you'd expect right? Wrong.

Its so strange how people now find missed calls addictive, and dare I say, even useful. Its almost become one mode of staying in touch! In Brunei, the younger generation are probably the most obvious users of this feature. Why not? A missed call here and there, saying "hi" or "I'm thinking/missing about you" (*rolls eyes*) or "Call me now, I'm free". Its so convenient! AND cost-effective! Think about it, missed calling incurs no costs (unless the other person accidentally picks up the phone of course). And these days, even primary kids hold on to mobiles. (Its scary). In other countries, for example, kids would miss call their parents to inform them they've left school, and then another missed call when they've arrived home, just to let their parents know they're safe. In Brunei, this may not apply as most parents would actually prefer to SPEAK to their kids instead of let a missed call be suffice. And don't even get me started on overseas students. I know of numerous cases where some miss call their folks just to remind them to call them back! Smart though! Parents ending up footing the bill.

Even working adults and the mass population are masters of this art. Let's say for example, you want to pick up something from a friend at the office, or their home, and you can't find a parking spot, or maybe even you're too lazy to get down from your car-that-you-managed-to-squeeze-right-in-front-of-the-building-anyway (hmm, sounds so Poklen suddenly), so what do you do? You give your friend a short "missed call" right?? C'mon, don't deny it. Or another example, you're supposed to be having a meal with your colleague/friend/family member, you're all set and ready to go (afterall, your lunchtime is limited), so you proceed to leave. While outside (or in your car), you wait for your colleague/friend/family member. 5 minutes pass by.... then 10 minutes pass.... So what do you do? Out comes the mobile and a "reminder" missed call is made! And maybe more than one too depending on how patient you are!

So you see, the art of missed calling has discreetly infiltrated into our everyday life, our culture. Bruneians seem to have mastered in this art of missed calls for sure! Its shamelessly done everywhere now, by everyone, at least once before!

So now, I totally understand why DeeDee and her friends do the things they did back then. Heck, I've done it dozens of times before. More often than I'd like to admit. (Of course not as a juvenile lovebug miss calling my loved one just to say "Hi". C'mon, wouldn't hearing her voice be way better?). But I also won't discourage anyone I know from doing it too. Its just so... convenient sometimes you know? But let's not allow it to come to a point where missed calls become more convenient than talking ok? (We already have sms's to do that..... so let's not add to it)

So what are you waiting for? Miss call someone already!