With the summer season beginning to start peaking and the sun strengthening its rays, tanning the many people swimming and sunbathing on the beach, while letting go of the past few months of bad consequences. I knew that the spirit of happiness was present and for many the laughter of joy was ambient, as I walked along the beach, allowing the freshness of the sea water to hit my legs leaving a film of sand as it dried before the next hit.

The view from the water’s edge onto the sand was reminiscent of the summer days back home, with the array of umbrellas pitched high above the bodies sitting on the sand, small tents with children hiding from the hot rays of the sun and the rows of beach towels planted firmly into the sand, allowing your wet drenched body to dry under the sun. Having standing still and viewing the sea of people on the beach, I heard not only the sea waves washing onto the beach, but the ever clear sound of Chinese speaking loudly into their mobile phone. I was visioning the beach was a carnival of mobiles drawing the attention of the onlookers.

Hours later and slightly beached out, I went downtown in Qingdao, in search of a mobile for wanting to be connected with the millions of already mobile users, ringing and beeping. Walking a street and seeing all the phone shops with all sorts of deals trying to get your money. Many of the phone stores where playing hard, pumping, beat music that was so loud, I remember not being able to hear the shop assistant as I wondered by and still could hear the sound from the corner which was only fifty to sixty meters away.

I finally entered a store that glowed with shiny phones and the thumping of music, making me feel that I was in disco minus the darkness and smoke machines filling the room with smoke. I proceeded to hop from counter to counter, brand after brand and being confused as to which was the best. Telling the shop assistant that I was looking in Chinese, she continued to follow like a hawk and pointing at different phones. I just kept smiling and nodding my head not giving any real approval.

Many of the mobiles on display, were like a famous quote ‘Life is like a box of chocolates’ except I wasn’t sure if I was getting a built in Mp3 or camera with the surprise of many other functions too.

Paying the price of this small gadget that now was to connect me into the world of communication while being in China I took the phone and was being careful not to damage it like a child being given their first bicycle, headed back to the beach area and played with the multi functions, even though I had no one to call and no messages.

My phone was now heading for a lifeline of communication and as a billboard for advertisements from the major mobile network carrier.