So I finally got a phone number here, using my phone.  It’s an interesting story actually, but in case you don’t care, here’s the number: 9883 1620.

So I have a Sony Ericsson T616.  It’s a pretty sweet phone, and I’d been told it would work here.  I was happy about that because it meant that I could avoid buying a phone here and then ending up with two.  Here’s the catch: AT&T, in their infinite wisdom, locked my phone (and all the phones they sell, I’d wager) into a specific region.  It’s called SIM locking and it’s similar to DVD regions if that makes more sense.  As a consequence my phone only works in the US unless it is unlocked, which AT&T refused to do.  Now, from a business standpoint, this makes sense - lock your customers into using the highly subsidized phone that was given to them with the plan so that you make back the money and they can’t take it to Asia or Europe and sell it.  However for the customers it is a real pain in the ass.

Fortunately another guy from UCLA had the same phone and, on the second day, got it unlocked in this kinda shady electronics store somewhere in this complex called Sim Lin Tower.  I wasn’t with him, so I didn’t know which he went to.  I waited on buying a phone card because I thought some other phone store would unlock my phone for me.  They didn’t.  Apparently most of the stores are too ‘reputable’ to do that sort of thing, even though it doesn’t appear to be against the law.  I went to Sim Lin Tower, but it was a Sunday and almost everything was closed… then one guy told me that my phone, being the T616, wouldn’t work here as it was designed for the states, whereas the T610 was designed for elsewhere.  Turns out the difference is that the T616 works with the 850/1800/1900 bands, and the T610 works with the 900/1800/1900 bands.  There is overlap, so it should work here.

Turns out the guy was wrong - it does work here.  I think he wanted me to buy a new phone.  I originally thought that William (the other UCLA guy) got his unlocked for free, but he told me that it was S$40 ($25).  After all the frustration I went through, I was willing to pay that.  I went back to Sim Lin today and found a mid-shady phone place that did it for S$15 ($9).  I was excited, nay thrilled that I finally had a phone.

Now I’m back in my dorm room making a video for all of you.  If you want to call, you can do so using 011 65 9883 1620 (I think).  Have a nice night!