Spend a day without the mobile phone

WHEN you are in China, you will likely be told that losing your mobile phone there is the worst thing that could happen to you. The mobile phone is interwoven into the lives of the Chinese people, who use it for e-mail, messaging and social media, and as an e-wallet to pay for various daily necessities including food, train tickets and even donating to beggars.

Once when I was in China, I had the misfortune of having my mobile phone crash. As a result, I could not communicate with anyone, pay for my coffee at the convenience store or order my dinner online. All of a sudden, I felt like I had “blipped” out of existence.