LONG TIME NO SK3IIYB3IIY, am i right guys…

I've never made a blog bfore so sorry if this is bad, but I posted this pic on instagram (click here if ur super cool) and really wanted 2 talk more abt the stuff in it bcs its like all my fav things atm :P Not really a good caption tho (I prefer 2 add an obnoxious amnt of hashtags like tumblr lol) SO HERE WE R!!!! Plz indulge my long rambling abt my growing hyper fixation, and if u r into similar things/have questions or anything PLZ MESSAGE ME I LUV TALKING ABT THIS KINDA STUFF :3333

I <3 Digital Minimalism

When I started 2 write out this blog post I only planned on having it be little descriptions of each of the things in this picture but I immediately started rambling abt single purpose devices and digital minimalism. So I thought id make a little intro to my list for fun :P (SORRY IF THIS IS BORING IM HAVING A GRAND TIME, THIS IS LIKE ONE OF MY FAVE THINGS EVERRRR) This also might be a slightly useful guide on not being glued to ur phone, but you don't hav 2 follow it/no shame if u like ur phone (I feel like most ppl do lol)  :P this is just what I did and I feel like its a good way 2 frame the rest of this blog.

Okay I guess a good start, if you don't know like anything abt Digital minimalism/Anything similar would be 2 explain what it is. (I'm so good at this blog thing guys) BASICALLY its just the concept of being more thoughtful with how you interact with the internet n stuff (there's a whole book on it THAT IVE BEEN MEANING 2 READ BUT IM FINISHING UP ONE RN, called Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport if u r interested (we could book club it :P) in a more thorough explanation) I kind of took this to an extreme with wanting to get rid of my phone. 

I hate being on my phone, I hate doomscrolling and I hate wasting my time sucked into the algorithm and knowing that its deigned to steal as much of my attention as possible. A couple months back I got really into spending as little time as possible on my phone and transferred all of my important stuff that was previously only on my phone and the less important stuff like my social media accounts onto my laptop. After that I just started to impulsively delete apps off my phone, until it was boring to be on my phone. Immediately old hobbies and tasks that I would normally find to be a chore seemed so much easier to do. Like reading physical books (not just listening to audiobooks), drawing, sewing and watching shows n movies.

Earlier I mentioned “single use devices” which is all the stuff in that picture, and bellow I go fully into each of them :3 I also put in pics from each of the cameras if your looking to get the same one lol :P I hope you enjoy my long and extensive rambling. I've only read a few blogs on here and none of them r as long as this one so I hope it isn't boring but I find it fun, and plan on writing more about other topics that interest me like tattooing sometime in the future ^__^

IN ORDER:

1.) MY FLIPPHONE/DUMBPHONE/KEITAI/DAILY DRIVER :3

I've wanted a flip phone/dumbphone for years at this point, but I finally made the switch this year (after my old phone conveniently broke at the exact same time) and I'm so happy I finally have one. I've never really loved social media/constantly being on my phone and I've recently also been getting really into digital minimalism, which is seeming more like digital maximalism lol. Because once you eliminate the smartphone you have to get a whole collection of single purpose devices, but I love it that way, it reminds me alot of living in the 2000s which is like my fav thing ever lol.

My specific phone is a Kyocera Digino 903KC/902KC which is like the only Keitai/携帯 (Meaning: “Japanese flip phone”) that works in the US (Specifically on T-Mobile, if you're thinking abt getting one plz research your provider n what bands they use!!). Most of the features work on it which is really cool, only stuff that doesn't work (that I've found so far) is the weather, GPS/maps, and the TV button, a bunch of ppl online said they couldn't get the browser to work but mine does which is nice :P

I got mine used from Kyoex.com for like $185~ which is really good (they normally go for $365~ new) and they make sure to unlock it before they ship it out (which has to be done in person at a store in Japan) and if your interested in getting one I would highly recommend getting one from there, the seller is really responsive and kept us in the loop during shipping

OKAY ENOUGH RAMBLING! Things I really like abt my phone; 

Notifications; When its closed it has a tiny display that will flash a light when you get a notification, and you can set it to be a different color for different ppl which is really cool/useful. Also the ringtones R SO FUN!!! I love the preset ones, and the regular notif sounds r so much cooler than the regular apple/samsung/google ones. (If u r interested they they go thru all of them/show different features on it in this video :P)

It being a “Dumbphone”; When I go out I can’t check my social media at all and have to be a lot more present which I love, I've found that even at home where I can use my laptop/smartphone (it doesn't have a sim card so it only works on Wi-Fi) to use social media and stuff I'm more interested in hobbies and whatever work I have to do. I'm also a lot more aware of ppl being on their phones/how many activities day to day revolve around smartphones which is really interesting, I don't really mind though but I'm sure it would bug a lot of people lol. (Also if anyone cares you CAN scan QR codes on it for menus/posters btw!! I was worried abt it not working :P)

The aesthetic; OBVIOUSLY THE COOLEST THINGIN THE WORLD, they make a lot of “Dumbphones” now a days, but most of them r really ugly in my opinion (which might be on purpose tbh so u don't feel inclined to use it) and this one is so pretty. No iPhone or any smartphone compares. The keys have a backlight which i luv, n the front screen(?) is so cool. I made the charms that r on the side and I'm obsessed with how big they r/how loud they make it to do anything on my phone. I also have A LOT of different wallpapers for it downloaded, and I change them all the time. 

The camera; THE QUALITY IS SO BAD!! And holding the phone to take pictures is kinda awkward bcs its on the back, but I LOVE IT SO MUCH. THEY R SO GRAINY AND I THINK IT'S SO COOL!!! If I can figure out how to put more pictures ill put some I took on it so you can see the level of grain lol.

Calling/Texting; Like I said before I'm OBSESSED with the ringtones/notif sounds, and it makes me a lot more excited to message/call people. I used to always have my phone on DND before and haven't turned it on once on this phone. It has T9 (Text on 9 keys) which was hard at first but I'm starting to memorize keys! I honestly prefer typing on it more than my backup smartphone because you can't really mistype/miss spell words on it, and the click sounds from actual buttons r so satisfying. I don't use the standard messenger on it, I've heard that the regular messenger that it comes with sucks because it's more set up like classic texting/email, and as much as I love staying accurate to the 2000s, my memory is so bad I can't even imagining using it lol. Kyoex will download apps for you that you normally can't get without “Backloading” which is cool. So hypothetically I could run most Appstore apps, like Instagram, TikTok, and Spotify ect. But I only have QWKMS which is just a different messenger that replicates modern texting :P Phone calls r also more fun on this phone in my opinion, the callers name/number will come up on the front of the phone when it rings which is really cool 2 me, and hanging up by shutting the phone is so fun lol.

In conclusion; this section is a lot longer than I planned on it being lol, and I just skimmed the surface. Basically I love my phone so much, and if you're also looking to escape your phone I'd HIGHLY recommend switching over to a flip phone. And also, I could go A LOT further in detail about flip phones and keitais/Japanese flip phone culture so if you'd be interested in a deep dive into those topics plz let me know and ill write a lengthy blog post on it :P

Pics from my phone camera :P

MY FRIENDS @ A PARTY !!!! The flash is so fun on it!!!!

Club bathroom stall w my bag lol (I <3 finding cool graffiti) 

2.) 1st MP3 Player

My beloved first MP3 player, my first gen SanDisk from 2006. I have mixed opinions on this one now that I can compare it with my newer (objectively fancier) Sony one lol. So ill make a small pros n cons list

Pros; Only like $20 bucks!, USES BATTERIES I keep a bag of spares on me when I go out, it doesn't die all the time, but I listen to music constantly. Has radio, you can plug it in to your computer and just use the file explorer to move music onto it, Its not backlit bcs its so old, which I like the look of, and it has a small light for when its dark.

Cons; Read song file types alphabetically, so you have to go in and number every track like; “01., 02.” for it to read them in order, it's only 1GB but if you compress your files before exporting them you can fit a whole bunch of albums (If anyone wants me 2 explain how I do this id b more than happy 2!! I just  figured it out so I could quadruple the amount of music I have). It auto plays your entire catalog, which sucks for when I'm driving, I prefer to listen to albums over and over and u cant easily do that on this.

As a first MP3 player tho it's amazing, I would recommend it because it's easy to upload files, and you don't have to charge it. They are also really cheap and come in a few colors which is cool. There's also a loop on the top for a necklace I think ? But I'm planning to put cool charms on mine sometime soon :3

3.) My first eBay bid win (My greatest accomplishment)

My second and current favorite. When I started to get really into mp3 players I read this whole subs tack on all of Sony's MP3 players and became entranced by the ones that came out in 2005, the NW-E400 and NW-E500 series. When I went to go hunt one down on eBay I found that they were all over $100 if not hundreds which is crazy. Luckily I found someone bidding one starting at $60~ and after almost losing the bid for actual days I FINALLY GOT IT FOR UNDER $100!!! (like $90 lol, but A WIN IS A WIN!) I did get the color way I wanted the most, which is rare too, but I want another one bad. But there r diffidently things abt it that r annoying, and if you r planning on blowing a bunch of money on one I'll make another pros n cons list :P

Pros; IT'S SO PRETTY and comes in like every color ever, it's my favorite MP3 player I've ever seen aesthetically, the screen is so pretty and the animation on it is so clean, plus it has a clock and cute idle animation that I really like. The sonic stage program (which I talk more abt below) organizes songs perfectly, they are always in order not alphabetical. And you can choose to play music by genre, album, artist or even make your own mixtapes on it. I prefer listening to music on here in the car as well because the screen is a lot brighter and the shuffle/skip is easier to operate

Cons; Normally around $150~ depending on the condition and colorway, It doesn't take batteries so you have to charge it. And, most importantly (and annoyingly) you have to use Sony's software “Sony sonic stage” to put music on it (Because it encrypts the files and needs a key of some sort to put music on it lol), which used to come on a disc with the MP3 player but when you get it second hand obviously they don't give you that. You can find it on the internet archive luckily, but its very finicky and I've heard a bunch of people can't get it to run on modern windows :(

I would only recommend getting one of these if you can get Sony sonic stage to run before hand, because SOMEHOW I didn't even know that that was a thing before I got mine and I thought I wasn't going 2 b able to use it like…at all lol

4.) Main Digicam

I thrifted this camera a while back I'm pretty sure, and the first time I took it out of the box it slid off my desk and broke the mechanism that holds the batteries inside of the camera… SO it always has to be held together with a rubber band/or hair tie lol. I'm still obsessed with it though, it came out in 2009 (what r the chances) and the quality on the pics is amazing! And conveniently it's the only one that uses a storage card that fits in my reader currently so it's the only one I really take with me anywhere. The settings button where you can select what photo mode you want to use on it is kinda busted from constantly being held down by the rubber band HELP so it can have issues with lowlight/movement sometimes. But the flash pictures on this camera are amazing, I love taking pictures at shows and parties so much, I've blinded so many ppl lol.

Since I cant get pics from my other two cameras rn, I'll just put in a few extras from this one, you can tell that it constantly resets its settings from the batteries getting loose bcs I'll forget to turn on the date burn setting SMH…

Me lol ^__^ Holding it is so awkward lol

Inside one of my fav local spots of all time!!!! I love to mess with the light contrast to make the lights look extra pretty.

THE CREATURE! I don't know why this one came out so hazy, I have yet to take another pic on it that looks like this errrggg

Basement show last summer, Cant wait 2 go again this yr!!!! My camera refused to take a steady picture that whole day tho :(

Skate park shows!!!! MY FAV VENUE EVERRRRR!!! Despite everyone moving in the pit I got it to focus for like all the pictures!!

Pic from later at the same show but in the treehouse (almost died getting up/down here btw. It's so scary lol), I luv the flash pics on this camera so much, and the highway lights look super cool

Another basement show!!!! I love this camera to death but it has a really hard time capturing movement sometimes ughhh, I'm assuming it would be better if I could actually use the settings lol. I'm thinking abt just getting another one at some point

5,6) Backup Digicams

Like I mentioned above, the SD cards that are in both of these don't fit in the current converter I have, so I don't really use them :( BUT once I get a proper converter the Fuji finepix E550 will probably become my main camera. Both of them have better picture quality in my opinion (from what I can see on the tiny screen lol) and handle movement SO MUCH BETTER than my Nikon.

7.) The headphones that hurt my head

Not really vintage, but they match the vibe. I pack these in a travel case in my bag when I go out places alone to listen to my MP3 player, they have ZERO noise cancelation so you can hear everything which I’d normally hate in a pair of headphones, but when I'm out its like there's a soundtrack and I can still hear the world around me to stay safe. The audiophiles online adore these for their sound quality, which is phenomenal btw!!!! But I can only wear them for so long before they start to crush my skull lol

8.) My GPS

When I decided that I was going to get a Keitai and not an American dumbphone like the CAT S22 Flip or Nokia 2780, I knew that I probably wouldn't have GPS so I looked into what people used before the smartphone. I love the idea of writing down instructions like map quest but I'm way too impulsive to just use that. And I'm pretty familiar with where I live but I love going super far out all the time, so I got a Garmin Nuvi on eBay. The map design is so nostalgic to me, and the sounds and everything r so cool compared to google/apple maps. I have yet to really put it to use because I have to get a new stand for it, but it is up to date! Despite being like 10 years old it just took one download to be up to date which is nice!

9.) MY BELOVED WATCH

I wear this everyday wherever I'm going, I'm absolutely obsessed with it. The second I got it the watch band that it came with like disintegrated lol (It was kinda just glued together and I think the glue gave out from being so old) so I made my own watch band for it :P I'm planning to make another one with studs on it to match the studded bracelet I always wear on my other hand, but it's going 2 take forever and switching out the spring bars is miserable.

My fav thing abt this watch tho wasn't even on the listing, when you press the button to turn on the backlight a dolphin does a random trick at the bottom of the screen. And sometimes when I'm bored I try to guess what trick it will do lol. Highly recommend Casio baby-g watches. I'm planning to collect them at some point, I love checking my watch. It's so silly compared to taking out my phone. I have started to try to check it when it's not on my wrist though which is embarrassing lol.

10.) "REAL SCUM" DS

My well loved DS that I got from gamestop, it used to be painted black but I removed most of it, and to cover the grimy look of left over black paint smears I covered it in silly stickers :3 I had a pack of Justice League stickers and tried to figure out what words I could spell using those letters, I thought scum was funny on the pink ds lol. I have to have my friend show me how to mod it sometime soon so the inside can be as cool as the outside lol

11.) Some of my DS games :P

I currently have Mario Party, Cooking Mama, The Sims 3 and LPS Jungle. BUT I want to get so many, I just can't decide what I want to play next, and all the good games r so expensive smhhhhh. If you have DS game recs plz let me know, I really want 2 get Kirby, Zelda and one of the Pokémon games eventually erg

ENOUGH RAMBLING ALLREADY !

Click like, smash that subscribe button and obliterate that notification bell to know when I post on here or something, how are you supposed to end this? Basically digital minimalism is digital maximalism, I love my phone and yeah! If you have any questions or want to talk abt literally anything in this massive post (my bad) plz message me, I could have written so much more, this is me containing myself lol.

Also sorry for the non aesthetic theme on this blog, I tried to figure out how to code it but we all know I cant do HTML to save my life, maybe next time guys !!!! (someone save me, how am I supposed 2 b cool w an ugly blog)