Romance, anywhere & anytime of the year!

BIDSHOT WIRELESS SERVICES

It’s amazing how time flies. It always seems like things can’t get any better, then surreptitiously things are different, without even the memory of what it was like before. College was a milestone for me. I was leaving my childhood behind and entering uncharted territory. Okay, who am I kidding? It wasn’t the freedom to cut class, nor was it the choices I suddenly had the capacity to make. It was the girls. It’s always about girls. For the first time, they surrounded me. I suddenly felt like the master of my destiny, able to change my future with one hello, one nonchalant nod. Now that I had seen the ocean, and the fish swimming in it, what was I to do? Well, initially nothing. I was scared beyond belief.

It’s one thing to know you have access to the jewels of this land, it’s another thing to know what to do with that. I should be thankful that I grew up at a time when views were not so radical, girls were not so aggressive, and boys still "seemed" like the stronger sex. I had in my hand the power to ask girls out, what was missing was the courage to do so. So how did I handle it? The way every other teenage boy did — I paved the way through small talk. Hi. Hello. Who’s your chem teacher? Had lunch? Suffice it to say my low-tech, and often tediously tiring method, left me with more frustration than opportunities.

Before I even finish looking through my drawer of memories, I see myself today. Hopefully wiser, and reminiscent of younger days. I’m particularly nostalgic when I see college boys today and think, "Boy, have you got it easy." Not only are women empowered by Oprah Winfrey (love yourself) and unwavering independence (meet you at eight, my treat), they also have access to a technology that has simplified lives in leaps and bounds. I remember a time void of such capricious gadgets, and here I am now, paralyzed without them. SMS (short message service) or "texting" as it is called in the Philippines, has become an integral part of the Filipino. Texting has eliminated the need for personal contact, yet brought forth constant communication. You would definitely not be Pinoy without your personalized ring tone, and your acumen in texting. Nowhere else in the world is this phenomenon so strongly present. Cell phones have become not merely necessities, they have become extensions of ourselves. We now are one, finely tuned machine, capable of achieving much more than ever imagined. We are more in tune with the world, through the discovery of a medium that allows us to become closer to others, yet at the same time, allows us to retain our anonymity. Mystery in all its magic is back.

A wireless world may seem daunting, a task so formidable to succeed in, especially since the competition around us are twenty-something millionaires with their own IPOs. But I assure you, I am one of the last, a blast from the past, part of the old school. Yet look at me now, no longer afraid to log on, no longer afraid to text, I am not only a survivor, I’m thrilled. I’m thrilled at the opportunities the wireless world presents to me. Do you remember 20 years ago, all the planning that went into "bumping" into HER along Berchman’s, just for a smile? Today I can send an anonymous text message, telling her she is adored, without her realizing it’s me.

Avenues that were not yet built back then, are getting longer and longer today. A perfect example of such a breakthrough is this innovative mobile texting application called Crushcow. It targets the very essence of our lives — our relationships. It releases us from humiliation and embarrassment, and speeds up the process (I must add) of falling in love. It is the perfect union of unprecedented technology with a timeless conundrum. It gives the youth today the edge that I didn’t have growing up. Crushcow is more than a novelty enjoyed today and forgotten tomorrow. It is a testament to the expertise and the growth, we as a wireless community continuously move forward to.

Value-added mobile services may not be new. Crushcow, however, with a mobile interface so easy to use, goes a step further by empowering this generation through unique features such as its anonymous chat, love trivia, romance polls, compatibility tests, love advice function, and even its ability to communicate via text message to your crush in the USA or anywhere in the world! It is a haven for the disheartened, those tired of impersonal matchmaking and bland flirting. Crushcow refuses to become ordinary and instead, creates the new standard other wireless services strive to achieve. As innovative as anonymous SMS and e-mail-to-text-messaging is, Crushcow also has the power to cast the spell of simplicity, while allowing people to feel the enchantment, the excitement of the unknown. If Crushcow is a barometer of things to come, if this kind of cohesion between new age technology and age-old concerns is to be expected — then my life, with its hard-earned lessons, exciting new connectivity and limitless potential, is another milestone I cannot wait to explore.

Maybe it was okay to be torpe 20 years ago. Today is entirely different, however. Love is love. Romance is romance. To many, it doesn’t matter what you say or how you say it, as long as you say it! Key in CRUSHCOW, then send to 2343 (Globe Handyphone) or log on to its website at www.crushcow.com. Merry Christmas to all!

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Patrick R. Garcia is managing director of Bidshot Wireless Services. For comments or suggestions, e-mail [email protected].