Tip – managing Chinese SMS on the iPhone

I still have big problems talking to people on the phone, as I discover each time I get one of my daily wrong number calls. This is pretty incovenient, but I’ve discovered an oft-useful workaround of SMS. In written form, when I can take a bit of time and access my suite of tools, I can easily understand everything and usually compose a sensible response as well.

If you use an iPhone, a handy app called PhoneView lets you access all the SMS information pretty quickly from the desktop, which means translation and enlightment are straightforward and hassle-free. I can then compose a reply, but have to type that into the phone. Once I can send an SMS from the desktop, I’ll be very happy. I hope the APIs open up well enough to do that in the future.

I got a new apartment baby

Moved into the apartment yesterday and no regrets on the choice. Ten minutes from the metro at JingAn temple, a pretty happening area, and the apartment has everything I need including blessed internets through which my voip workstation seems to somehow work unmolested by Shanghai Telecom’s blocks.

Starting from scratch in a new place is harder than I remembered – I need everything from clothes pegs to toilet paper. Ironically, although I found some computer stores, the local shopping centre is full of luxury goods like $300 imported italian toasters and $150 Sheridan towels from Australia. Back home in Clayton, I could pop round the corner and buy cheap Chinese homewares from cheerful Chinese people. Here all I can find is high-end shopping malls and pricey Japanese supermarkets.

Things to do in China

Notes to self on todo list in China.

1. Ride the maglev.
2. Get a SIM card, with 3G data, so I’ll have Google Maps and not get hopelessly lost.
3. Find a place to live, (so I won’t die from exposure).
4. See Cold Fairyland /Lin Di play live.
5. Everything else.

This is gonna be great.