Our Little Phone Shop

By Whitney Robosson

All the workers know who we are. We walk in and they smile, almost as if they knew we’d be coming in soon. We don’t have to ask questions because we know how everything works. You pick a booth (mine happens to be #8), make yourself comfortable at the stool, and then dial the number. Instant connection and there’s absolutely no static to deal with. This is our little phone shop, and I don’t know how most of us would have survived without it.

Ever since I made it to Germany, I’ve carried my little pink cell phone with me everywhere. It doesn’t matter if I’m just walking down the street or taking a train to a town an hour away from Munich, I MUST have my cell phone. It’s not like I can use it while I’m here – my dad would have to take a second mortgage out on the house to pay the bill. But I’ve never lived life without a cell phone. Everybody knows my generation is all about instant connection.

So you can imagine my frustration when I realized communicating with people in the States was nearly impossible when I first arrived. There is a computer with free internet access in our hotel lobby, but what do you expect me to do? Send an e-mail? Don’t make me laugh – that takes way too long. I needed my instant communication fix, and I needed it fast.

It took us a few days to notice the telephone place (which is right around the corner from our hotel), but once we did we were hooked. As I said before, the workers know who we are and welcome us in every evening. It’s not terribly expensive, and it gives me time to relax knowing that I don’t have to worry about the hotel’s internet connection kicking me off or May’s Cingular bill. So thank you little telephone shop, and I’ll see you tonight!