Cell Phones...

So we went and got some cell phones the other day so that if we did venture outside the gates and get lost, we could at least call someone for rescue.

I was very surprised by the differences in how the cell phone plans work around here. For example, you pay a flat rate just to have service, and then your phone calls are additional. The basic plan is 998 Yen ($11.21)a month and your calls cost 21 Yen ($0.23) per 1/2 minute with incoming calls free. The Family White deluxe plan (what we got) is 1996 Yen ($22.43) a month per phone, but all calls in network and incoming calls are free from 1am - 9pm and all other calls are only 10.5 Yen ($0.12) per 1/2 minute.

I have to say that having my calls only round up to the half minute is certainly a bonus over american cell phones that even if you only hear the answering machine pick up and hang up, will use up an entire minute. However, having every minute used for out of network calls cost me $ is sort of daunting. However, thus far I haven't racked up any fees. There's this fantastic feature on my handy little phone that will actually tell me what my call costs are in Yen for the current call or for all calls thus far, so its a nice feature that should help keep things affordable. There's also a feature (I haven't yet figured out how to work it) that allows you to set a max cost for the phone and once you've used that much, it just wont let you make or answer any calls that will have a cost. What a fabulous idea!!!

It's pretty weird getting used to the new sounds for outgoing calls too. When dialing out, while my phone attempts to reach a tower, it makes a quick busy signal sound, so I kept thinking DH's phone was busy and I would hang up before it actually connected. Took me an accidental wait to discover that soon enough, the phone would start ringing. lol!