Author: Masayuki (Yuki) Kawagishi

Unlocking my Blackberry / ブラックベリーのＳＩＭロック外し

日本文が後ろに続きます。

I’ve made my Blackberry Bold SIM-unlocked, because the Blackberry I bought in Japan was locked to NTT DoCoMo, a Japanese mobile phone carrier, so when I was abroad I had to fear the phone bill charging highly expensive roaming prices.

Unlocking was easy: I got an unlock code for my device at http://expressunlockcode.com/bbexpress.aspx by paying $19.99 and giving the IMEI for my device, phone model, carrier name locked to and my country to the unlock code provider. Several hours later from paying I got an unlock code for the IMEI I gave. Then I unlocked it by following the instructions at http://www.mobileslate.com/blog/2008/11/14/how-to-unlock-rim-blackberry-9000-bold/. Once unlocked, you can use not only NTT DoCoMo’s SIM card but Softbank’s, as shown in the above picture.

(Blackberry services aren’t available with Softbank’s SIM card, though)

今持ってるブラックベリーはドコモのＳＩＭロックがかかっているので、そのまま海外に持って行って使うとドコモの高いローミング料金におびえなければなりません。ということでＳＩＭロックを外しちゃいました。

ＳＩＭロックを外す手順はネット上に簡単にころがってます。まずhttp://expressunlockcode.com/bbexpress.aspxで１９．９９ドルを払い自分の端末用の解除コードを入手します（その時、自分の端末のＩＭＥＩ、電話機の機種、ロックがかかっているキャリア名（ＮＴＴ　ＤｏＣｏＭｏ）、国名（日本）を入力します）。支払いはＰａｙｐａｌで行うので、数時間後にＰａｙｐａｌのメールアドレス宛に解除コードが送られてきます。次にここの手順に従ってＳＩＭロックを解除します。解除後は冒頭の写真のようにソフトバンクのＳＩＭカードも認識してくれるようになりました（ブラックベリーのプッシュメールサービスは使えませんでしたが・・・）。

これで海外に持って行ったときは現地のプリペイドＳＩＭカードに差し替えて現地キャリアのデータ定額サービスとブラックベリーサービスを契約すれば（現地キャリアのプリペイドＳＩＭカードはこういうことが簡単にできる）現地料金で使えるようになるはずです。

言うまでもないことですが実際に試す際は自己責任でお願いします。
参考サイト：http://markion.vox.com/library/post/blackberry-9000-bold-のsimロック解除.html

February 25, 2010
Returned home from Taipei

On the last day, I gave up sightseeing in the downtown because I had not so much time, then I went straight to the airport from the hotel.
What I ate at the airport until the flight to Japan:

Luroufan, xiaolongbao and roasted duck.

See you again, Taiwan!
Note: all photos taken in Taiwan are uploaded on Flickr.

February 2, 2010
Hotel where I stayed

I stayed at Novotel Hotel near Taipei International Airport for this trip. I took this hotel online on Expedia.co.jp. It was super gorgeous, with a clean and modern room and a wide bed with two pillows.

You can see an airplane taking off from the guest room window because this hotel is located right beside a runway.

One problem: as it’s very close to an airport, when a plane takes off at midnight its roaring sound will wake you up 🙁 It’s recommended to avoid staying near an airport.

February 1, 2010
Cell phones in Taiwan

The Shizilin building in Ximending is a complex of cell phone shops, arcade game shops and a movie theater. The first floor of it has plenty of shops selling cell phones, cell phone accessories, cameras, electric devices etc., like Sincere Podium in Hong Kong. The staff doesn’t understand English, though.

I got Nokia 6120 classic at a shop in the building, just for NT$5000. When I looked into my wallet I found enough money I can afford to buy it. It supports HSDPA.
When it comes to cell phones in Taiwan of these days, I found that Nokia wasn’t dominant. I saw not so many people used Nokia handsets. Instead, Sony Ericsson, LG, Samsung seem to be popular among Taiwan’s people. Among them, Samsung’s Anycall brand handsets were seen in many places.

January 31, 2010
Wanhua and Ximending

It’s the Wanhua district. There are old Chinese buildings and stores in the area. I like it.

(more…)

January 31, 2010
Sightseeing in Taipei — Longshan Temple

Taipei International Airport looked as if it had been a major airport in Japan. Signs looked almost as same as those in a Japanese airport, except that they were written in traditional Chinese characters.
If you go to the bus stop on the first floor of the airport you can catch a route 705 bus to HSR Taoyuan Station, costing just NT$30 (almost 1USD). It’s too cheap!

There were no other passengers but me in the big double-decked bus.

(more…)

January 31, 2010
TAIPEI101 and Shilin Night Market

This is TAIPEI 101, which HAD BEEN world’s tallest building until Burj Khalifa was built in Dubai. It was closed to general people but employees of its tenants.

It’s Shilin Night Market, one of Taipei’s famous night markets crowded for thousands of people from around. At stores of both sides of the main street clothes and wallets were sold for cheaper prices than at department stores. If you get on a branch road you have stinking stalls selling foods.

I got chicken rice at one of the stall. It tasted nice, although stalls around there stank.

January 31, 2010
Going to Taipei / 台湾に行ってきます

日本文が後ろに続きます。

I’ll be in Taipei until next Monday to see my brother working there now. The airplane will depart in an hour. I’m typing this entry in front of the gate. Flight attendants are chatting very loudly…. Anyway I’ll enjoy being abroad because it’s been almost three years since my last trip to a foreign country.

台湾に短期出張中の兄に会いに来週月曜日まで台北に行ってきます。この時期だと往復３万円なので中華航空にしました。大阪行くより安いですね。
あと１時間で離陸です。搭乗口の前に座ってこのブログを書いてます。現地のスッチーたちはけたたましくおしゃべりしながら近くに座ってゲートオープンを待ってます。。。ともあれ３年ぶりの海外なので楽しんできます。

旅行記はフォートラベルに書いています。

January 30, 2010
15 years since the earthquake / 震災から15年

日本文が後ろに続きます。

Today is the memorial day of the earthquake I was suffered from with my family 15 years ago. I was at my parents’ house in Nishinomiya, Hyogo, when the great earthquake struck the Kobe area. I can’t forget what went on, what I saw, what I did, and what I was helped at that time.

At the same time, I can’t help feeling deep sympathy with people in Haiti who are just now struggling against the natural disaster. Although what I can do for them is very limited, I sent a little amount of donations to American Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, and some of similar organizations in charge of rescuing and supporting the survivors.

今日で震災から１５年になります。もう「震災」といっても他でもいろいろと起こっているので「阪神大震災」と言わないと通じないかもしれませんが、私は１５年前に西宮の実家で被災しました。あのときの記憶は忘れられません。

同様に、今まさにハイチで起こっている大地震の被災者の方々に深い同情を感じずにはいられません。何ができるわけでもありませんが、ともあれささやかながら募金をさせていただきました。

January 17, 2010