Creative SMSs for the New Year

by Dinesh ALWIS

Koo..Kooo..Kooh...Kooh....It is the sound of the Cuckoo Bird. Your mobile phone beeps. It is a New Year SMS from a friend. There are forms of communication reminding us that the New Year is about to be celebrated.

Red Erabadu flowers bloom, the aroma of Kaju Puhulan, fresh oil cakes and sweets fill the air. The sound of crackers adds to the celebrations. These signs herald the Sinhala and Hindu New Year. Irrespective of age, everybody is ready to usher the New Year celebrations.

A few decades ago, there were many ways of greeting one another during New Year. Earlier people visited houses and greeted one another. Sending a letter or a New Year card was the traditional way of greeting a friend or a relation far away.

Today everything has changed. Information technology and telecommunication sectors have spread all over the island. With the expansion in the telecommunication sector most people use mobile phones.

SMS (Short Messaging Service) is the buzz word among Sri Lankans. Instead of New Year cards and letters, SMSs are exchanged among friends. It is a nice way of keeping in touch with friends. You may have received a number of New Year SMSs last year. But how many of them did you save on your phone? Most of them were similar and unattractive. But a few of them were interesting and creative.

Why do' not you send a creative SMS this year? Start today and write a creative New Year message and send it to your friends. It need not bea poetic, but simple and sensitive and your friend will preserve it till next year.

With the tremendous advancement in mobile technology Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) has become more popular among youth. You can even send an MMS to your friends.

New Year is a great opportunity for reunion. Send a New Year SMS to even those who you do not hold so dear. These SMSs will store in your friends hearts' forever.You can send an SMS by using your mobile phone, landline or even a CDMA telephone.

This is much easier and the cheapest way to greet your friends. Remember to send the SMS before networks get jammed. This occurs every New Year season and you might lose your SMS or else it could be delayed.

On the other hand, you can call your friends since almost all service providers reduce their call rates on these days. Keep in mind to fill your phone credits enough to send SMSs.Because there is no way to re-load your phone as most communication centres remain closed during holidays.

If you have an e-mail facility send an e-mail to your friends wishing them and their family members. e-cards are now popular with the youth and you can send e-cards to your friends on New Year Day via e-mail. Today many websites provide a free online E-cards facility. Also, if you have a Facebook account you can wish your friends using special Greetings Applications. Those applications include sending gifts and greeting messages. You can also write or post something on your friends' profiles. The New Year is much more than only greetings and wishes.