Usuki Singing Stars #55: The BUZZ around Neopia

     “It’s called a ‘convertible’, you ninny,” scoffed Scary. The Purple Bruce followed her friend across the slush-covered street. “If I had one of those, I’d go to the Marketplace and shop every day.”

     Sparkles nudged Scary. “It’d be great if we could ride together,” said the Pink Bruce. She watched the convertible zoom by, a trail of grey smoke trailing behind it. She stepped aside as the wheels splashed through a grey puddle. “You know, I heard these new vehicles exhaust a lot of harmful chemicals into the air.”

     With a gasp, Sparkles added, “Maybe that’s why we’re having such an unseasonably warm winter this year!” Scary shot her a look.

     “And they need gasoline to function properly,” said Patricia. She shook her head. “Maybe I’ll get used to seeing them around Neopia Central….but I doubt I ever will.”

     In the past few months, it felt like Neopia was going through a ginormous technical evolution: vehicles were now zooming on the roads around Neopia Central; smartphones and telephones were used for communication; strange box-shaped computers were slowly taking the place of typewriters. At first, the girls didn’t notice these new inventions popping up around their town---but now it felt like everybody was using these newfangled inventions, adjusting to the changes so easily.

     Patricia felt conflicted. Shouldn't she feel excited about all the new technological advancements? Her mom wanted to get a car too, though she’d need to take driving lessons to use it. And were cars even safe to use? [They do seem more convenient than walking everywhere,] she reasoned.

     “I can't wait to visit this new Farmer's Market,” Sparkles squealed. “I heard they have all sorts of nifty produce for sale.”

     Scary rolled her eyes. “They better have the fashion magazines you said vendors sell.”

     “How far away is the market, Sparkles?” asked Patricia.

     “Well, we’re currently on Neopian Avenue,” mused Sparkles, “and I heard the Farmer's Market is by Aisha Avenue. Which is…uh, somewhere nearby.”

     “Are you sure your imaginary friend gave you the right directions?” asked Scary.

     “Scare, you know Adam’s not imaginary,” said Sparkles. “He’s that Spotted Moehog in math class; he sits next to Sparklefrits.”

     When they arrived at an intersection, the girls looked around for any street signs. Patricia pointed up and said, “Look. We’re at the corner of Chia Close and Winding Wood Drive.”

     “Perfect! I think Aisha Avenue is near Winding Wood Drive,” Sparkles proclaimed.

     “Sure about that?” asked Scary.

     Sparkles led the way through Winding Wood Drive. The girls found themselves in an unfamiliar neighbourhood with identical houses and pine trees lining the sidewalks. Each tree was decked out in strings of red and pink lights. “Now then, where is Aisha Avenue?”

     Patricia saw a tall Brown Aisha standing a short distance away. “Let’s ask her. Maybe she’ll know the way.”

     “Asking an Aisha where [Aisha Avenue] is?” Scary snorted. “How original, Pat.”

     When the girls approached the stranger, Patricia noticed she was talking into a small black rectangle that was barely visible beneath her long brown hair. The Aisha looked down at the girls and, with a pucker of her lips, slipped the rectangle into her fur coat. “What do you kiddies want?” she asked.

     “Excuse me, but do you know where Aisha Avenue is?” asked Sparkles.

     The Aisha snorted. “All I know is it’s a long way from here!” She pulled out the rectangle from her coat and tapped it with her thumb. “Yup. You’re, like, seven streets away from Aisha Avenue.”

     “Well I am not going to sludge through any more of this melting snow,” said Scary. “My NC winter booties can only take so much snow before they dissolve.”

     “I told you to get waterproof shoes,” said Sparkles.

     The Aisha looked up. “If you three girls need a ride, I suppose I can drop you off at your hippy marketplace. It’s near my fav salon anyways, and I’m due for my monthly manicure anyways.” She led the girls to a gold convertible and pressed a button on a keychain to unlock it.

     Patricia and Sparkles settled on the back seats while Scary took the passenger seat. The seats were white and fuzzy, which was welcoming as the car zoomed down the streets. Although she didn’t get why the car had to roof, Patirica enjoyed watching their surroundings zoom past them.

     “Your car is nifty, Miss Aisha,” said Sparkles when they reached a stop sign.

     “Call me Mimi,” said the Aisha, “And I know, this car is the best.” Mimi swerved the car to the right. “I’m so glad that Chia-dude decided to make more automobiles for the Neopian Market! Cars are so much better than walking everywhere.”

     “I admit that cars can be handy at times,” said Patricia, “But it's so weird to see so many on the roads now. Before we only had one Neopian zooming around in a car; now it’s like everybody is driving.”

     “It’s a new technology, so of course it’ll grow in popularity,” Mimi insisted. “Same thing for smartphones. Now everybody wants one because it’s a device nobody could have imagined existing before. And now that phones are out, everybody can’t imagine their lives without them.”

     Scary scoffed, “That idiot Snaw better get me a phone for Christmas. Last year that freak got me a box of cereal!”

     Mimi laughed. “Thank Fyora, somebody invented online shopping.”

     “New technology is neat and all, but aren’t all of these gadgets and gizmos coming out too fast?” asked Patricia. “It feels like something’s coming out every day, and then everybody rushes to get it! Cars and phones didn’t even exist last year, yet now they’re everywhere. Isn’t this all a bit too much?”

     “Pat, stop trying to stop our technological progress because you’re too content with the past,” said Scary. “Your anti-tech nonsense will only take us back to Prehistoric Times--where everything was crudely drawn and clothes weren't wearable!”

     Sparkles laughed. “Oh Scare, you’re a riot! No way would Patricia want to go back to those days. She’s just concerned about our society’s heavy reliance on our new technological marvels.” She patted Patricia's knee. “It’s okay, Pat. You’ll be fine.”

     Mimi parked the car in front of a pink-brick building. Across the street was the lively Farmer’s Market, the fence surrounding it adorned with twinkling lights. “And we wouldn’t have gotten this far without my GPS,” said Mimi. “Without it, we would have gotten lost. So I say be thankful you're experiencing Neopia’s technological revolution.”

     “A map could have helped you too,” Patricia countered.

     “The only one who needed a map was Sparkles,” Scary grumbled. “What an idiot, thinking she could lead us there by herself!”

     When they were out of the car, Patricia said, “Thanks, Mimi. I suppose [some] of the new tech isn't so bad.”

     “Don’t be too afraid to embrace change,” said Mimi. “The whole world is changing every day; somewhere, someone is thinking up a new invention that will forever change Neopia. How you feel is up to you.” She pulled out her phone. “Of course, you can also save your Neopoints if you want to.”

     “I can't wait to buy a piping hot cup of Borovan,” said Sparkles as she led Scary and Patricia to the Farmer's Market.

     “I want to see if they have any phones around this hippy market,” said Scary.

     Patricia looked up at the sunny sky. “You know what guys. I’m actually feeling a lot less anxious about the future. And I’m also excited to see what new things we’ll see in our lifetimes.”

     “Maybe there’ll be other ways we can watch Neovision,” mused Sparkles. “Say, Neovision was once considered ‘new tech’ once, right?”

     “Yeah, back when Neopians spent their time reading and staring at walls,” Scary sniffed. “How primitive.”

     Patricia looked around the market. There were many people staring at their phones, but others were chatting with the local merchants. With an optimistic smile, she headed to a nearby booth. With no phone, she would be happy to chit-chat with somebody else!

     The End.