A FEW days ago, I blogged about the iPhone launch in the US and included an Agence France-Presse photo of Jonathan (not John, as he was identified in the AFP caption) Mariano, who was first in line at the Apple Store at The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles, California.
In that blog entry, I wondered aloud if Mariano was a Filipino, and guess what? He is! He posted a comment on that blog entry simply saying, “Pinoy ako (I am a Filipino)!” and included a link to his blog that documents the iPhone launch in LA and his unexpected brush with fame when he turned out to be the first in line.
How cool is that?
Here’s a YouTube video of Jonathan being interviewed by Macy Gray.
And here’s an excerpt from his entry on the questions he gets asked by interviewers:
Popular Questions
What time did you get in line?
4AM although the line didn’t officially start until 7AM. I scoped the place out since 7PM the night before.What is the big deal about the iPhone?
Many “phones” have a phone, music player, and browser, but none do it as elegantly as the iPhone. It has a simple touch interface, and the “real” internet. Not the scaled down mini mobile version.How many are you buying?
Two 8GB. One for me, one for my girlfriend.;)
Congratulations, Jonathan, and thanks for visiting @play 
July 11th, 2007 at 10:51 am
di pa kasi binebenta dito ung IPhone dito sa Pinas, actually sa buong Asia region ata, baka sa 2008 pa i-release, according to Engadget (forgot the link). This has nothing to do with Johnathan’s values or morality or personality or whatever. Na-point out lang na, “…uy, aba, akalain mo nga namang pinoy ung nauna… “
July 11th, 2007 at 9:10 am
Score one for the Pinoys????? What’s the score for? What are you keeping track of? Anon, I feel so sad for you. You’re so pathetic! An iPhone is just that - a phone!
July 11th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Who cares! It not like he climb Mt. Everest. He stood in line, wow. What a waste.
July 11th, 2007 at 7:58 am
Who Cares ! Big Deal !
July 11th, 2007 at 2:09 am
This is pathetic. Instead of herading and supporting Filipino achievements in scientific invention, social achievements, we herald the first Filipino buyer of the iphone. Any Tom Dick or Harry who has $900 can buy an iphone. It’s no feat. If the guy was really consciencious, he should have donated his $900 to a Philippine charitable organization. That is why people in the Philippines from government officials to the ordinary man on the street steal so that they can finance whatever new technical gadget is out there. By annoucing such acquisitions we are tempting our fellow Pinoys to salivate for things which are not important. We don’t teach Pinoys the proper values but materialism which will not uplift the lives of Filipinos in general. If we continue in this trend, I doubt it if the Philippines will ever develop as a nation spiritually, socially and economically.