I was having dinner at a family food joint somewhere in Makati and across me is a family – mom, dad, three kids – 2 boys and a girl. One of my guilty pleasures is to snoop at strangers (until they catch me snooping on them). So while chomping on some French fries, I notice that both boys were busy playing with their play stations, while the sister was madly texting from her cellphone. All three of them were obviously ignoring their parents. It was so sad. Boo hoo. I suddenly remembered my own very happy childhood, that I share with most kids who grew up in the 80’s. My childhood was a blur of constant outdoor activities ranging from the common to the inane and crazy (looking back, I think I got my adult craziness during those time). My favorite time of the year was always during summer. Like most normal kids, I hated elementary school so I always look forward to the two months of summer April and May. Though my summer days were pretty much routine, I loved most of it. Here are some highlights of my childhood activities in the Summer:
1. I was always the designated picnic organizer. My mother goes berserk everytime I go home as soon as she notices what I brought back home (or rather, what I stole for the picnic): loaf of bread, 2 can of sardines, biscuits, juice, and my white blanket. A few steps outside our house was a vast coconut plantation (its now converted into a posh subdivision, so I now live in a Gillage – Gilid sa Village) so we have the entire 5 hectares of land to ourselves. Now, the idea of having a picnic in a similar setting will not just raise the eyebrows of present parents but will also raise their blood pressures for the following reasons: possibility of heat stroke or possibility of being molested/raped/kidnapped both equally terrifying.
2. I always attended Catechisms. These are summer catholic schools done by the church. In fact I once represented our “school” in a regional competition and I won 3rd place! My “trophy” was a medium sized Santo Niño statuette that I kept for approximately 2 months (it fell off our TV set, I guess).
3. Our favorite pastime was to scavenge for toys! If this activity was done today, the picture in mind will be boys with sticks poking thru piles of garbage and whatnot. Before, we used to marvel at the cheap toys that we find! Toy soldiers, plastic animals, etc. Board games such as Monopoly (that I never got the hang out of), Snakes and Ladders, and Game of the Generals were also the craze back then. Sadly, these items are now considered as historical relics by the kids of today.
4. I used to love physical games such as In-in (Patintero), Buwan-buwan (variation of a patintero but circular with a line across it, normally we use the middle portion of the basketball court as it has that circle thingie already), Tigso-Tigso (Agawan base or Japanese Game), Dakup-dakop (normally, an older brother or sister who brought with him/her a younger sibling has no choice but to force the others to include this younger sibling. Normally, he/she will be called a “flower”, meaning she can’t be “it”-therefore he/she is just a nuisance), Bagol (it’s a slipper game calisthenics, etc. with about 10 stages), Bato Lata (Tumbang Preso, one of my toenail flew once as the slipper that was thrown chopped it off), slipper game (similar rudiments of softball, but instead of having a bat and ball, a slipper is being “served” then kicked), and lastly Shiatong (or Siyato).
5. I also enjoyed my daily dose of Sesame Street. Let’s see if I still can remember the muppets: Ernie and Bert are roommates (today, homo speculations are thrown at them), Prairie Dawn, Big Bird, Snuffalafagus (with his 5 inch eyelashes), Oscar the Grouch (who apparently shared the voice of Big Bird), Kermit the Frog who is the apple of Ms. Piggy’s eyes, Elmo, Count Dracula ha ha ha, Cookie Monster and Guy Smiley. Batibot also had a similar version - Ging-ging and Luningning (Ernie and Bert), Sitsiritsit and Alibangbang (aliens), Pong Pagong (Big Bird), Kiko Matsing (Oscar the Grouch?), and the human characters Ate Sheena and Kuya Bodjie. Today’s “kiddie” shows are fun to watch as an adult. But I will be very apprehensive to let my kid watch today’s supposedly kid friendly cartoons. For example, Spongebob Squarepants is hilarious but I’m afraid my kid will be as dumb as Patrick or as unscrupulous and greedy as Mr. Crabs. This is the Beavis and Butthead of our generation.
These are some memories that I will never ever trade with a million dollars (hypothetically) or with any random kid of today (as they might not be interested anyway). But they will always be ready in a file box in my brain ready to be browsed anytime if I feel like it.
No comments:
Post a Comment