Gone Too Soon

The news last week of the passing of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson came quite a shock. I myself couldn't believe the text message I received from a friend of mine early in the morning last Friday. I was scrolling down on the message to see if it was a joke and was looking for the punchline. There was none. So I had to turn on the TV to see if it was true. CNN was big on the news about MJ. I was shocked and goosebumps slowly creeped on my arms.

He was only 50 years old. So young. A great loss in the music industry. I don't think my childhood would ever be the same without the songs, Billie Jean, Beat It and of course the infamous music video of Thriller. No matter what people say about how he looked on the latter part of his life, he is still one of the best performers... ever!

So to all Michael Jackson fans, I too mourn for his passing. Rest in peace and enjoy jamming with the legends in heaven. :)

Here's a playlist of MJ and The Jackson 5 hits. Enjoy!

Holy Week

Holy week brings back a lot of memories when I was a child.

I remember watching The Ten Commandments on television back in the days when cable was non-existent. Yes, you got that right, we would always watch the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments because it was the only show on air during holy week. Also the local TV stations would also show the passion of Christ. I distinctly remember crying whenever the scene of the crucifixion would come up.

Besides watching these programs on local channels, my parents and grandparents would always remind us that at this time of the year, we should not be making any noise and boisterous laughter is a big no-no. They believe that it is inappropriate to be happy at this time when Jesus Christ was suffering. That's why our house would be super quiet. We're not even allowed to play outside. I guess that was our sacrifice during holy week.

But what I really remember during holy week was when my grandmother told me that on Good Friday, we should take a bath before 3:00 p.m. as this was the time when Jesus Christ died on the cross. If in any case we haven't taken a bath before this time, we're not allowed to do so anymore and would have to take a bath the following day. The reason behind this is that if ever we would take a bath past 3:00 p.m., the water that we would be using would turn to blood signifying Jesus Christ's death. Scary right?! So my brother and cousins would always fight our way as to who gets to take a bath first. Lol!

What about you? Care to share your holy week memories?

"Flying T"

One of our "couple friends" were telling us that they were planning on buying a playhouse for their one-year old son. For someone who doesn't have a child yet, I have no idea how much these things cost. And I was really shocked that these plastic playhouses are quite expensive. This started our discussion about the "cheap" toys we had when we were growing up.

One of these is what we call the "Flying T". I have completely forgotten the name of this toy and was really happy (more of relieved) when our friend told me of its name. It's like a small helicopter blade made of plastic. You can get it as a free toy inside your favorite chips. All you have to do is just get the top part or the "blade" and insert the plastic that looks like a hard straw in the hole of the blade. Then in order for it to fly, you just need to put the toy in between your palms and in a rubbing motion, the toy will spin and just release it. Voila! The blades come in different colors and I remember asking my mom to buy the chips in stores where they sell wholesale products so that I can have a lot of those Flying T's in different colors.

Does anyone of you know what I'm talking about? I tried searching for a picture of it in google images but I can't find one. Just in case you're a kid in the early to mid 80's then you know what kind of toy I'm talking about.

80's Date Movies

Valentine's day is just a few days away and I'm pretty sure a lot of couples are planning their surprises for each other. A romantic dinner with candle lights, soft music playing on the background -- the works. But for me, I'd rather stay at home and watch a movie or if my husband's up for it, we would have a movie marathon.

So for those in my generation, I'm pretty sure you would be enjoying watching these romantic movies from the 80's:

1. Pretty in Pink - Who wouldn't love Molly Ringwald and the crazy 80's fashion.



2. Some Kind of Wonderful - Bestfriends turned lovers... at that time this concept in movies was still new. :)



3. Sixteen Candles - Another Molly Ringwald favorite.



4. Can't Buy Me Love - Before the McDreaminess...



5. Secret Admirer - I just love this movie. I remember channel 13 would always show this movie.



Happy watching and advance happy heart's day everyone!!!

Fast Food Favorites

I just love the new commercial of McDonald's right now. You know the one where "Ang Huling El Bimbo" is playing on the background. The moment I saw those red and white tiles on the wall and the styrofoam containers for the burger made me really reminisce of the old McDonald's. It brings me back to the time when most or almost every McDonald's serve milkshake. I just can't get enough of them. My parents would always drive-thru at the McD's before going home and they would buy me a chocolate milkshake and large fries to go with it. Yummy! That would be my usual afternoon snack until I was 10 years old. Next to the milkshake and fries, I also love their hot fudge sundae. And just like in the commercial, I too would dip the fries into the sundae. Sweet and salty. Perfect! Now if only I stopped eating these kind of food when I reached college then I wouldn't have to go looking for weight loss pills like Fenphedra. Oh well...

What about you? What do you like ordering in your favorite fast food when you were young?

Sesame Street Moment # 6

It has been a while since I've updated this blog and it's been a long time too since I've posted my favorite Sesame Street segments when I was a kid. A real big thanks to youtube and for those people who have posted these classic videos.

So anyway, here's the one where they show how crayons are made. As a kid, I was really excited to see this one because obviously as a kid, we're all curious as to how things are made or where certain things come from. This is one of them. I love to draw ergo I love crayons.

Enjoy this video while I go contemplate on which diet pills to take to get rid of all the holiday fat I gained. Heehee!

Icee

Christmas shopping is really tiring especially when Christmas is just around the corner. The malls and flea markets are packed with busy shoppers getting ready for the biggest gift-giving event of the year. There's really no need to walk on the aisles of flea markets because the crowd is so thick that you just get "carried away" by the walking mob. It's like riding a really slow train without breaks and all you have to do is "jump off" once you reach your station.

So anyway, I was having a break from all the shopping and decided to check my shopping list and what's left of my shopping money (glad that I took one of those payday loans offered by my bank). It was so hot inside despite the roaring a/c so I went and bought myself a frozen drink. It then reminded me of this drink that was popular when I was still a kid. I remember lining up and ordering the strawberry flavored one. My tongue and lips would have a redder shade because of that. LOL. This was before Slurpee came to town. Do you still remember this?

The Happy Saver's Club

I was doing some bank errands yesterday when a nostalgic moment hit me again.

You see, there was this kid who was with her mom inside the bank where I was. The kid kept asking her mom for their bank book. He was a bit confused because he just saw his mom hand the teller some bills and all she got was their bank book. The kid looked adorable actually when he was looking all confused and panicky.

Then, I remembered in the 80's that most of my playmates are members of the Lucky Saver's Club of Banco Filipino. Their parents opened bank accounts for them and the kids would be getting goodies once they open an account and whenever the parents have a transaction. I wasn't a member of that club. My playmates would just show me their bank book and all the free stuff they got. Makes me wonder why though. Maybe they knew that I wouldn't be having trouble with cash advance or other credit related problem. Ha! That's what they think.

I do however commend this scheme. It taught the children the value of money and the concept of saving. I wonder if ever I was a member of this club if I would still be a shopaholic. Hmmm...

Eat all I can

Growing up with both my parents working, my mom would always leave me and my brother to my grandmother when they go to work. We didn't mind really because that meant free access to all the goodies my grandmom has in her sari-sari store.

Ever since I could remember, my grandparents has this home based business of having this store plus they sell all-natural vinegar. So anyway, my brother really didn't care much that time with the vinegar but we did love "hanging around" inside the store so we could help ourselves to all the candies and chips that my grandmom sells.

Are you still familiar with Orange Swits (I think it's still available up to now), Choco Nut, chocolate football and soccer ball, Goya chocolates (plain and with rice crispies), Stay Fresh mint candies, Cheezels (the cheese flavored chips that had free toys in it) and even Horlicks?

I miss those days. I miss hanging around with my grandmother and she'd tell me that I can have all the candies that I want as long as I practice writing my complete name on two sheets of pad paper. Hehe!

Superman

I am sure a lot of us have seen at least a single Superman movie or even the Superman TV series in the 90's or the early parts of this decade. As a kid, I was able to watch the evolution of Superman as what I would like to call it. Nothing much has changed except of course for the handsome young men who have portrayed the red-caped hero. Despite my continuous support for this character, I am still bothered by one fact or flaw of the story. It started when I was kid and watched my first Superman movie and until now, I just can't let go of it.



Why is it that people don't recognize him when Superman turns into Clark Kent. I mean, nothing much has changed except for the glasses, the curly bangs and the red and blue costume right? I still don't get it. I mean, what if contact lenses were invented first and not eye glasses, what then? You might think I'm overreacting but I'm just plain curious. Is there an explanation. Kindly enlighten me.

I wonder...

I've been trying to track down some of the child stars that were big, back in the 80's and 90's. I really can't remember some of their names because I was a kid myself back then but I remembered the roles they portrayed.

It's just sad whenever I read about some of those former child actors that have been seeking drug treatment. It's a shame to see their talent go to waste because of bad judgment. I do not condemn them but hope that they go to the best drug treatment center. It's better to see them come back to big screen doing cameo roles rather than seeing their faces in the tabloids.

(Gumamela) Soap Bubbles

Have you ever been scolded by your neighbors when you were a kid? I have. It was because I was picking out the leaves and flowers of their gumamela plant. If you were a kid in the 80's and 90's you'd know instantly why I did this. It was to make soap bubbles.

Honestly, I can't remember who told us or how we found out that pounding the leaves and the flower would help make the soap bubbles "last longer". Yes, I know, we were destroying mother nature again. Pardon the ignorance brought about by being young and with high resources and energy levels.

So we would be pounding the leaves and flowers (if there were any left) until we see a slimy greenish sap. Then we add the crushed leaves and flowers to a big tub of water with some laundry soap in it. We mix it well and voila! Soap bubble mixture. We'd then get a piece of wooden sticks that we can bend to make a bubble wand. But sometimes if there's time and if we have someone to make it for us (like my dad or uncle), we'd get a thin wire and we'd make a loop then wrap the loop with a cloth. This is way better than the wooden wand because it doesn't break plus there are more bubbles. :)

Now, blowing bubbles isn't that funny anymore because they're readily available in stores. The fun part in this is the picking of the leaves and flowers: you get to be dirty, you experience getting chased by or barked at by your neighbor's or (like me) get stung by a bee or hornet in the process.

Missing the Dragonflies

I was up early this morning. Shocking I know. I had to drop off A to the shuttle terminal and feed and walk the dog. While feeding the dog, I was looking at the different flowers looking fresh from the rainfall last night.

Then something distracted me. It was a bluegreen dragonfly. A tutubi in my native language. I was steady for a moment and observed where it landed. No, I was not scared but merely afraid that it might fly away. It's been a while since I've seen these flying in our garden. And I can only blame myself and my other playmates when we were still kids.

You see, when we were still kids we would catch these dragonflies and tie a string on the end part of their body. I know, I know... it's cruel. We were young and ignorant back then. My apologies to the dragonfly kingdom. But in my defense, I really didn't hurt them. I let them go after playing with them and they're still in tact -- they can still fly afterwards.

This is why I guess after how many years, it is only seldom that I see dragonflies in our neighborhood. I do hope they visit us again. I miss seeing them around. I promise I won't tie them up.

From Walkmans to MP3 players

I wonder how our life would be without mp3 players? As an avid music listener, I always carry with me my player. It used to be a disc player in the 90's and a Walkman in the 80's. I don't think I can imagine my life without any of these gadgets. I remember memorizing the exact number of seconds for me to rewind the tape when I was using my Walkman. It got easier when we had the discman but the downside was that I had to bring along with me my favorite CDs that I wanted to listen to for that particular day. Being a fickle minded person that I am, it was tough. I always end up bringing at least a dozen CDs just in case I didn't feel like playing the album I intended to listen to that day. But now listening to music is easy and hassle-free. No more rewinding of the cassette tape nor heavy, bulky CD case in the bag. Ipods and other brands of mp3 players spread like wildfire. Now people can bring their music with them anytime and anywhere.

Sesame Street Moment #5

I just love Ernie and Bert. Their contrasting personalities is I guess one of the things that make them even more lovable. This video has got to be one of my favorite scenes that I could remember when I was still a kid.



I just can't help but laugh when Bert thought it was a better idea if Ernie would count balloons instead of the loud fire engine and bah-ah-ing sheep. The look on Bert's face when the balloon popped was really priceless. :)

Sounds Familiar?

If you were born in the 80's and have played in the streets with your "kalaro", then these would not sound new to you. :-)

• "Monkey-monkey Anabel. How many THE monkeys did you see?" (Let's say) "Five!" 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and a riki-tiki-tik and a blue black sheep. Which is true, YES OR NO? "NO!" N-O. Aaaaa-les!

• Nanay, tatay, gusto kong tinapay. Ate, kuya, gusto kong kape. Lahat ng gusto ko ay susundin ko. Ang magkamali ay pipingutin ko. One! One, two! One, two, three!

• "Si Nena ay bata pa. Ang sabi nya ay (while thumb sucking): "Um-ah-um-ah-ah". Si Nena ay dalaga na. Ang sabi nya ay (while flipping her hair): "Um-ah-um-ah-ah"...."

• "Sen-sen of playmates. C'mon and play with me. Are you my darling friend. For every apple tree." Blah blah blah. I forgot the words.

Sustagen

I was fixing myself an iced tea drink when I saw a box of chocolate-flavored Sustagen drink in our pantry. I was then reminded of the days when promotional people from Sustagen would go to our school when I was still in grade school. Their mascots Susy and Geno would also be there tormenting the students while they're waiting in line to get their drink from the Sustagen ladies. I remember pulling one of Susy's pigtails back then. LOL!

I was really not a drinker of Sustagen. I liked Milo and Ovaltine but I've never tried Sustagen. So when we were asked by our teacher to line up so we could get our taste of Sustagen, I was a bit excited. Hehe! So when I finally got a taste of it, I knew that I would be asking my mom to replace Milo with Sustagen.

As soon as my mom bought one, I started putting a spoonful in a glass filled with cold water. I began stirring and after a few seconds (blame it on the low EQ) I started gulping away. Then I stopped. It tasted different. That was not how it tasted when I drank it in school. So I'd stir the drink again. Nope, it was still the same. Then I figured maybe it wasn't cold enough. So I added some ice. Sheesh! Wala pa din pinagbago! Then it got me thinking. The color of the drink in school was not that dark as compared to what I had in my glass. So I though, what if I put a bit of milk in it. So I did. And obviously it was no near the taste of what the Sustagen ladies gave out in school. Bakit kaya? Up to now I still don't know what they added in there to make it taste that way. Ang sarap non eh! Does anyone know?

Yearbook Photos

This is so fitting to my blog. Since I'm all about reminiscing the past, here's something that I saw at Em's blog. It's called Yearbook Yourself.

I was literally laughing my @$$ off while editing these pictures. Here's a glimpse of my favorite photos:









And this is from 1994. I don't recall sporting this hairstyle in my sophomore year in high school. LOL!

Old School is Cool

I am a fan of old school. I was born in the late 70's and enjoyed my childhood playing in the streets. Childproofing a house was not that common. We bathe in the rain without having any fear of getting sick. A big yellow bird, a blue monster that loves cookies and a green fuzzy monster that lived in a garbage can were just a few of my favorite characters on TV.

My vocabulary as a teenager did not include text messages, MMS, IM, Friendster, Facebook and MySpace. Most girls back then were not obsessed with their weight. Diet pills and fat burners like Lipovox were unheard of. There wasn't really an easy way to lose weight except to exercise.

Cellphones were only used by the rich people. What you see is what you get when taking pictures. We too had the chance to have music "handy", it's called a Walkman. People don't fight over the remote control because we don't have one.

Pollution was not really a great threat to our environment. There were more trees back then. The weather and climate are normal. The term global warming would be hard to use in a sentence.

All in all, life back then despite its technological drawbacks seems better than what we have now. Stress levels are more lower and basically life is simpler. What do you think?

MacGyver

This morning while we were having our exams, a classmate of ours forgot to turn off his cellphone. We were all startled when it started to ring. We were irritated at first but we couldn't help but laugh because his ring tone was the theme song from the TV series MacGyver.

Do you still remember this TV series back in the late 80's? My family loved this show. We were all glued to the tube when it's on. Most of us, especially my brother was particularly curious as to what kind of "clever solutions" he would come up with using his ever trusty Swiss army knife.

It was a great show because it didn't have much violence and it taught its viewers how to be resourceful. I haven't really put my resourcefulness to the test but does using my hairdryer to have my chocolate bars in room temperature count?