Nostalgia Bloggista: Grace Varona

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Name: Grace Varona
Blog: http://causticthoughts-gracemags.blogspot.com

1. Where did you grow up, and what made that place special?
I was born in Baguio City and lived there for ten years. What I remember most about the place was the constant rain and waking up from underneath comfortably thick sheets only to be told the joyful news that classes had been cancelled yet again.

Seriously, I loved every inch of Baguio . I couldn’t explain how my days there were both downcast and cheery, how it was both cold and warm and how I was both deeply joyful and melancholic. The place brought out great depth of thought and feeling in me at such an early age.

2. What was your favorite tv show, cartoon, or children's show growing up? What did you like about these shows that made them your favorite?
I loved He-Man, Shera, G.I. Joe, Transformers, McGyver, A-Team, Star Trek, Mission Impossible and many others. I suppose it just felt great watching stories that revolved around good guys winning and not around today’s regular T.V. fare— sex, drama and violence.

3. Favorite music group or artist? Most memorable song?
I seem to remember liking John Denver. One of my all time favorites was his version of "Puff the Magic Dragon." For the last time, the song isn’t about smoking weed!

4. Share with our readers one of your fondest memories of growing up.
My fondest memory was taking off every non-rainy day into the hills and woods beyond the stream that ran behind our house. There is simply nothing like immersing yourself in the breathtaking bosom of nature. My parents probably saved a fortune on toys. I liked my natural playground better than sitting at tea with Barbie.

5. What do you miss from back then that's not available today?
I miss the absence of malls. I miss pure unadulterated nature that was once just within a stone's throw away from me.


More Nostalgia Bloggista: Ivan Henares

Technorati Tags:70s, 80s, blog, nostalgia

Nostalgia Bloggista: Ivan Henares

Are you a Pinoy Blogger? Get featured as a Nostalgia Bloggista! Not only are you sharing your wonderful memories of the '70s and '80s, but you also get a free link back! This is a great way to introduce your blog and get a lot of exposure! Just send me an email, write "Nostalgia Bloggista" on the subject line, and you'll soon be featured here on Nostalgia Bloggista!

Name: Ivan Henares
Blog: http://www.ivanhenares.com

1. Where did you grow up, and what made that place special?
I grew up in a private subdivision in Sucat, right beside Laguna de Bay. Like all subdivisions in the south, we were far from civilization then. The place was special since the community was tightly-knit where everyone knew each other and the breeze from the lake, especially in the cold months, was very refreshing.

2. What was your favorite tv show, cartoon, or children's show growing up? What did you like about these shows that made them your favorite?
I watched the non-stop cartoons on Saturday mornings (Voltes V, He-Man, G.I. Joe, Thundercats, Smurfs, Astroboy, Transformers, Macross, etc.), all those dubbed Japanese series every afternoon (Shaider, Bio-man, etc.), as well as Ghost Busters every Friday night. There was Batibot too. But I remember Sesame Street the most. I guess it was the children's show which made the biggest impact on the 80s generation.

3. Favorite music group or artist? Most memorable song?
I think I have tapes of MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice. But I was not that into music.

4. Share with our readers one of your fondest memories of growing up.
Weekends with my family at Quad; playing patintero, luksong baka, and tumbang preso in the street or syato and agawan "base" in school; picking aratilis fruits as we walked around the village; getting addicted to Atari and Family Computer, and so much more.

5. What do you miss from back then that's not available today?
Car rides from Sucat to the Ateneo via EDSA without flyovers in just 45 minutes. I also miss Horlicks! That's why I make sure to buy some when I'm in Singapore and Malaysia.


More Nostalgia Bloggista: AnitoKid

Technorati Tags:70s, 80s, blog, nostalgia

Nostalgia Bloggista: AnitoKid

Are you a Pinoy Blogger? Get featured as a Nostalgia Bloggista! Not only are you sharing your wonderful memories of the '70s and '80s, but you also get a free link back! This is a great way to introduce your blog and get a lot of exposure! Just send me an email, write "Nostalgia Bloggista" on the subject line, and you'll soon be featured here on Nostalgia Bloggista!

Name: AnitoKid
Blog: http://anitokid.blogspot.com

1. Where did you grow up, and what made that place special?
I grew up in the province – Bataan. I spent the first 6-7 years of my life there, which I consider some of the best times in my life. Times were tough for my mom and dad then. Both of them had to work. My Nanay (grandma), who was a teacher before she married Tatay (a fisherman by trade), took me in. I have always been a Lola's boy. We lived in a nipa hut, which looks like the ones depicted in textbooks. Some of most beautiful things that I remember when I was growing up in Bataan include the following:

* Waking up early in the morning to accompany my Nanay, who went house-to-house to sell the day's catch;

* Riding the "bangka" (small motorized boat) with my favorite uncle, Uncle Nonoy;

* Uncle Nonoy performing his so-called magic tricks. Even I could tell that they were just tricks, but it was the way he delivered each magic act that was memorable. Nakakatawa talaga!;

* Riding my go-kart for almost 1.5 km (with my Uncle Nonoy beside me) to my aunt’s house in Villa Leonor;

* Going to the local fair with my favorite aunt, Aunt May;

* Drinking carabao milk, eating crabs, squids, and "alupihang-dagat";

* Swimming in the ocean with my cousins;

* Tatay trying to teach me the ropes on fishnets!;

* Tatay’s efforts to teach me how to cut my nails using a pair of scissors;

* My collection of crab shells that Tatay himself cleaned for me. Boy! They came in all shapes and sizes!;

* Watching the rain fall from the roof of our neighbor's (Roque) mini-veranda;

* Playing bingo, football, and "shato" (a local game that uses a pair of sticks) with my friends, i.e., Marion, Ibay, Ariel, Victor, Mayette, Rico, Josie, Leumer, Minang, Cathy, Donna, Nova, and Nory.

* The annual Santacruzan;

* My friendship with our neighbors, the Roque kids. The eldest son, Ariel, and the youngest, Victor, became two of my best friends. We were inseparable! The youngest daughter, my first love.

* The affection that I lovingly received from my Tatay and Nanay, and all my uncles and aunts.

2. What was your favorite tv show, cartoon, or children's show growing up? What did you like about these shows that made them your favorite?
I had a lot of favorite tv shows! My interests ranged from cartoons to documentaries. These include:

Favorite cartoons:

* The Superfriends (Saturdays, Channel 9)
* Mekanda Robot, Daimos, Mazinger Z, Grendizer, Voltes V (M-F on GMA)
* Candy-Candy (Channel 13)
* Flying House (Channel 7)
* Superbook (Channel 7)

Favorite children’s shows:

* Sesame Street (All-Time Favorite)
* The Electric Co. (Channel 13, I think)
* Wonder Bug (This one rocks!)

Favorite TV shows:

* Charlie's Angels (Channel 7)
* CHiPS (Channel 7)
* The Six-Million Dollar Man (Channel 9)
* Wonder Woman (Channel 9)
* The A-Team (Channel 7)
* The Greatest American Hero (Channel 7)
* Small Wonder (Channel 7)
* The Cosby Show (Channel 7)
* Remington Steele (Channel 7)
* Knight Rider (Channel 7)
* The Equalizer (Channel 7)
* Perfect Strangers (Channel 9 - Hi Balky!)
* Tarzan (Channel 9 or 13?)
* Gillette’s World of Sports (Channel 9)

Favorite Betamax movies:

* The Sound of Music (my kids' favorite too!)
* Mary Poppins
* Annie
* Star Wars
* Conan the Barbarian
* Conan the Destroyer
* Rocky Series
* The Fly
* Scanners

3. Favorite music group or artist? Most memorable song?
Most Memorable Piano Piece:

* Ballade for Adeline (for my Nanay)
* A Friend (for my Margarita)
* Waltzes – Played the piano from the first grade (elementary) to senior high

Most Memorable Song:

* Total Eclipse of the Heart (theme song, first love naks)
* Somewhere Down the Road (for my Margarita)

Favorite music group/artist:

* Depeche Mode – Somebody; Master and Servant
* Spandau Ballet – Round and Round
* U2 (Loved all the albums!)
* Queen (Loved all their songs!)
* Cat Stevens – Wide World; Father and Son
* Elton John – Skyline Pigeon
* John Lennon - Imagine
* Cory Hart – Never Surrender
* Phil Collins – You Can't Hurry Love
* A-ha - Take on Me; The Sun Always Shines on TV
* Basia – Cruisin’ for Bruisin album
* Tears for Fears – Shout; Everybody Wants to Rule the World
* Dire Straits
* Culture Club
* Air Supply (Loved all their songs)
* The Dawn – Enveloped Ideas, Salamat, Iisang Bangka Tayo
* Rey Valera (Loved all his songs)

4. Share with our readers one of your fondest memories of growing up.
* Growing up under the care of my Nanay, who taught me about the beauty of life. She was also instrumental in my belief that I can be whatever I want to be.
* Annual family vacation in Baguio City.
* Family picnics at the Luneta Park.
* Bike riding with my younger brother.

5. What do you miss from back then that's not available today?
I miss being a kid! No worries in the world! All happiness! On a personal note, I miss my Nanay. If she could just see all her apos now!


More Nostalgia Bloggista: Regie Soriano

Technorati Tags:70s, 80s, blog, nostalgia

Nostalgia Bloggista: Regie Soriano

Are you a Pinoy Blogger? Get featured as a Nostalgia Bloggista! Not only are you sharing your wonderful memories of the '70s and '80s, but you also get a free link back! This is a great way to introduce your blog and get a lot of exposure! Just send me an email, write "Nostalgia Bloggista" on the subject line, and you'll soon be featured here on Nostalgia Bloggista!

Name: Regie (Escolin) Soriano
Blog: http://www.regieescolin.multiply.com

1. Where did you grow up, and what made that place special?
First, let me start where I was born. I was born in Metropolitan Hospital in Tondo. My aunt knew everyone there since she worked there and they said that in 1972, this was a chic hospital with good chinese food. We lived in Paranaque then. This was when all you can see in that place we either rice feilds or empty lots with tall "talahibs". The green revolution was in mod that time so my mom, yaya, labandera and maid planted vegetables like eggplants and yams (i think) on the empty lot in front of our house. She also had pet pigs which quickly turned into pork right in front of our eyes. One of my brothers would faint seeing the metamorphosis of our so called "pet". During those days, I guess it wasn't illegal to raise livestock in a village..... hehehehe. We also had chicken and dogs (but we didn't eat our dogs).

You know how when you are small and everything seemed so big? Well the roads in that village were big then, and my brothers would go out biking in the afternoon. We lived near the Paranaque City Hall and they would bike to BF Homes. There weren't much of the commercial establishments along President Ave (avenue ba? tama ba?) instead all you can see were tall grass and the feel of fresh air. I remember my mom would beat the crap out of my brothers because on some days they would fancy wallowing in the mud in the rice feilds in their white cotton shirts just at the back of our house in San Isidro. Oh and who would forget the sari sari store with all the goodies a kid from the 70's would wish for.

We did our grocery at Tropical Hut in BF Homes and banking in Banco Filipino. I was a member of their Lucky Savers Club. There was also a Gift Gate store with dreamy Sanrio items glittering inside. Oh and who would forget the Tropical hamburger wrapped in foil? The aroma speaks for itself. Rancho Ranchero, Hawaiian Glee... When I was four years old, my folks decided to move north (but not too much... just towards the north) to be closer to his siblings. At this time villages like Greenhills and Valle Verde were still new. My father decided to bid for a back to back lot here in Horseshoe, QC near New Manila. The other half was a seminary and the other was a home to a family that was migrating to the US. I don't know if my brothers were just pulling my leg but they said that when the workers were digging for the construction, they found tombs. Haha... explains weird things around here. They said that during the Japanese times, this area was they camp where they would do their "work". I would love to find out about the history of this place, but that's another story.

The first time I saw this place is when we actually moved. I remember I was with my mom in the "lipat bahay" truck with Jaworski and Arnaiz, our dogs. As it is today, this place was really nice because there were a lot of trees and plants. Right across us was the house of a big actor i the 50's. LVN was just outside our village so maybe that's why he built his mansion there. It's like 2 blocks, two big blocks and it has elevators inside. Of course the actor was gone even before we moved in. We have a neighbor who had kids my age. We played in each other's houses and the afternoon would pass us by playing with leaves, mud and whatever we could find in the garden. Clay pots were my toys and mango leaves were my ingredients. I would visit the nearby sari sari store to buy rubber bands which I would make into chinese garter. I would also buy the powdered candy which would me make cough and the candy in a straw with a flag on it. Anyway LVN then was great! I never really got to go in the studio but there were always fans lining up and I remember a white fountain inside.

Also near our village was the ever famous Magnolia Ice Cream Plant and the Ice Cream House which to my blurred childhood memory had wooden bar stools and a bar just like a diner in a western setting. They served Merry Martian, Ernie and Bert, banana split, peach melba, ice cream floats but i don't think the called the sundae "sundae". Instead they called it "a scoop" of ice cream. I remember this because when we went to the US and I won something from Mc Donald's after spinning their "roleta", the caucasian girl asked me what I wanted. She mentioned two choices and I was only able to catch the last syllable of the last choice. I chose tuesday, she laughed and looked confused and she said "oh, you mean a sundae". At that young age (6 years old) I wanted California to sink with me in it.

Anyway, back to my Magnolia story.... We always had the Ice Cream Cake which you order from the factory along their Hemady gate. It always came with the facinating dry ice. I remember the PX store along Hemady right in front of the Magnolia gate where I got my first Barbie (in pink bellerina outfit). A few minutes away, there's Unimart in the Greenhills Shopping Center. I remember Unimart with Orange Julius. The hotdog! I remember the heat press machine and my personalized tee with my name on it. Unimart was so big then, but then again, maybe I was just small. There were also the best shops like Regina's, Gift Gate, Ding Dong's and restos like Shakey's, a batchoy place with Larry Alcala's cartoons on the walls, Pancake House, Ling Nam, House of Mini's for that romantic date, Dayrit's, Tom Sawyer, Kentucky Fried Chicken... There was also the Greenhills Theatre.

The happening place in my side of Manila was Cubao. There's SM, Rustan's, Farmer's Market, Farmer's Plaza and Farmer's Garden where my mom would spend her afternoons looking for the perfect orchid. I think that was the in thing then. Farmer's Market always had a wet floor, a far cry from what it is now. There was also Ali Mall. If you wanted to watch the newest Nino Mulach or Dolphy movie, that's the place to be. There were a lot of movie theaters in Cubao. They had Skate Town there in the 80's. That was fun. I was always there with my cousins during saturdays but I never really learned how to skate. And of course, who would ever forget Fiesta Carnival? Remember they had those carabaos near the door and Nino Mulach had that milk commercial and he was riding the carabao? Fiesta Carnival used to be in the building where Shopwise is now. It was indoor.

There was also Manila COD. The xmas presentation they has was always a sight to see and Aling Nena's pancit right beside and when it was shoes that you were looking for, go to Marikina Shoe Expo. There was also Goldilock's in the Rustan's building which had signs that read "share a seat win a friend" on the walls because there were always no seats for all the diners. There was never a traffic jam and the air was always clean. That was then.

2. What was your favorite tv show, cartoon, or children's show growing up? What did you like about these shows that made them your favorite?
1. Benny Hill Show - I used to watch this in my dad's tv when they would be asleep because it's for adults. His this link to FEN Philippines which accessed programs from the US Bases (I think). He's is so funny and his show had this kinky flavor and who would forget his face?! I liked it because it was funny and it's "bawal".
2. Wonder Woman - Oh I wanted to be her! I would spin like her in the hopes of a miracle and when I stopped, the world didn't. Reminds me of having a hypertension haha....!
3. Bionic Woman - Once again, I wanted to be her with her strength and speed, I could rule the world.
4. The Six Million Dollar Man - Cute Lee Majors.
5. Charlie's Angels - The glamour and fashion that show has! I love it!
6. Incredible Hulk - Wouldn't that that talent be handy when the class bully pays you that extra attention?
7. Spin-A-Win - I love Jeanne Young!
8. Price is Right - I loved guessing the price even if I never really understood the exchange rate then.
9. WWF - I don't know why. I just loved it. I don't now.
10. MacGyver - My Discovery channel then.
11. Magnum P.I. - Tom Selleck and Hawaii.
12. Candy Candy - I loved the story and her clothes.
13. Sesame Street and The Electric Company - Ms. Piggy and Kermit's love story.
14. Moonlighting and Remington Steele
15. Batibot
16.
John and Marsha - It was always funny.
17. GMA supershow, Germspecial and any German Moreno show including the Negosyete show because of all the stars he would have on them.
18. Eumorpho - Lakas tao!
19. Telearalan - Educational.
20. Penthhouse Live! - Because i loved Martin and Pops as a couple.
21. Lovingly Yours Helen, Connie Reyes Mumar drama show (I forgot the name) and the old movies they show in the afternoon on channel 9 (channel 9 had a digital time stamp on the lower right hand side of the screen), Lotlot And Friends and Young Love Sweet Love. You know what I'm just gonna have to stop because I can just go on. I really loved watching TV then.

3. Favorite music group or artist? Most memorable song?
I always heard my mom listening to Chamberlain, the piano guy who played Helen Vela's music and Bee Gees. I never understood why grown men could have such high voices. But I love them now. In the 80's I love the Gogos, Spandau Ballet, Debbie Gibson (Electric Youth!), Tiffany (I think we're alone now.....), Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Blondie, Sharon Cuneta (to the max!)

4. Share with our readers one of your fondest memories of growing up.
I love it that I grew up in a time where there wasn't much tv, internet or any advanced technology. It was a time that when you wanted to play, you had to go out and "mag amoy araw". If you wanted to find out about something, you had to read encyclopedias and pick up some cool stuff along the way. During the summer or any vacation I can have off from school, I would go to our province in Roxas City, Capiz. My cousins and I would play all day in the beach or in the fish pond. Our toys were the leaves of any plant we can get our hands on. I would do anything to go to the province then. Ted's Batchoy then was just in a nipa hut and everything was homemade.

5. What do you miss from back then that's not available today?
I miss the air. The clean air that was in Metro Manila. I miss how grand and formal the City of Manila was. The Metropolitan Theatre was a show on it's own and the CCP complex was still clean and swanky. I miss the anonymity of listening to our party line and how your money could go a long way. I miss the personal touch of letters and I remember that if a guy really liked you, he would really have the guts to call you on the landline risking the embarrassment of your parents answering the phone. I mean there really was no other way. I miss Apparon, the snack our school sold which came from the factory of "ostyas", Macho, the nacho cheese snack with was bigger than my mouth and the ice cream waffle sandwich Magnolia had. I miss the guy with the bell selling ice cream. I remember before when I heard his bell, I would run out of the house screaming literally for ice cream. "Kinikiliti ang tumbong ko". I miss how people used to be so formal and nice and how they showed their good manners and I also miss Alice Kamatis. Oh gosh I miss those times. I miss being young and life then was never complicated. Everything seemed so pleasant.


More Nostalgia Bloggista: Don De Alban

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Nostalgia Bloggista: Don De Alban

Are you a Pinoy Blogger? Get featured as a Nostalgia Bloggista! Not only are you sharing your wonderful memories of the '70s and '80s, but you also get a free link back! This is a great way to introduce your blog and get a lot of exposure! Just send me an email, write "Nostalgia Bloggista" on the subject line, and you'll soon be featured here on Nostalgia Bloggista!

Name: Don De Alban
Blog: http://agam-agam.blogspot.com

1. Where did you grow up, and what made that place special?
I was born and raised in Makati, Metro Manila, back in the day when the Rizal Theatre was the most spectacular movie house and the Mandarin Oriental was the tallest hotel in the area. My family was in the construction business in the 1970s, and by the standards then, I would say that was a time when our clan was well-off. It was a special time since my entire clan regularly got together in huge parties and celebrations, which were held at our family's ancestral compound that spanned about half of the street.

Sadly, when the country was experiencing economic turmoil in the mid-80s during the Marcos regime, the company was not very fortunate and went down. Family feuds ensued after that up until the early 1990s to fight over remaining wealth and inheritances. Our family left Makati for Baguio to start over but didn't exactly intend to stay there long.

I still consider Makati as my hometown even though we don't have our house and property there anymore.The place is still special to me since I was born there and I lived the early carefree half of my life in that area. It was a time when I could buy a Coke Litro for P5 from across the street, and spend the afternoons playing with other kids from the neighborhood. Children's games then (like taguan, patintero, habulan, and tumbang preso) were more interactive in the real sense unlike the network PC games that kids so crazily enjoy now.

Of course, that old Makati gone now and the town has changed a lot in two decades. It's truly unfortunate (for me, that is) that most of our family pictures have either been missing or lost as a result of several house relocations in Baguio in the 1990s, except for some that were stashed when I brought them to attend college in Quezon City. I guess all those fond memories only live through my recollections now or whenever my family gets to talk and reminisce about those days long gone.

2. What was your favorite tv show, cartoon, or children's show growing up? What did you like about these shows that made them your favorite?
Cartoons and kiddie shows made my day when I was growing up. I remember watching them with my younger brother, Rom. The TV was propped on top of a small dresser and we'd sit on the floor watching the shows while eating snacks. Eventually we'd end up lying on the floor, sleepy, until we had to go because Mama was already calling us since it was time for lunch.

Sesame Street was undisputedly my favorite. I always looked forward to seeing Oscar the Grouch and the Count. I even remember singing along to the tune of that counting segment (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12... too too toodoo too too too toodoo doo...) where there's a pinball and a certain number is featured during the ball's journey in a tunnel. Two other cartoons that I also enjoyed watching were Super Book and The Flying House, which were about stories from the Bible from both the Old and New Testaments.

I guess I could not have been watching those shows back then because I knew they were teaching me the alphabet or the rudiments of counting--let alone good moral values through biblical stories. I definitely had no idea that I had to learn them. I was watching those shows then because it was very entertaining. But when I look back at that time and see myself where I am now, I'd say that these shows were, in fact, instrumental in my development as a kid and as a person. I had probably learned to speak English better from watching these shows, and could not only recall those stories from the Bible but aspired to live my life through its teachings as well.

3. Favorite music group or artist? Most memorable song?
The most memorable song to me probably, other than Sesame Street tunes and the main soundtrack of Superman, would be "You Got the Power" sang by Gary Valenciano, which was one of the soundtracks of the movie, Ninja Kids. The movie at that time was phenomenal to me, my brother, and my cousins when we were kids. We were so enamoured by the idea of ninjas that we did alot of roleplays imagining that we were ninjas ourselves. We'd wrap t-shirts over our heads and leave only our eyes exposed. We also used to make those ninja "stars" from paper and throw them around as weapons during our make-believe adventures. One time, we were practising doing forward flips on the bed during our "ninja trainings," and I had a mishap while doing it and couldn't breathe as a consequence. Everybody was in a panic to get me alright. It was really good that I got out of it after a few minutes without any need of going to the hospital, and that there were no serious injuries. But I think from then on, I stopped being blindly adventurous and refrained from further acrobatics. I guess that particular Ninja Kids soundtrack never fails to remind me of my childhood days and my wild ideas as a kid.

4. Share with our readers one of your fondest memories of growing up.
It was the very first time I saw Superman in flight back in the early 1980s at Rizal Theatre (where Shangri-la Makati Hotel now stands). My 6-year old mind then did not protest to the concept of a flying person with supernatural uncanny strength and unusual abilities. I liked the idea of the superhero--one who fights for justice, truth, and good causes--while having all those wonderful powers. I wanted to imitate him and thought that everything was possible. Superman became one of my childhood heroes along with Optimus Prime (from the Transformers cartoons) a few more years after.

Anyway, after the movie, Mama took a photo of my brother, Rom, and me individually at the parking lot (where the Landmark now stands) with Rizal Theatre in the background. I held both my hands, clenched in fists behind my back while I posed for the camera. Mama insisted I put my hands to my sides but I didn't listen and kept them behind me. In my head, I knew I was inspired, even looking determined, and thought I could be like Superman and wanted to fly.

Years later, Rom jeered that I was just being silly by considering I could fly like Superman by the pose I took. I admit now that I was being ridiculous then, but I've also realized that my capacity for imagination when I was a kid knew no limits. It's quite unfortunate that the photograph is nowhere to be found now.

5. What do you miss from back then that's not available today?
That would be Hershey's Brown Cow. If you remember this chocolate syrup, it was made into a drink by pouring it in a container with milk. But for me, I'd slyly open the fridge while no one was looking, and drink the chocolate syrup straight from bottle thru the easy-to-open nozzle. The taste was absolutely rich. I can't find the product anymore (or I believe I haven't seen it in years) at the local supermarkets but I'm not sure though if its production in other countries have already ceased or they're just not selling it locally anymore.

I was also into collecting stickers over several series of sticker albums then, which I sorely miss now not only because they're already a thing of the past but because I lost my collection. It started when I was in elementary Grade 1 with "The World of Survival," which was a sticker collection about different animal species in the world. It was followed by "The Age of the Dinosaurs" when I entered Grade 2, and annually followed by other different themes particularly on cartoons like the Carebears, Mask, and the Ghostbusters.

I also remember being addicted to Chikadees and Cheezels too. I usually bought some after school because I liked collecting the free small toy items that came inside each packet.

More Nostalgia Bloggista: Zero of zerovoltage

Technorati Tags:70s, 80s, blog, nostalgia

Nostalgia Bloggista: Zero of zerovoltage

Are you a Pinoy Blogger? Get featured as a Nostalgia Bloggista! Not only are you sharing your wonderful memories of the '70s and '80s, but you also get a free link back! This is a great way to introduce your blog and get a lot of exposure! Just send me an email, write "Nostalgia Bloggista" on the subject line, and you'll soon be featured here on Nostalgia Bloggista!

Name: Zero
Blog: http://www.zerovoltage.blogspot.com

1. Where did you grow up, and what made that place special?
I mostly grew up in Caloocan City. But I consider my grandparent's houses in Binondo, Manila (father side) and San Pablo City, Laguna (mother side) important extensions. Caloocan is a very convenient place, it's got almost anything you'd need. I learned my street smarts growing up there.

Living near the school was the best part! we didn't have a problem catching the afternoon cartoons, plus sleeping and waking late wasn't a problem. The Binondo house was our weekend playground, where we spent quality time with the whole family and played with our cousins. San Pablo was where we spent our summer vacations. It's where we applied what we learned from chinese school (I'm half chinese), and speak to our grand parents using the language and learn a little something in business by helping out in the family bazaar.

2. What was your favorite tv show, cartoon, or children's show growing up? What did you like about these shows that made them your favorite?
For the TV shows I loved Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Batibot, Automan, MacGyver, Knight Rider, The Greatest American Hero, Perfect Strangers, ALF, The A-team, Small Wonder ... what can I say? I'm quite the TV geek. That was what we do after home work at night ... watch, watch, and watch some more.

Cartoons you say? I loved the 80's because of the content they put in the kiddie shows. Transformers, He-man, The Real Ghostbusters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, G.I. Joe, M.A.S.K., Centurions, Visionaries, Thundercats, Bravestarr, Super Friends, Spiderman, Voltes V, Daimos ... the list just goes on and on ...

The thing I most like about the 80's was variety. A time when the most innovative ideas for shows started. When shows had moral values and never had to be offensive to sell ratings. The quality and genius made all these shows my favorites and the inspiration in my works.

3. Favorite music group or artist? Most memorable song?
As a kid I was never into music, I remember the songs but not the titles or the artists/bands that sang them. I loved TVJ, APO, and Weird Al Yankovic however. It was the wit and humor of their songs that caught me, I still like to listen to their classic songs from time to time.

Kermit the frog's version of "Rainbow Connection" would be the most memorable song. Because they keep reminding me I sang to it as a kid, even though I have no recollection of doing so :P

4. Share with our readers one of your fondest memories of growing up.
I had a blast growing up. We used to go out often, I'm the eldest of the siblings so I experienced those times, it decreased in frequency as the family got bigger. I swam in the manila bay when the water was clearer, played in rizal park's children's section (the part with stone dinosaurs) when it didn't smell of urine and was (almost) free of vandalism. Playing didn't have to happen infront of a computer or a tv screen, it's sad that some kids are missing out on these things today.

5. What do you miss from back then that's not available today?
Lots. The wide roads, the clean streets, the clean air, food (Chickadees, Serg ...), even the fact that you have to wait for a week to catch the next episode of your favorite shows. Some how the waiting gave these things more meaning. Because you can't get the videos anywhere, save the betamax versions made by some rental houses.

More Nostalgia Bloggista: Christyflor "Mayu" Pagtalunan

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Nostalgia Bloggista: Christyflor "Mayu" Pagtalunan

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Name: Christyflor "Mayu" Pagtalunan
Blog: http://www.tarayquin.blogspot.com

1. Where did you grow up, and what made that place special?
I grew up in Wawa, Orani , Bataan. I was your usual 80s kid. I spent my childhood days playing the usual Filipino games like Tumbang Preso, Babaran (played like tag but you have two teams which had their own "base" then once that you're tagged by the other team you should wait for your teammates to tag you back to your base), Tubigan (we use to make our lines using water from the poso thus the name of the game) or Patintero. Life in the province is indeed very simple. I remember that we didn't have a Jollibee branch yet nor did we have a McDonald's . The only fast food place was 30 mins away from our town which was Cindy's, "The place to be!" Everybody knews each other, and that made our place a special one.

2. What was your favorite tv show, cartoon, or children's show growing up? What did you like about these shows that made them your favorite?
I grew up watching Batibot and Sesame Street. I also enjoyed watching Superbook and the Flying House. Gosh i miss those programs. I was born, raised and forever a Protestant Methodist, and since I was kid who frequently attended church activities, I enjoyed watching these programs. They gave me the animated side of the Bible stories. They should have reruns for that. i also enjoyed watching Eat Bulaga and who would forget Finder's Keepers (I think this aired on channel 5 during the 90's)

3. Favorite music group or artist? Most memorable song?
Isada Da Da Isda (Batibot)
One two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve (Sesame Street)
I wasn't really into contemporary music, maybe some of the readers here are protestant? The memorable songs for me during the 80's were Kids Praise and Pambatang Papuri. But also there's this song, it could've been in the 90's already, the one sung by Ted Ito, which was a big hit and they translated it to various languages... I forgot the title. Can anybody refresh my memory?

4. Share with our readers one of your fondest memories of growing up.
Fondest memory. Since I grew up in the province, I was fortunate enough to be able to play in the palaisdaan (fishponds) in our area. Nowadays come to think of it, makes me more proud of how normal I was then. I studied in a public school, regarded to have the highest standard of education in the province. Also our monthly trips to the city (Manila) to visit my siblings. Playing under the moonlit night til we drop every Friday night.

5. What do you miss from back then that's not available today?
I miss watching Superbook and The Flying House. Such good programs. I miss the simplicity of life then.

More Nostalgia Bloggista: Mary Ann Tinsay

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Nostalgia Bloggista: Mary Ann Tinsay

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Name: Mary Ann "Me-An" Tinsay
Blog: http://enchantedlilypad.blogspot.com

1. Where did you grow up, and what made that place special?
I have spent most of my life in Manila and I wouldn't have chosen anywhere else to live. What makes it so special is that it has lots of character. I was able to explore so many places with so much history and meet interesting people while growing up that I thought everyone else must have a similar experience. It was only when I swapped stories with friends and classmates that I got to realize how truly lucky I was. I can still remember walking along sun-dappled, tree-lined streets of Manila with the carelessness of youth. Back then, it wasn't as scary to go out and make friends with the neighborhood kids. I was also fortunate to have experienced buying candy (Tootsie Roll, Lips Candy, Orange Swits, Bazooza Joe and Tarzan bubble gum, Pop Rocks) from the motherly owner of the nearby sari-sari store whom we all fondly called Aling Rosa...

2. What was your favorite tv show, cartoon, or children's show growing up? What did you like about these shows that made them your favorite?
Oh my! I am proud to say that I am what you'd call a Sesame Street kid. I was hooked on SS (before it was translated into Filipino), Electric Company and Saturday Fun Machine (from Super Friends, Great Space Coaster, Sigmund and the Sea Monster, Archie, Yogi Bear, Wacky Races). I also loved Voltes V, Daimos, Mekanda Robot, Mazinger Z, Voltron, Candy-Candy, Ron-Ron, Thundercats, Carebears, Smurfs and Gummi Bears. Of course, who'd ever forget Charlie's Angels, Wonder Woman, Little House on the Prairie, Love Boat, A.L.F., Perfect Strangers, Falcon Crest, Dynasty, Flamingo Road, Dallas, Knots Landing, Remington Steele, Three's Company, Different Strokes, Facts of Life, The Cosby Show and Battle of the Network Stars. On the local front, I enjoyed watching Champoy, T.O.D.A.S., Iskul Bukol, Chicks to Chicks and yes, even (the often ridiculed, and considered super cheesy) See-True, GMA Supershow, Big Ike's Happening and That's Entertainment. Hahaha! I also liked to catch up on all the old Sampaguita flicks being showcased by Channel 9 in the afternoons. That's where I got introduced to Jose Mari Gonzales, Susan Roces, Rosemarie Sonora, Eddie Gutierrez, Liberty Ilagan, Barbara Perez and the rail-thin but already funny Dolphy. And remember FEN station being broadcast from the US Naval base in Subic? That was a guilty pleasure for me too. So sue me - they helped make me a more rounded individual. Kids nowadays are being fed the most inane shows. I mean, Teletubbies and Barney, for pete's sake! Plus all these telenovelas (Pinoy, Spanish, Chinese and Korean) proliferating the airwaves. Ay caramba!

3. Favorite music group or artist? Most memorable song?
For some strange, inexplicable reason, my parents almost always made me sing along to Sharon Cuneta songs so I know almost all her old songs like Dear Heart, High School, Forgive and Forget, Cross My Heart, etc...

4. Share with our readers one of your fondest memories of growing up.
Am proud to say that I was my lola's favorite apo. Each evening, without fail, she would take me along and ask the driver to bring us to the CCP Complex along Roxas Boulevard just so I could eat my favorite siopao asado being served by the deaf-mute canteen there. Then we'd sit near the breakwater and watch the waves crash against the seawall. The air was fresh and invigorating and you could still see the myriads of tiny fish in the clear waters of Manila Bay. Other times, she'd take me to my second home, Bookmark bookstore in Ermita so she could buy me a Nancy Drew book to add to my collection. Then we'd walk next door to the Spanish restaurant (the name of which escapes me now) so we could savor the most delicious churros con chocolate ever made.

I also reminisce about those Sunday afternoons spent with the fam eating in Shakey's Malate (before it gained notoriety for its drunken brawls) after mass in nearby Malate Church. Back then, it was THE best pizza parlor. Sometimes, we'd walk across to Aristocrat Restaurant to have dinner then I'd order pistacchio with bubblegum ice cream from Coney Island right beside it.

5. What do you miss from back then that's not available today?
Places: Tom Sawyer's Fried Chicken (Greenhills), Coney Island ice cream, Selecta Dairy House, Rustan's San Marcelino, Bungalow Restaurant, Fiesta Carnival.

Stuff: Kung-fu shoes, chinese jackstones, LPs played on turntables, cassette tapes, hand-written, pages-long letters lovingly sent by friends! :)

More Nostalgia Bloggista: Gigi Santos-Castaneda

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Nostalgia Bloggista: Gigi Santos-Castaneda

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Name: Gigi Santos-Castaneda
Blog: http://gigigoesgaga.typepad.com

1. Where did you grow up, and what made that place special?
Home for me was in Makati. My dad, a landscape architect, did several projects for the Ayala Corporation in Makati starting way back in the '60s so in exchange he was able to get a plot of land in our village for a pretty good price, I think. It was my whole world -- there was South Supermarket where I'd go buy my books and snacks, Magallanes Theater where I watched all my first movies, and the first Pancake House, where the walls were plastered with classic movie posters. I even remember there was a Kentucky Fried Chicken for a very short while, which oddly enough was a sit-down restaurant and seemed to be on the fancier side. Anyway it seemed like everything I needed was just a walk away and I always felt safe. My first friends were my neighbors, and all our homes were open to each other. Definitely a very idyllic time and place to grow up in.

2. What was your favorite tv show, cartoon, or children's show growing up? What did you like about these shows that made them your favorite?
I was weaned on "Sesame Street" like most other kids my age. Even today, when I say a letter or number I have an image of how I learned it from the show. I remember starting off my mornings watching "My Favorite Martian" and "Get Smart" -- I loved both so much I could watch reruns over and over (because that's what they mostly were). Then at night I'd watch "The Carol Burnett Show" and "The Wild, Wild West" with my parents in their room. One of my favorite cartoons was "Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home" -- although when I think of it now, it really wasn't made for little kids because of the themes it delved into. But I also liked the "Flintstones" and all its offshoots, "Wacky Races," and "SuperFriends." It was a good time to be a kid in the '70s because the shows were so wholesome back then -- for example "Little House on the Prairie" taught me what it meant to be a good person. I mean, even "The Love Boat" and "Charlie's Angels" were relatively innocent, compared to shows now. And of course I watched all the popular Filipino variety and comedy shows; "John En Marsha" used to make me laugh so hard my stomach hurt.

3. Favorite music group or artist? Most memorable song?
I grew up with the radio attached to my ear so I have so many favorites, I couldn't possibly pick one or even a couple. I'm so thankful for "Jingle Magazine" because it taught me all the lyrics to my favorite songs. My earliest favorites were Bread, the Carpenters, Carole King, Carly Simon, James Taylor, The Fifth Dimension, Stylistics, America, even Todd Rundgren... I could really go on and on. I still know the words to all the songs I used to sing along to. I forget a lot of things these days but not the music I used to love. The '80s was a fun decade for music, but somehow it's the '70s stuff that's deep in my soul.

4. Share with our readers one of your fondest memories of growing up.
On some Sundays my dad would bring me with him to Nayong Pilipino, where he had a small tract of land he used as his nursery. Buried deep in the middle of the property was a little shack surrounded by a stream of mudfish and a wall of tall trees. I'd sit inside reading, listening to the radio and basically just putzing around all morning while dad tended to his plants. Once in a while he'd take us to that Maranao-style restaurant where I'd always order champorado and tapa. Until today, it's still the standard to which I measure all breakfasts. Sarap talaga!

5. What do you miss from back then that's not available today?
Space. Makati is so crowded and congested now, it's really become an urban jungle. If there's a postage-stamp-sized piece of land available, something is built on top of it right away. But the funny thing is I really do miss South Supermarket -- especially one of the guys who used to work there whom we called "Kulot" (I think his real name was Louie), who never seemed to age I swear. Before the place closed down and was replaced by a small Rustan's grocery store, I was lucky enough to visit home and say goodbye to this place I knew all my life, and I got to tell Kulot I'd miss him even if I left home more than 20 years ago. I found out that day that he was able to send all his children to college by working at the supermarket all those years. That really made me happy, such a great story to end my memories of an era. But I was also a bit sad because I realized that almost everything I remember about home and growing up was gone now.

More Nostalgia Bloggista: Maryanne Moll

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Nostalgia Bloggista: Maryanne Moll

Are you a Pinoy Blogger? Get featured as a Nostalgia Bloggista! Not only are you sharing your wonderful memories of the '70s and '80s, but you also get a free link back! This is a great way to introduce your blog and get a lot of exposure! Just send me an email, write "Nostalgia Bloggista" on the subject line, and you'll soon be featured here on Nostalgia Bloggista!

Name: Maryanne Moll
Blog: www.maryannemoll.blogspot.com

1. Where did you grow up, and what made that place special?
I grew up in different places: In a large old compound in Naga City, in a smaller house with my parents in a different subdivision in Naga, and in a place called Caraycayon, in Tigaon, Camarines Sur. We stayed in Caraycayon the longest. It's a farming barangay, and my parents owned a farm there. Growing up, I didn't think the place was so special. But looking back on my childhood now, and seeing Caraycayon as it is now, I have realized that it was as simple and pure a place as could be. We had the stereotypes. We had the barangay aswang, the barangay crazy man, the barangay female drunkard who sang and danced when she got rip-roaring drunk, the barangay wise man, the barangay couple who quarelled loudly and nightly, and the barangay spooky person. Now there are hardly any stereotypes in any place, which is perhaps why modern-day fictionists can't help but place a stereotype or two in their stories.

2. What was your favorite tv show, cartoon, or children's show growing up? What did you like about these shows that made them your favorite?
Sesame Street, hands down! In Caraycayon, we did not have TV, but Naga City was an hour away, and my parents would rent Betamax cassettes of Sesame Street and the fairy tales from Walt Disney, and others like Superman, Knight Rider, and the Brat Patrol, plus the cute ones like Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Annie, well, Xanadu. However, our Betamax viewing was still regulated -- no watching on school days -- and no watching till very late at night. But when we did watch, we made a day of it, and children of my Dad's farmers would be invited, and then there'd be snacks afterwards. I felt like a socialite!

3. Favorite music group or artist? Most memorable song?
My grade school classmates and I fawned over Menudo. At home, though, we had a turntable that played vinyl records, and I'd play Barry Manilow and Claire dela Fuente and The Electric Ligtht Orchestra and Burt Bacharach. I suppose that's where I started having eclectic taste in music. My favorite song has to be "It's a Hard Knock Life," but the song I will never ever forget from my childhood would be "Xanadu."

4. Share with our readers one of your fondest memories of growing up.
My family lived in a small house that had a huge garden, and this property was located right behind a camp of the Philippine Constabulary. A dear family friend was an officer of the PC and his barracks was right next to the wall that separated my parent's property from the camp. On our side of the wall, we had a stout and fruitless mango tree, a tall and fruitful star-apple tree full of spiders, and a large roofed swing in between. On summer afternoons, I'd run to the swing with my cousins and call out to him, and his head would appear on top of the wall and we'd tell stories and laugh and joke.

And then I'd climb up the mango tree with a book -- sometimes it's Agatha Christie, sometimes it's Nancy Drew -- and a cushion, and then read until the mosquitoes came out. We didn't have TV then, and my parents regulated our Betamax viewing time, and I did not really like my books from school, so I buried myself in other kinds of books. My fondest memory would always be of summer afternoons, on the swing, up in the mango tree, on the stairs inside the house, lying in bed, reading a book not for school but or fun.

Now there are no more swings, and hardly any trees, and no more Philippine Constabulary. When I got a little older I'd spend my summers with my cousins in Legazpi, Albay, which is three hours from Naga, and there I learned how to ride a bike, and I gallivanted with my aunt and my cousins, but my fondest memories growing up would always be of the years when I was younger and when every book I read was an entirely new world.

5. What do you miss from back then that's not available today?
I miss those juice drinks in pyramid-shaped boxes! I don't remember the brand, but maybe it's called the Chrysanthemum drink. They came in three different flavors, and every time my parents took me with them on their overnight bus trips to Manila, they'd buy me one of those together with the food I wanted, and I'd drink it during the trip while looking out the window, and that made the trip special. I also miss those black and white Atari Games that my uncles used to play.

Though I didn't really live in Manila until the turn of the century, I do have fond memories of Manila as I was growing up. I thought it was an overwhelmingly worldly place. I remember living for a few days with my aunt and uncle and cousins in their house in BF Homes Paranaque, and the different lifestyle fascinated me. Food did not have to be cooked inside the house! People can walk into giant stores without really having to buy anything! There were actual cars for hire! I was around four or five years old, before I was into reading every book in sight, and so everything was new and awe-inspiring, and Manila for a provinciana like me was the stuff of legend.

More Nostalgia Bloggista: Abet Lagula

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Nostalgia Bloggista: Abet Lagula

Are you a Pinoy Blogger? Get featured as a Nostalgia Bloggista! Not only are you sharing your wonderful memories of the '70s and '80s, but you also get a free link back! This is a great way to introduce your blog and get a lot of exposure! Just send me an email, write "Nostalgia Bloggista" on the subject line, and you'll soon be featured here on Nostalgia Bloggista!

Name: Abet Lagula
Blog: http://abet95.blogspot.com

1. Where did you grow up, and what made that place special?
Laking Sampaloc ako. Sa mismong U-belt area ako ipinanganak, at tuluyang naninirahan sa ngayon. Special, dahil hindi ka mauubusan ng mga nag-gagandahang estudyante. Puro dormitoryo ang nasa paligid ko. Masaya at parang fiesta sa kalye kapag may pasok, ghost town naman kapag mahaba-habang bakasyon.

2. What was your favorite tv show, cartoon, or children's show growing up? What did you like about these shows that made them your favorite?
Salamat sa Sesame Street at sa Batibot dahil bago pa lang ako pumasok sa kinder, alam ko na ang alpabeto at marunong na akong magbasa. At dahil sa production number sa Sesame Street ng mga muppets na tumugtog ng "letter B", nadiskubre ko ang musika ng The Beatles.

Nung adik pa ako sa cartoons; Thundercats, Voltes V, Voltron at Daimos. kabisado ko pa sila i-drowing to the minutest detail. Ngayon hindi na. Sa kalaunan, panay nood ko kay Wonder Woman dahil crush na crush ko si Linda Carter. Pati yung cartoons na Super Friends pinanood ko dahil selos na selos ako kay Aquaman at panay ang buntot niya kay Wonder Woman, kung hindi lang ako bata pa noon baka ginamitan ko siya ng utility belt ko.

Idol ko rin si MacGyver dahil hindi talaga mamatay-matay ang lintek. Lagi na lang may nagagawang imbensyon. Kakaiba ang manibela ni Michael sa Knight Rider. Hanggang ngayon wala pa rin ako makitang sasakyan na may "turbo boost" button. Kay Sledge Hammer ko naman natutunan ang combination ng donuts at fresh milk sa agahan,at sabay sabi ng katagang "Trust me, i know what i'm doing."

3. Favorite music group or artist? Most memorable song?
Ang 80's para sa akin ang peak ng Pinoy Pop OPM. Bago pa man mauso ang mga tunog-kalye, hiphop at katagang "Jologs", hindi maikaka-ila na ang mga nakikinig sa Metallica o mga tipong Incubus sa ngayon, na tipong nababaduyan sa mga pop na awitin ay minsan rin naging tagahanga ni Ariel Rivera, atbp...pero hindi siya ang idol ko. Basta, OPM fan ako noon.

Maraming sumikat sa batibot na awitin:

a. Alagang alaga namin si puti. Bakang mataba, bakang maputi...
b. Ako ang kapitbahay, kapitbahay nyo. Laging handang, tumulong sa inyo...
c. Tinapang bangus, tinapang bangus, masarap at masustansya.
d. Isda-dah-dah-isda!

4. Share with our readers one of your fondest memories of growing up.
Malalaman mo ang edad ng tao kung magkano ang kanyang pamasahe sa jeep nung siya ay nag-aaral pa. Nung grade one ako, 50 sentimos ang pamasahe sa jeep. Tuwang tuwa na ako sa 5 piso na baon dahil 2 kainan na yun sa akin.

Sikat na sikat ang kahabaan ng Avenida at Recto sa mga sinehan. Isang malaking kasiyahan na sa akin ang makapanood ng pelikula. Tito, Vic and Joey, Dolphy, ang kauna-unahang pelikula ni Ian De Leon (I love you Mama, I love you Papa); yan ang mga naaalala ko na pinanood ko...habang may baon na 2 coke family size at tasty bread na may palamang peanut butter.

Feeling mayaman na ako kapag nakakapasok ako sa Jollibee. Once every two years lang ako makakain doon kapag umuuwi tatay ko galing Saudi...o kaya naman kung manalo ako ng contest sa school. Kung walang pera, masaya na ako sa treat ng nanay ko na hopia mongo at Sarsi sa tabi ng school namin.

Elementary marunong na ako mandugas sa pulang payphone ng PLDT. Kung 3 beinte-singko ang ihuhulog mo ayon sa kanta ni dingdong, 2 lang kailangan ko basta magkasunod at mabilis mo maihulog, e di tawag ka na. Yung natirang 25c, para sa extension hehe. At hindi ako bumibili ng token sa LRT-1. Ng paliitin ang laki ng piso, eksakto ang hugis nito sa slot machine. Piso lang, makararating na ako hanggang monumento.

5. What do you miss from back then that's not available today?
Game And Watch. Yung naglalakad sa kalye na nagpaparenta, piso kada laro wag lang mag game-over. Siguro sa mga baryo o kaya sa mga perya meron pa, pero sa manila wala na ako makita pa.

Milky shake. Hindi ko pa natikman hanggang sa mawala na sa Jollibee. Jukebox. 25c kada kanta. Videoke na ang bida ngayon sa masa. Haba-Haba ballpen at Kilometrico. Kilometrico ang sponsor sa mga quiz shows lalo na sa Student Canteen.

More Nostalgia Bloggista: Reno Maniquis

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Nostalgia Bloggista: Reno Maniquis

Are you a Pinoy Blogger? Get featured as a Nostalgia Bloggista! Not only are you sharing your wonderful memories of the '70s and '80s, but you also get a free link back! This is a great way to introduce your blog and get a lot of exposure! Just send me an email, write "Nostalgia Bloggista" on the subject line, and you'll soon be featured here on Nostalgia Bloggista!

Batgirl & Robin: Me and my older sister around 1978.
Name: Reno Maniquis
Blog: http://ka-blog.blogspot.com

1. Where did you grow up, and what made that place special?
I was born in Sampaloc, Manila, but grew up in Parañaque. I spent childhood, teenage years, and most of my adult life there. I remember when we first moved into our subdivision, we were only the second house in the area. Everywhere you looked you saw "talahib." Me and my siblings and the kids from the one other house used to play hide and seek in the tall grass, never mindful of any snakes that might be living there (and there were). As the years went by, more houses were constructed and the number of our childhood friends grew. We would ride our BMXs, make obstacle courses in the empty lots, and we would play in the still-being-constructed houses, much to the dismay of our parents.

2. What was your favorite tv show, cartoon, or children's show growing up? What did you like about these shows that made them your favorite?
This is a difficult question to answer, since there were so many. Educationally, I'd have to say Sesame Street. I'd watch Electric Company, but Sesame Street was much more interesting since they had a bigger range of topics, whereas Electric Company was concentrated mostly on words and reading. Cartoons... Voltes V wins hands down. I guess it was the first Giant Robot show that was shown here in the Philippines, that's why it made such an impact on kids my age.

3. Favorite music group or artist? Most memorable song?
During the 80s, there were two camps: Duran Duran ka ba o Spandau Ballet? I was always on the Spandau Ballet side. They were just more cooler and suave to me, I guess.

4. Share with our readers one of your fondest memories of growing up.
It was a blast being a kid back then, especially during summer vacation. You'd be out of the house all day, coming home to eat lunch, then take a nap (because your parents told you to), then go out and play again at around 3pm. We played all the games... Taguan, syato, kidlat, tumbang preso, patintero, piko, minkey monkey annabelle, cops and robbers... The whole shebang.

5. What do you miss from back then that's not available today?
I miss seeing kids play outside the house. Nowadays, most kids are cooped up watching TV or playing videos or hunched over on a computer. And during my childhood, parents don't have to worry that their kids are out of the house. There were no cellphones back then, even landline phones were a rarity. There was no way for a parent to track down where their kids are, but still, they weren't too worried. I guess the world was a much safer place back then.

More Nostalgia Bloggista: Linnor Rapes

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Nostalgia Bloggista: Linnor Rapes

Are you a Pinoy Blogger? Get featured as a Nostalgia Bloggista! Not only are you sharing your wonderful memories of the '70s and '80s, but you also get a free link back! This is a great way to introduce your blog and get a lot of exposure! Just send me an email, write "Nostalgia Bloggista" on the subject line, and you'll soon be featured here on Nostalgia Bloggista!

Name: Linnor Rapes
Blog: http://linnor.marikit.net

1. Where did you grow up, and what made that place special?
I spent my first 4 years in Manila until my family moved to a subdivision in Las Pinas in 1971. It was a small neighborhood of about 30 houses. Everybody knew everybody. Every Christmas and New Year's eve, all the residents would gather in the empty lot/basketball court to celebrate a special mass, hold games for the kids and adults alike, sing Christmas carols, share food pot-luck style and just spend time together while waiting for midnight. It's one childhood memory of Christmas which I hold very dear to my heart.

2. What was your favorite tv show, cartoon, or children's show growing up? What did you like about these shows that made them your favorite?
As a kid, I remember watching the Wacky Races, Gulliver, Flintstones, Sesame Street, and Electric Company. As I grew older, I still enjoyed watching the same shows plus Little House on the Prairie, Eight is Enough, Three's Company and the MTV. Back then, most tv shows were very wholesome. I wish I could say the same with what's on cable and on tv for my kids nowadays.

3. Favorite music group or artist? Most memorable song?
Up to this day, I still love listening to the 80's music - New Wave most especially. My most memorable songs (more for the melody than for the lyrics) are: Boy Who Cried Wolf (Style Council), Appetite (Prefab Sprout), Don't You (Simple Minds), More to Lose (Seona Dancing), Heaven (Bryan Adams).

4. Share with our readers one of your fondest memories of growing up.
Life was so simple back in those days. Playtime for me and my siblings usually meant running, biking, playing taguan, tumbang preso, patintero, piko, Chinese garter (for the girls), doctor quack-quack, Simon says, touch ball, etc. If the weather didn't permit, we stayed indoors to play tex, cards, jackstones, pick-up-sticks or board games.

5. What do you miss from back then that's not available today?
I miss the annual Christmas parties held on that empty lot/basketball court in our small subdivision. The parties are not going to happen anymore, the empty lot is now gone and in it's place is a big house. I also miss COD and Big Bang sa Alabang.

More Nostalgia Bloggista: Candice Tiu

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Nostalgia Bloggista: Candice Tiu

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Name: Candice Tiu
Blog: http://candishhh.blogspot.com

1. Where did you grow up, and what made that place special?
I grew up in Sampaloc and Quezon City. What made the Sampaloc area special was because we lived right next to a bakaery, so every morning - we awoke to the aroma of freshly baked bread. The downside was that we had regular visits from rats! Huge rats actually. And as for Quezon City, it was special because when we moved there it was the high time when MTV was being shown on TV and there was the FEN-P channel that showed numerous cartoons on a Saturday Morning.

2. What was your favorite tv show, cartoon, or children's show growing up? What did you like about these shows that made them your favorite?

Favorite TV Shows:
1) Beverly Hills 90210 - I remember it being shown every Friday nights the reason why I liked the show? Dylan McKay, period.
2) Palibhasa Lalaki - what a riot cast! Tita Minerva! and Cynthia Patag was hilarious!!

Favorite Cartoon Shows:
1) New Kids on The Block - It was being shown on FEN-P! Feeling sikat because supposedly this channel was hooked from the US cable in Subic/Clark. Is there any truth to that?
2) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Michaelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Pizza!
3) Ghostbusters - They were in cartoons! The ghosts looked cute!!
4) Skycommanders - I loved this show because they were moving via wires! It was really
5) Flying House - Honestly, because it somehow humanized biblical stories.
6) Diamos - Richard's so gwapo!!
7) Bioman - Pink 5!!
8) Voltron - with the 5 lions not the 14 in one ah!
*Listing this down made me realize how boyish I was! Part of the reason maybe is because I have a twin brother.

Favorite Children's Shows:
1) Uncle Bob's Lucky 7 Club: I don't even remember why I like this show!! Hahahaha...
2) Batibot - I loved this local version of The Sesame Street
3) Sesame Street - Letter B, letter B, letter B oh letter B! Every single time I hear the Beatles song - Let it be, I always have the image of puppets singing this. Makes me smile every single time!:)

3. Favorite music group or artist? Most memorable song?
New Kids on the Block - 'Please don't go girl'

4. Share with our readers one of your fondest memories of growing up.
I was a die-hard New Kids on The Block fan, I had most of their memorabilias. I bought them while vacationing in the US. I used to look at their book 'Our Story' every single day. I loved the group so much, I bought the glossies like Bop, Teen Bop and more!! Remember the magazine store in Shoppesville called CV Magazine. I was heartbroken when I hear NKOTB was disbanding - well, they were getting old after all.

5. What do you miss from back then that's not available today?
Being able to watch quality cartoons like Flying House. Listening to original pilipino music kasi most are being revived nalang now. Eating fishball and dirty ice cream that was really cheap. Going shopping in the old Quad and Greenhills shopping center. I miss watching the Saturday morning cartoons.

More Nostalgia Bloggista: Annalyn Jusay

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