Saturday, October 3, 2009

A decade ago !!!

Well, I saw this old Complan Ad of Shahid Kapoor and Ayesha Takia on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-fysFHfBYM and couldn't stop wondering how big actually i have grown.

So, I decided that I'd make my own list for all of us, who are now in early twenty's and our childhood spent in India, This must be true for most of us:

1. Unlike our younger siblings, we have seen a sparrow and have chased squirrels
2. It was mandatory to buy tinkle digest at railway stations
3. There was conflict on whether mercury or pluto was the smallest planet.
4. 50% of our grandparents always fought with the other 50% (grandma Vs grandpa)
5. We have seen a million distinct coconut trees (More so for Southern India)

6. Udit narayan sang the majority of songs but sonu nigam was the hot favorite.
7. Our grandfathers had newspaper cuttings of 1960's and 1970's.
8. Sales of babool gum and boomer were due to the free tattoos that came along.
9. Essel world was the place to go.
10. Veerappan - We know who he is and what he is

11. We know what Asian sky shop is
12. There was infinite stock of nebasulf powder at home to spray on our wounds.
13. Mangoes came not in multiples of 13 but in multiples of 50.
14. Akshay kumar was someone who could do only action movies like perhaps sunil shetty and sunny deol.
15. NRI's(primarily from US, Dubai and sharjah and sometimes singapore) who came to visit our house had to bring chocolates.

16. Only half of these foreign chocolates were tasty enough to eat.
17. Unlike daily sops we had to wait one whole week to watch our favorite program.
18. William shakespeare ruled the English text books.
19. An imaginary tooth fairy came to pick our broken milk teeth.
20. Election day was a welcome holiday not on the calendar.

21. We had some really insane Michael Jackson Fans as friends.
22. Shahrukh khan movies were watched atleast twice.
23. The pink candy at exhibitions and fairs was the tastiest thing on earth.
24. We somehow did not like mahatma gandhi over other freedom fighters
25. However we were surprised that our social teacher gave him so much credit.

26. We would run to the terrace as soon as we hear a helicopter/aeroplane engine chugging.
27. We loved and feared the view atop the giant wheel.
28. Amitabh Bachan still did lead roles for films.
29. Cricket matches were held in sharjah also.
30. We were prohibited from climbing a ladder for fear we would fall.

31. We did climb the ladder atleast once.
32. We started experimenting our signature we hoped to use when we grew up.
33. If Amrish Puri is in a movie then he is the villain.
34. It was mandatory to be awake until midnight for newyear.
35. Cartoon network rocked. Tom and jerry Rocked.

36. We wished we had alladin's genie and magic carpet kaleen.
37. Our first spinach lunch was after we watched the popeye show.
38. Mowgli and his jungle was mandatory every sundays.
39. We played WWF cards atleast once.
40. April Fool was done by showing a lizard which wasnt there.

41. Fathers were allowed to go only to 'The Office' without taking us children.
42. We waved at the trains at the rail-road crossing.
43. A 5 story building could easily be the tallest edifice in our town.
44. Aishwarya Rai made us proud when she became the miss world.
45. We knew how to make boats and aeroplanes with paper.

46. The school principal was someone to be afraid of.
47. Newton was the jack of all trades - Science , social , maths What not..
48. Goats were real cute creatures to feed.
49. Shankar dayal sharma was answers to one of the G.K.Questions.
50. Finding a 25 paise coin on the road was also profitable.

51. Empty tooth paste boxes and broken bangles were also things to play with.
52. We know the rules of kabaddi and kho-kho.
53. S.Radhakrishnan was a hero on teachers day.
54. We had our own collectin of hotwheels/barbie dolls.
55. We hated to share this collection with other kids.

56. People came form nowhere and pulled our cheeks and asked if we remembered them.
57. The number of ambassador cars were countless.
58. The way to choose who played first was In-pin Safety pin.
59. Penguins and Zebra's were fascinating but never found in a zoo.
60. Arabian sea, Bay of Bengal and the Indian ocean all seemed the same.

61. Spotting France on the world political map was an achievement.
62. Knowing more than 100 country capitals stood us a marvel.
63. Identifying these country flags too and we were a child prodigy.
64. There was a bottle of rasna at home always.
65. Titanic/Jurassic park was the first English movie we saw.

66. It was fun to read station names from a speeding train.
67. If Pickles were not home-made they were 'PRIYA Pickles'
68. The only way to drive away mosquitoes were good night mats.
69. We have seen movie posters on stick-no-bill signs.
70. Oxygen was indeed 21% of the composition of the air.

71. Photosynthesis was the longest word in English
72. School bus was the longest way to reach the house.
73. Popcorns in theaters and eclairs in groceries were mandatory.
74. Hibiscus was a flower that every neighbour grew.
75. DD National was full of programs starting with 'S' - Shanti, swabhiman, Saboot, Shaktiman and even NEWS was Samachar...


This list is endless. I bet there are lots more....