Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

It's Friday once more. Yay!

I surely feel like a kid waiting for the weekend. Which kinda reminds me of my childhood.

*sigh*

If there's one word that would describe my childhood it would probably be... 'supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' (i love saying that word ^_^), it wasn't perfect but I loved it. Perhaps you might think that I'm like super old to be writing about my childhood, maybe... maybe not. I still enjoy play and I am still a kid most of the time (acting out hehe). Why did I came up with this topic hmmm?

I think the other day one of my good friends and I were online chatting, we were talking about a lot of stuff and was having a discussion on something (which I already forgot), he managed to turn the conversation into a sort of debate and then he had to back up a bit coz he's getting frustrated about an online game he's been trying (LOL). I think that's how we got started on talking about 'our' own childhood.

I'm gonna try my best to give you an idea about my childhood.

Here goes:

I am an 80's kid, 1983 to be exact (yeah counting now are you? *grin*) the year when President Marcos' Martial Law is slowly losing its power over the Philippines (I'm just saying this for artistic purposes... hehe) anyway, not every one would know I am the first female grandchild and that being said it already meant how much importance I was given from the day I was born. They even took their time to name me. My mom came up with my second name, an aunt wanted an additional vowel in it, another aunt gave me my first name with a few additional letters and finally my dad came up with the brilliant reason for naming me such because he likes that strong southern Spain wine made of white grapes (you might probably figure out my first name, given that hint).
 
I have more than 10 older male cousins growing up who served as my playmates (awesome!) and bodyguards (bummer!). Because of them I never got to like playing with dolls, play houses and other girly games, instead I learned how to play like most of the street children, I am always the only girl amidst the crowd of sweaty testosterone filled boys, there were moments when people would see me in the streets roaming with them and we have these pockets we fill with candy wrappers which we will use as cash to bet on our bottle crown game (the rarer the candy wrapper, the higher the value).

There's also a gravel and sand company near our house, we get to go there after school, me and my brother would most of the time try to find the smoothest stone that we can use to hit each other's rock, it's a silly game but we played it with a few other kids in the neighborhood. You might think it's mighty fine to be the only girl in the group but I get some moments when I am unable to run as fast as they can so when we play tag I end up the "loser" who would have to go after them all the time or they would try their best to make me cry with the silliest taunts and of course I will cry (damn it!). Other times I would sit and bow my head and "pretend" I am crying so that I get off the losing end and somebody would come to me and get to be the 'it'. It works, sometimes... or most of the time :P

And although I play with boys majority, it still doesn't mean that I can do everything they do. There's this game that I failed miserably even if they give me tons of consideration... sometimes they don't even count me in the team most of my cousins would be in and that is 'follow the leader'. In this game, you must do everything (and I mean everything) the leader does. And most of the time the more crazier the leader becomes, the harder the deed they will do and I am not exactly a gymnast to do them so I never bothered to be in it most of the time because one of my older cousins got his arm broken because of it (ouch!).

Another thing I miss about being a kid is Christmas caroling! Why? Because I'm the star! (ahem! LOL) I've always been the hyperactive-attention-seeker-overachiever kid so I get to impress more people during the holidays. I am usually with my older cousins or other kids in the neighborhood, sometimes I would write cards, wear costumes and bring instruments to get the most from the neighbors (real smart ei? LOL). We hammer bottle crowns and create certain instruments, it was fun, easy money too!

I've been to a lot of fights, sometimes I'm the one who challenges the would be opponents coz I know 10 of my older male cousins would be at my back (hah!), they taught me how to ride the bicycle (the reason for most of my leg scars). When I was starting, I used to be the person always riding with somebody and there was this one time my left foot was caught inside the wheel that they had to cut the spokes to get my foot out, I was crying so hard so they had to let me ride on my own. But it wasn't really easy too, I got into a LOT of accidents while learning it, and most of them include getting in open manholes or canals along the way, I always forget about the brakes until the last minute but I'm still lucky I didn't get to ruin my face while I'm at it.

Every vacation, I would go to my Grandparents' house and most of my cousins would be there too, my aunt has a silly way of making sure all of us would eat. She's this big lady who brings a large plate (like close to a small basin) and would feed us while we play or do whatever. She would mix in the food and rice, and basically just call us one by one. Of course I wanna be one of them although Mom's not very fond of her style and we're eating rice mostly, but we're happy... well, I know I am, coz I get all the chunks of meat (hehe).

El NiƱo phenomenon in the Philippines was really bad, we had to fetch water from other places, so Papa (one of my uncles) made us a cart which could carry like 10 big containers of water, I get to sit on it and hold all of the containers while the other guys push it (sweet!). We even came up with a jingle to keep us from getting bored, but it mostly includes the way we see the guy who pays us to fetch water for him and his baldness, he never found out about it (lucky us). There was this one time one of my cousins is so mad because he doesn't want to come with us, he pushed the cart really hard and the containers were still empty and I am on board, I went straight a small hill towards a waist deep open manhole which totally wreaked with murky water and contains assortment of trash. The others went to my rescue and when they pulled me out they saw a large piece of broken glass stuck on my left foot. I was brought home immediately after they poured water all over me coz it was super stinky and again wailing like crazy. I was I think 9 years old when that happened, they weren't able to touch the wound easily coz I was crying. Papa blindfolded me and my other cousins held my hands and feet just so they can get on with trying to clean the wound. I'm such a sissy.

After that, I got excused from doing anything around the house, I'm a Princess and they get to do what I want (oh yeah!). My cousins are then starting to grow up and they got into basketball so I learned the sport as well, but I never got the chance to play with them. I ended up being the cheerleader.

One more thing is that this was also the time I get to REALLY appreciate the rainy season, bathing in it with my cousins, making paper boats to race, play under the storm, slide in the street until you get a cold after bathing (so WORTH it!)

I didn't easily let go of my childhood, I was still into games and other stuff. I am already a highschooler but I still am on the street with my younger brother's playmates playing cards, street baseball, tag and hide and seek. I enjoyed and prolonged it but I still felt that it was gone so quickly.

This has been a really long post but I still feel it's not enough even as a gist of what my childhood had been, it was all fun and excitement and I remembered almost everything in it especially since all the pain and suffering when you're a kid would only take a few pieces of candy or chocolate, a new toy or a trip to Jollibee to be taken care of.

*sigh*

Remembering those moments is truly notalgic, especially the times when the wrong is being punished and the right is rewarded, it's supposed to be really simple.

Maybe our childhood experiences are different but one thing is for sure, the things at those times are simpler, you get problems like your scissor is not sharp enough, the pencil is broken, you don't have your color with you, it doesn't rain when you don't want to go to school and when you cry your mom or dad will come running to your side.

At this point my fingers are so tired to do the talking my lips can still probably handle. I wish my kid would somehow be able to get the feel of the childhood I had, being active and really outside mixing with other kids during playtime. If you have kids, you should let them experience the fun of being a kid. If there's one thing I really like about my childhood, it is the fact that my parents gave me the proper avenue to be free to do what I want and to enjoy things (though of course, sometimes I get to be punished too).  

Now where did they say the fountain of youth is located?

I still have that kid in me.

Sometimes I feel the need to erupt in unbridled laughter, play outside, hop and frolic. I get different reactions all the time, but I like being silly. It never gets old.

I may wear stilettos and be on my formal dress but if I want to skip the last step on the stairs and jump. I do. If I feel the need to sway and do a jig when I hear a tune. I do. If I want to play a game of tag with kids anywhere I see them. I do.

I miss bathing in the rain though (^_^).

***This note may still be continued by the author one of these days depending on her mood and the workings of her foolish mind... (LOL)***

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