I loved
Jana's post the other day about
growing up in the 80s even if I didn't have a lot of the same memories. She suggested I do one, so this isn't quite a copy cat, is it? It's ok if it is,
I dig it.
By the by, I had totally heard of Oregon Trail before. Self five.
So, what was it like growing up in Australia from 1987 - 2012? Why, since you asked... Prepare yourself, it's a long one.
I watched the smurfs & gummi bears and totally knew all the words, and both theme songs may or may not be on my ipod.
Also on the regularly watched shows were Round the Twist & The Genie from Down Under. I mean, have you ever felt like this? When strange things happen.. are you going round the twist?
I got 50 cents each Friday as 'pocket money' and I spent it at the tuckshop on either zooper doopers, a glug or some freckles. Of course, first you had to lick the freckles and stick them on your face so you had colourful marks all over your face. That's not weird.
I made worms with vegemite, butter + vita wheats.
This is still how I figure out which way is which. Because really, who would eat soggy weetbix? ew.
These are the only snowballs I ever saw.
And gosh they were yummy.
I ate a lot of smarties.
I was a serious badass at the skipping rope, and elastics.
I always got to school early to play handball. I was better than Kruddy. And I never ate my earwax.. ew.
Oh ma gawd, wizz fizz was the best!
Because of the gobbledok, whenever I am eating chips (not hot chips, potato chips) I have to say 'CHIIPPPPIEEEEESSS'.
If I forgot my lunch (which was hardly ever) a sausage roll or meat pie from the tuckshop had me sorted.
In high school I tended to go for hot chips and gravy. Not too much gravy, mind. Don't want soggy chips.
Every Saturday morning my brothers and I woke up to watch Rage.
And then Saturday Cartoon Connection.. with Agro.
And then we had to rush around so mum could get us all to our games; football (older brother), netball (me) and soccer / football (little brother). I was pretty badass at netball, mainly because I was so tall and lanky. Kate Middleton and I totes played the same position, yo.
On Saturday nights, we would watch Hey Hey it's Saturday
Mainly because Neighbours and Home & Away weren't on.
Fairy bread was a given at all birthday parties.
Except when they were held at the local Maccas, which was ok because you got to walk with the party person into the back of the restaurant and into the freezer to get the ice cream cake that you would be eating (they stopped doing that before I started working there).
'Don't push me, push a push pop' was the lamest thing
ever but you still said it whilst eating one and pushing your friends.
Johnny Farnham was always retiring. And everyone knows the words to Sadie, the cleaning lady, with her trusting scrubbing brush and pail of water.. much to poor old Johnny's chagrin.
I learned everything about life from a giraffe named Harold. Healthy Harold.
What I didn't learn from Harold, I learned from Play School.
I thought my toys and such came alive after I left the room well before I saw Toy Story.
Mr Squiggle was like, the coolest thing ever. You'd sit there trying to guess (screaming at the TV) what he was drawing and then tried to draw with a pencil up your nose.
The only koala I ever liked was Blinky Bill. Ok, I liked Nutsy too.
The ice cream of choice was bubble o bill because you got bubble gum as well. Paddle pops were good, but only when you were collecting paddle pop sticks for something, and golden gaytimes are my faves now.
I
never forgot my hat, because then I couldn't play during little lunch or big lunch.
Banana's wore pajamas. And chased teddy bears.
While the teddy bears weren't being chased, we were having picnics for them.
I talked like Kylie Mole, because I wanted to be like Kylie Mole. You know you know you know? She goes she goes she goes.. My mum banned chewing gum from the house after that phase.
We went to Wonderland almost every weekend, all year, to get our money's worth for the annual passes.
And this absolutely broke my heart in 2004.
I ate coco pops for breakfast most mornings, pretty much always singing the song along with it.
The only babies I liked were the gumnut babies. I wanted to name every pet Snugglepot or Cuddlepie.
And we sent letters to Santa every Christmas.
Any similarities between my childhood and yours?