Step Back In Time

Do you have kids, how're they coping with the pandemic? Do they just stay indoors, do their modules and play gadgets? Luckily for us here in the country sides, our kids are free to roam around the village. They may get bored with their modules but still they can play outside under the scorching heat of sun, running about and not minding their mothers scolding to stay in the shade when it's too hot. They are enjoying the cool waters of the river, splashing water to each other. They form balls of mud then throw to the other. They catch tadpoles from the rice paddies and place them in a plastic container, checking, waiting and watching as it transforms to a frog.

Though readcash is my main source of entertainment these days, I still check facebook from time to time. I was scrolling down when a shared post about the '80s and '90s games caught my interest.

When we were still kids, we like to play at the mountain sides to collect wild flowers. The rice granaries served as our house as we play bahay-bahayan. There was what we call the king and queen whom we will make them thrones. We adorned the queen's throne with the wild flowers and vines we collected. There were also the knights that faught for the king. Two warring kingdoms fight but for games sake only, they threw sticks to each other until one kingdom was declared the winner.. When the games were a bit bitin, we continue it the next day especially when its getting dark already and everyone started to head home.

Tagu-taguan was also played especially when the nights were illuminated by the pale moonlight. Some head home without saying a word leaving the taya to keep looking for them.

During the season of wild berries and fruits to bear fruits, we invade the forest, mountain tops and the thickets in search of these deliciously satisfying fruits of the wild. We were like monkeys hanging, jumping and clinging from branch to branch. Yes, we go in groups if the older kids were kind enough to tug us along. We acquire scratches from bushes' thorns and may injure parts of our body but the fun was more dominant than the pain. One time we came to a pasture for carabaos and cows. The naughty ones begun to make fun of the cattle until they ran and chase us. Run as fast as we could with fear. One of my friends foot slipped and she fell face exactly at a cows dung.. We helped her up and ran again as we were pulling her in her hands because most of her face was covered with cow's waste. We were able to get away from the cows when we reach the barbed fence. Others clothes were thorn. We were catching our breaths when we remembered our friend that slipped with her face on the cow's waste.. We laughed so hard that it tire us all the more.

We also enjoyed swimming in the river, throwing some small cans filled with sand in the deepest part and we dived in simultaneously to search and get it. One time, one of my classmate was stepped upon by another as we plunged to get the cans of sand. The boy who stepped on the girl's head was much bigger and he jumped from a rock above that's why the girl was really hit hard hitting her lower lip to her chin at a sharp edge of the rock below the water. Up until this day, the scar was still there.

Because we barely have money before, we collect jellyace covers to play with. Jellyace covers long time ago were of anime designs and cartoon characters now modernized as what children call pogs. Jellyace covers were phased out and text also took place.

Boys games included baril-barilan, where they cut banana leaves and remove the leaves leaving the hard center. They assemble it into toy guns. Sometimes they made it from wood. Tat-alak or toy cars were also made by them. Vab-awet or top. Then the pap-anitak which is made of young kawayan sticks. They chew papers and formed it into pellets which served as the bullets. They also made slingshot which sometimes they used to shoot on their opponent or to shoot birds in the fields or in the mountains. Marble games, shatong and many more.

Girls, on the other hand were fond of bending-bending wherein it composed of different series of slipper games. Our body became elastic by doing those kinds of bending.

Chinese garter, 10-20-30 were rubberband games wherein the rubberbands were braided together to resemble a rope. Then we jumped from it following some series of steps also.

Luksong baka, luksong tinik, patintero, standing lata, touch the body, step-aparador, sipa with the use of kamote leaves tied at the base, and many other games that entertained us during our childhood. We got scratched and bruised, got dark and sunburned by playing but like our kids today, we can't be stop. We got whipped by sticks and slippers but the fun of playing is something that would heal it..

Closing thoughts

In the village, you can still see kids play some of the games we used to play when we were young. And because life had changed or let's say modernized that those who aren't considered poor don't allow their kids to play under the sun and in the river unless on picnics.

Additionally, activities like getting some firewoods is very seldom its because everyone is already using LPG based stoves. Older kids especially those who already are on the secondary level are addicted to online games and computer games.

If only recreational activities like basketball and other community activities would be implemented to get our kids from gadget addiction. They would be entertained even if they get bored from their modules at least there is something to get their minds off from the pressure they're in. It is because of the technical innovations that entered our life that those old games are no longer played.

05/06/21

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