Wednesday, August 29, 2007 Games By Rene Lizada Papa’s Table
SOMETIMES I wonder if our kids enjoy their games today. I mean most if not all of their childhood games have come from either television set, the computer, cell phone or some other mobile device. The kids of today have to rely so much on technology in order for them to be entertained.
A disaster to them would be when the computer "hangs." Or if there is a power outage. Kids today, at least most kids today would go mad if they do not have electricity or power to run their video games.
I remember when we had this power outage and our kids ran to our room and just sat there cursing the darkness and the brownout. After their initial outburst things got worse as they became edgy and restless.
They simply could not settle down. They could not because they were so used to having their hands on the computer or the PS2. And when they are confronted with nothing to do, they freak out. When there is silence, they become uncomfortable. A lot of kids today have become game addicts. But that was not the case when were kids.
What games did we play when we were kids?
Well biros, taga tagaanay, tumba lata, shatong, patintero, five five, takyan, marbles and of course the one that my wife says she is an ace at, bending.
When I asked my kids if they knew any of these games, they stared at me as if I were some alien. They simply did not know. I explained to them what biros was and they all laughed at me and said that it was a stupid game. They asked why we would run all over the place for the sake of running around. They simply missed the point. The point in running was to have fun and nothing else.
Now shatong was totally strange to them. When I told the about the game there was hysterical laughter and I wanted to hit them with the stick. Well at least with shatong one gets to exercise one's vocal chords.
When I was a kid I was good at shatong especially that part when you put the short stick at the edge of the hole and you try to whack it with the longer stick. I remember when I was at the losing end of the game and I had to look for the short stick and had to breathe in deep so my lungs could take me "home."
I also loved playing patintero. I loved being the "liboter." I have a lot of memories of that game when I was kid and I simply loved playing patintero.
Five five was such a silly game but it was a lot of fun. For those kids who do not know what five five is, it is simply a variation of taga. When you got tagged, you simply froze until someone who has not been tagged, tags you. And when that happen you can romp freely until you get tagged again. The catch was if you get tagged and you move, then you become the it. Now how's that for fun.
Back when we were at the Ateneo Grade School we used to play marbles and takyan. But we did not play at the same "time." When we were kids we had seasons for the games. Like for this month we would play marbles and the next month the "uso" would be takyan. Marbles was a great game for dexterity and some of classmates were really good at it. As for takyan the tragedy of tragedies would be if you messed up and you had to throw the takyan and your opponent would kick it and you had to catch it. Sometimes the takyan would be miles away if you had the misfortune of having an opponent who could kick so hard.
Then there were games for the girls. There was Chinese jackstone, Chinese garter and of course the sport in which my wife is an expert in, bending. As to how those games are played, ask your moms, they can explain them better.
The thing is all these games could be enjoyed for free or at a minimal expense. All you needed for biros was a wide open space. All you needed for shatong were a couple of sticks, healthy lungs and fast legs. Takyans could be had for 50 cents. Marbles were cheap by the dozen. As for bending, you just needed your rubber slippers, those inexpensive rubber slippers that do not cost a small fortune.
But I guess what was really fun with the games of our childhood were we were kids and we were having fun as kids. Nowadays I sometimes grimace at the games our kids play. There is violence, sex, more violence and more sex. We have demons and monsters. We have carnage and mayhem. Instead of playgrounds they have internet cafes. Instead of joining hands, they go online. Instead of screaming and yelling at each other they have webcams and mikes.
When we were kids, or at least when I was a kid I only needed my imagination and the child in me to enjoy those games. I did not need gigabytes of memory because all that I needed was in my head.
