This Used To Be My Playground..

"This used to be my playground (used to be)
This used to be my childhood dream
This used to be the place I ran to
Whenever I was in need
Of a friend
Why did it have to end.."


When Silverine tagged me with this one, the above song by Madonna is all I could hear.

Special song..Special memories..Special years..

So this tag is going to be one helluva special post for me..

A. Write 8-10 things about childhood ( 1-12 years) that you miss.
B. Write 8-10 things that you disliked about childhood.
C. Tag a few people


A. 8-10 things about my childhood that I really miss..

1. My first pet
My first love, a double-coated, pedigreed German Shepherd. I got him as a baby, barely 36 days, an age when you are not really supposed to separate puppies from their mothers, as my 7th bday present. I kind of grew up with him, and he with me. We used to eat together, we used to sleep together (sometimes on my bed, sometimes on his, sometimes just in some corner of the bigggg garden or backyard we had), we used to shower together (ended up having a shower myself when I gave him one!)..we did everything together.. I loved him as much as he loved me. He was very sensitive about me too! He wouldnt allow anyone get near me if I didnt let him. He would chase anyone even raising voice against me, including my family members! We learnt together to discover nature.. We learnt to differentiate between baby frogs and big frogs..small rats and big rats..
He died young..when he was 3 years old..in my hands..choked..not sure what it was..perhaps a bone..but he died..in my helpless hands.. Yes, I miss him. Not as a pet..as a friend.

2. Holidays
Holidays as a child meant lazing around in the house, hanging out in the garden exploring bees, bugs, insects, butterflies, dragonflies..truly being one with the nature..I was a born farmer I think! I even had my own farm of veggies..carrots, chillies, ginger and all.. I even managed to sell some of my reap to my mom..
Those were days you just randomly hung around in the neighbourhood with other kids..playing whatever games..creating small innocent trouble with neighbourhood "ammachies" (grannies).
One thing I really miss about being a child is lying on the plain ground and watching the sky..day or night..I just could lie like that and look for hours together..the blue blue sky with the random clouds in the daytime..and the dark blue sky with millions of stars and the random shooting stars (oh yeah i have seen plenty!)
Holidays also meant spending a month or two every year at my grandparents houses..the interiors of Kerala..truly the God's own country..I could just run through the paddy fields endlessly..go fishing with "choonda" (a fishing hook) and worms (I was a successful fisherman too!), climbing trees, visiting haunted houses at night with cousins..

3. Beach visits - Kovalam used to be a weekly affair as a child..Lying on the beachside..the waves caressing you..watching the sunset..and going back and having dinner..that kind of became a routine..a routine we lost as we grew busier and bigger..

4. Scooter and cycle - My dad's scooter and my own cycle that is.. Sitting with dad in front (and back after sometime) and zipping across the city and country side was a really memorable experience.. But he never let me ride it..even after growing up..but ofcourse learning to ride a bike was mandatory for me, and I did manage it later..
I must have got my first cycle when I was 4 or 5 years..a small BSA kiddie one with two side wheels..then over the years I graduated into bigger ones and then even to an "MTB" at some time! I was a versatile biker..visiting paddy fields nearby home..going fishing..and at times doubled up as a milkman and paperboy too..

5. Vacations - We had an annual vacation to Discover India..Delhi, Bombay, Madurai, Madras, Thekkady, Kodai, Bangalore, Munnar, Ooty, Mysore, Yercaud, Agra, Nainital all were much more exotic those days than it is now.. And most of these trips were on car..driving..somehow that seemed more pleasurable.. The random stops and detours. The people. The animals you spot..The food you ate...all seem imprinted in my mind..

6.Parties - Yes I attended plenty of parties as a child..I was a major party guy! hihi..But the best thing about parties those days were that you can be yourself..If you enjoyed it, you relish it and play and chill with other things your size..It used to be about "dark rooms", "hide and seek", "cindrella" (yeah cindrella was one of the fav games!), "pillow fighting", monopoly, scrabble and what not.. And if I didnt like the crowd I remember more than 5 instances where I decided to just go sleep under the stairs or under a bed where nobody could find me..nobody could find me and my parents had a lot of trouble..
I havent attended a party like that since childhood..

7. My room
As a child, I fought for my rights..and then finally at around 8 years I got my own room.. a freshly erected room in the terrace! My parents must have thought "this will serve him right and he will go back to sharing his room with his bro soon!" But I survived the thunder, lightning, whistling winds, strange noises, rains and all..and fell in love with my exclusive sky facing room! I could spend my nights watching the sky..counting stars..some nights I slept on the terrace itself..

8. My childhood
I think the thing that I miss the most about childhood is childhood itself..Somehow everything was so much simpler and nicer..things were all filled with love and happiness.Reminds me of the funny quote: "you were born naked, wet and hungry..and then things got worse". Relationships were so much easier..even parents..there were no complications..friendship..it only took a toffee to settle a war..or just a hug.. Small world..but a happy one..perhaps one thing that childhood really taught me is to always remember the small things as you reach out for the skies..


B. 8-10 things I dislike about my childhood

1. School, the initial years
The first thing that comes to my mind when I try and think of things that I cried for or hated is strangely.. school..Something that I learnt to love later on.. But the initial days..like playschool years..before lower kindergarten..was a torture..I just hated being dropped off at some crappy playschool..to just wait for my parents to return..and then it was like the most waited moment..run back to my mom or dad and jump into their hands.. I guess there are positive things about going to a playschool..but its also a difficult thing for a child. I guess its all a part of growing up..you are taught about separation and other ugly things in life very early in life.. I even hated the initial years in school..I managed to miss the school bus by staying longer in the toilet or allowing myself to get lost somewhere in the house..but then I always used to get dropped back right at school.
Later I loved my school. I still love it.

2. Egg and milk
This is also a strange dislike I had..When I was very small, like upto 5-6 years, I was a egg-o-philiac and lovvvveedddd milk..I just ate so many eggs..I would even eat up anyone elses eggs left on the table! Crazy! At around 7 years, for some reason I began hating eggs! And started sneaking near the wash to dump my glass of milk.. For about one year, I managed trashing my egg and milk down the drain..Then my maid reported a miracle to my parents..Every morning when she comes back after prayers she sees the water turn to milk near the drain..And that she felt shes a blessed one..It didnt take my parents to realize that shes only a mortal and there ended my liberation from egg and milk..
I still hate eggs, except in some specific forms and along with some dishes, but I am back into managing milk consumption to keep me healthy..

3. Falling ill
I just hated falling ill..Not because it kept me from going out or games or play time.. But they meant terrible times for me..I felt alone and like I was dying..with parents at work..maids busy..I even ended up getting nightmares...And a particular nightmare kept recurring every time I felt ill..Its a strange one..one that doesnt make any sense..one without any characters in it..no ghosts or devils..but still very scary and frightening..something I tried to wake myself from, but couldnt..
I dont get them anymore when I fall ill..

4. Fights and anger
I hated fights..Whether it was between my folks or between folks and bro..or between folks and their friends..the slightest indication of aggression or raised voices scared me for some reason..I would go far far away from angry people..
Now I am more tolerable..and at times even manage to greet anger with anger (rarely :) ) and have had my share of fights..

5. Stage fright
This is one annoying thing I feel terrible about when I look back at my childhood..Until about 8 years I was a stage-maniac..I used to be on the stage, invited or uninvited, singing, dancing, reciting, acting and what not..I have tonnes of certificates and trophies from those years..
Then something happened that made a totally sportsman, and I began developing stage fear..I hated going myself in front of crowds watching you - only on stage..not on the field or courts while playing.. Strange..
I did manage to come out of this one just as I entered senior school..At assembly, we had random selections to make public speeches..and during my turn, I shocked the gathering and came out of my fear, screaming this at the top of my lungs:
"how much wood would a wood-chuck chuck, if a wood-chuck would chuck wood?"
It took about 30 seconds for the silence to break, and the surprised bewildered look on my principal's face to vanish, before I continued about the wood-chuck!

6. Getting beaten up and bullied
I remember myself as a very silent and quiet kid doing my own stuff as far as possible..not bothering anyone..just writing my own stuff..or painting the trees, beaches and stuff.. But I also remember others not doing the same..I had kids bigger than me coming and troubling me all along..tearing up my precious art-work, whacking me on my back and disappearing, bumping me out of the queues at the canteen..
What they did not know is that I was keeping a tab..my own mental account of who did what..And I was eating and growing up to be their size..
Before the end of senior school, I pretty much paid back everyone their dues..I particularly kept in mind, a certain bully who tore my precious "peacock" sketch..I am sure he regrets doing that even now..

I really cant think of more things that I hate about my childhood..Those were special days..happy days..and I have to thank my parents for those days..I believe every child has to have a happy childhood..Because thats what decides what you grow up to be..not professionally, but as a person.. If I could, I would ensure happiness, peace, health and good education for every child..

Now about tagging more people..I think Silverine took the extra privilege of tagging everyone known in blogosphere.. So I will just end this one by thanking her once again for this really really wonderful tag. I had a beautiful nice sunday thinking about my childhood...And incase you havent read her post, do it now..Tells you why shes such a sweetheart now..
:)