My first job… was that of a waiter

Those were the days when Indian markets were just opened, Babri was demolished, and video games were something new for the Indians. I had this thing for these machines from the very beginning but thanks to our Crown TV, which always went out of order when anything starting with V was attached to it – my parents never bought it. Two such experiences were good enough for us to not use a VCR or Video Game with it for next 16 years (and still counting). They compensated for this by buying me a Casio handheld game called Funny Waiter (not to be confused with brick games which flooded the market after some 4 years) when we went to Madras which looked like this.

Though I believe, it was probably smuggled maal – reason nothing specific – just a gut feeling knowing the nature of Indian market. Anyway, let us not divert form the real point. That game was one of the best things I have owned and it seems that I’ll never forget about it. Though this is a different thing that I can recall 90% of the games/ toys I have had but still this one was special in the sense it was a new thing in the market, first electronic game for me and as I said earlier, I have some thing for such stuffs.

It was a game where you play as a waiter and serve three of the guests in a particular time. A more detailed account of the game is here. This game was with me for around 7 years and I didn’t change the battery even once. This robustness of the game really frustrated me in the end as one of my other handheld had given me a lot of problems and finally, I disected it (this proves since childhood I was an Electronics Engineer) and somehow reassembled it correctly. If I remember correctly, this game stopped working only after my sister threw it in water and I lost a dear toy of mine. Though, I am not sure which of the two events occurred earlier – throwing in water and kept working & I opened it but was unable to reassemble it properly which proves I ain’t that good a engineer and lot of people might agree with it. I somehow believe later scenario happened as I vaguely remember that we were quite astonished to see it working even after being thrown in water.
There are just two things I think whenever thought about this game comes to me –
The game cost was Rs. 200. I just wonder in ’91 my parents buying me such a costly toy though that is a different story that I generally didn’t use to ask for anything. But still, I really feel so much privileged when I think of such a game.
What if I would be having that game now – how much could it have fetched me. Going by the eBay prices for similar games it could have probably fetched me something from $50 to $200 (Rs. 2000 – Rs 8000). One of the best investments my parents could have made.
Anyways if some one wants to buy it, I will try to search for the game at my home if the price is right.

The Wonder Years

I wonder where those wonder years have gone when things were as simple as they could get, when worrying about life was never in the agenda, and when you had no time to think about some really big things like relationships, money, future & sex. Where have those days gone when you can do stupid stuff without really worrying about what others will think and really enjoy your stupidity. There might have been some situations when being a child could have been troublesome but then, moon also has black spots. 
I miss those days when friendship meant something, when ego clashes were minimal and when you could say anything to a friend without worrying too much about the consequences. Where have those days gone when you can cry without really feeling weak. How much good was it when you can go to someone for comfort when you are afraid or depressed or whatever, without caring how others will think about you. A time when demands were modest – a maggi in a month, rental video game for just one night in summers, couple of G. I. Joes and some comics, when future meant fantasizing about the adulthood – doing great things and ridding the world of its problems (without having an understanding about them) and when fighting with someone was just a one day affair. Money was nothing but something which your parents gave you for doing some thing. (A typical of my home – points were awarded for doing exercise to grand parents’ seva and at the end of the month those points were translated into money)
How much simple was life in those days when you can like a song not because it had some really nice beautiful lyrics or a scantly clad dancer but because for some weird reasons you simply liked that song. You can watch songs like ‘tip – tip barsa paani’ without thinking about wet Ms. Tandon or something like ‘tu cheez badi hai mast mast’ without feeling embarrassed about the lyrics in those good old days. 
Well this was my playlist today – the reason for me going back into those simple days – songs of the late 80’s till mid 90’s.  

Anaida-owa, owa
Shweta Shetty-deewane toh deewane hai
Shawa yah gussa ladki ka
Kesariya hai roop maahro
Tu cheez badi hai mast
Chura ke dil mera
Hawa hawa 
Amma dekh, tera munda
Tamma tamma loge
I am a bachelor
Patti rap – humse hai muqabla etc.
But I need to download several songs like 
Aaja mer gaadi mai baith ja
Bus 1 cup garam –garam chai
Tuna tuna
Tutak tutak tutiya

Aa papaya jhapiya pale hum
Gambler – meri marzi, main sab such kahta huun aapki kasam
And umpteen such chindi songs