Games We Used To Play

Whenever we go out with our son, James, he always brings with him a favorite gadget. One day it's a PSP. The next day, it's a Nintendo DS. If he had his way, he would probably be lugging an iTouch, or the new Ipod Nano with video and FM radio. And on long trips, he makes sure we bring along a laptop.

As I look around, I noticed that my son isn't the only one. Other kids around his age do basically the same thing.

They're hunched in one corner, focused on the task at hand, unmindful of the chaos and noise that surrounds them. They see nothing but the play of lights and colors on a glaring screen no bigger than a business card, nor do they hear anyone except the irritating sounds of car crashes, firing spaceships, and karate kicks. For a moment, they're alone in their own world of cyber make believe.

What did I do when I was his age?

Well, for one, we didn't have all these gizmos and contraptions. We had to make do with what we had and what we could find. The games back then were ingenious and creative. And one thing's for sure, we didn't do things alone. We always had someone to play with. Let's stroll down memory lane and see how much of these games do you still remember. I am not even going to attempt to describe the games in detail because some are so convoluted that you'll need a book to talk about it.

Studying in an all-boys school, we played a lot of different games. There was TEX -- a comic card, that was smaller than a credit card, with a number on the bottom right corner. The object was to get as many cards from your opponent as you can, by "betting" a stack of cards (yours) using the numbers on the comic card or by tossing 3 cards in the air. HOLEN (marbles; also called JOLENS) was another popular game. It tested ones finger dexterity and aim, which involved rolling marbles on holes bored on the ground, or by striking

marbles off a circle drawn on the ground.

TURUMPO (top) showed flexibility of the wrist in spinning the wooden top with a long string, while SIPA (meaning "to kick"), made of metal screw washers and shredded plastic strings (called straw) resembling a badminton's shuttlecock, exhibited ones

balance and foot control. Then, there was SIYATO (pronounced as SHATO). This game involved hitting a small stick, about 7-8 inches long, with another stick trice as long, replicating someone pitching a slow softball and while the other batted, minus the diamond, and at a much, much smaller scale.

Growing up, me and my neighbors looked forward to playing street games on weekends. Some of these games are still being played today, not just in the Philippines, but in other parts of the world as well. KICK BALL, an adaptation of baseball, was probably one of the most popular ones, played by both boys and girls. PIKO (hopscotch) and LALANG BALL (dodge ball) are 2 other universal games that we all grew up with. Of course, who can forget TAGUAN (hide and seek).

PATINTERO tested ones speed (and strategy) by not allowing the opponent from crossing the line being guarded. Combining accuracy and speed, TUMBANG PRESO's goal was to knock off

an empty can using a player's slippers, and retrieve the same

slippers without getting caught by the "it." LUKSONG TINIK ("thorn" hurdles) displayed a player's jumping ability, as 2 other kids use their hands and feet to create the hurdle.

Then, there were table games, like DAMA (checkers), using tansan (bottle caps) as game pieces, and SUNGKA (Philippine mancala game). And the favorite games of the girls -- JACKSTONE (both regular and Chinese versions), PICK-UP STICKS, and CHINESE GARTER, to name a few more.

These were the game we used to play. There were others we played growing up, far too many to even mention. These games of my generation were all interactive. Simple and inexpensive as they were, we surely had a great time playing them.

Will our kids ever get a chance to play these games? Maybe. But only if they're available in Wii or Play Station 3.