Why I wish I’m living in the 80s

I was faced with a few issues yesterday which got me thinking: God, I wish I could go back to the 80s.

 

For one, I was without the internet last night from about 9pm and it got on my nerves – there were emails to reply to, R and I were trying to chat, and research needed to be done by last night if I wanted to stick to my thesis schedule. And I couldn't do any of those without the internet. In the 80s, we would have to use PEN & PAPER to write letters, research would be done in a library. None of these technological complexities would have existed. And because I couldn't get my work done, apart from getting to chat with R via a phone call, I went to bed a rather cranky person, feeling extremely unaccomplished.

 

Secondly, the kid next door can't stop crying. She cries in the morning, in the afternoon, and even at night!! I used to think that perhaps this kid might just be in a clingy stage or even teething. But after a few days of observation and mind-boggling shrill crying, I've realized that the kid's just really a spoilt brat. In the morning she cries because she wants her paddling pool – even when its raining. When she's finally carried to her paddling pool, she cries to be taken out of it. In the afternoon, she cries because she can't play with her computer games (and this I know because the domestic helper would scream really loudly, and probably in frustration, 'NO MORE COMPUTER. EAT!'); and in the evening, she cries to watch TV, but has to go to bed (and again, either her mum or domestic helper will be shouting 'NO TV, IT'S BED TIME!').

It drives me up the wall especially when I'm trying to concentrate really hard to force a perfect sentence out of my brain for the thesis. I remember as a kid in the 80s, play time consisted of jigsaw puzzles, hopscotch or 5 stones (literally, 5 little pyramid-shaped bean bags that my mum would make for us). None of these computer games or Wii or paddling pools(!!) existed. And TV was really Sesame Street from 5.30-6pm. If only kids these days can find out what life would be like without computers and DSlites etc. Perhaps they would learn to appreciate the finer things in life like nature or even toys that cost about 10 cents to make…

 

And the most horrifying issue of all… As I cleaned my face last night before bed time, I felt a painful bump on the side of my nose. In my mind I was thinking 'Please don't let it be a pimple… Please don't let it be a pimple...' And lo and behold, it was staring back at me in the mirror – a painful red bump which was slightly inflamed and had a white spot in the centre like a bull's eye. I had a good mind to start cursing out loud if it weren't for the fact that my mum was already in bed and waking her with my cursing would not go down well for the next few days. Therefore, silently cursing in my head, I applied some cream on it and went to bed thinking….

 

'God, I wish I could go back to the 80s – I would still be a kid not caring if I didn't have a working computer or the internet, kids would not be such spoilt brats and I didn't need to worry about pimples appearing on my face.'

 

Needless to say, I didn't sleep very well last night…