This Thursday is a very important day to us because we are celebrating the 60th Merdeka Day! 60 years is a long journey, there are many changes to be observed over these 6 decades. So, I thought it is nice to share some nostalgic things that were iconic in the past. Some of these things might bring back your old memories.
Ais Kepal
I always thought that it was fiction when my mum how she spent 5 cents to buy a ball shaped Ice Kacang in front of her school. Until recently, I saw a lady selling it when I was taking a walk around Lebuh Armenian. My Siri told me this Ais Kepal has been resurrected again.
Apparently, it is an Ice Kacang that you can hold it in your hands. Back in the 1960s, it used to be the most popular ice before they started to serve it in bowls. Children will save up their pocket money to buy an Ais Kepal for a chill during the sunny afternoon.
Old Cinema
Like I’ve written in the previous article, this is an era where we don’t need to go to a cinema anymore to watch a movie. However, visiting a cinema used to be a very common (and the only) entertainment option during the 1960s and 1970s.
A few months earlier, I brought my parents to watch the Penang film ‘You Mean the World to Me’. Looking at the empty seats in the cinema hall, my mum sighed, “Back then even the first row was occupied. The traffic near the cinema would become mad when they screened popular movies!”
Now we can only admire the exterior architecture of very few old cinemas that still exist but have remodeled for other more profitable (but boring) purposes.
Extend your reading to this article if you are curious to know more about old cinemas in Malaysia.
One Ringgit Coin
Do you still remember the 1 Ringgit Coin? I remembered I could use a 1 Ringgit coin to buy two ‘3M Magazines’ during primary school. In 2005, these 1 Ringgit coins were demonetized and replaced by blue colored banknotes.
Do you still have any of these coins in your piggy bank? Find it now! The coin carries value in the collector’s market, it might fetch you a good return!
Public Phone
Nowadays most people own at least a smart phone, those who have ‘big businesses’ might have more than 3 phones at the same time. Can you imagine those days that people could only dial to a landline and some people didn’t even install landline at home, they could only use a public phone to contact others?
I remembered when my cousin traveled to another state to study, she would buy a dozen of public phone cards so that she could call back home constantly by using public phones. “The queues were insane. Although we had a row of public phones, it could take more than half an hour to queue!” “But it’s fun because you can hear all kind of conversations,” she smiled.
Haw Flakes & Lemon Tablets
These two snacks were really childhood memories for many adults in Malaysia. I’m sure that they somehow will trigger your memories. Let’s your memories speak.
Guli
Before the invent of digital games, Guli (glass marble) is the most popular game for children in Malaysia. It always appears in nostalgic local films and dramas because it was an iconic game in those days.
Have you played Guli before?
Flag Erasers
Do you remember the Flag Eraser that came with the Old-School Tin Pencil Box? Those erasers were never meant for erasing words because they had a more interesting purpose, which is the Eraser Game!
Unlike Guli, schools cannot ban students to bring erasers. So, the Eraser Game was the only game that you could play in classes without getting caught!
555 Note Books
What are you using to jot down notes? Or shall I ask, which app you’re using to keep notes? Everything in these two decades changes too rapidly as the technology is moving very fast. We could hardly imagine it was only 10 years ago that we were still relying on real note books to keep our schedules, notes, contact numbers, etc.
Those days many people kept a 555 Note Book with them wherever they go. It was the cheapest – you could get a dozen for less than 3 bucks – and very handy because it fit into small pockets. From children to businessmen, everyone was using 555.
Extend your reading to this article if you’re feeling old-school today.
I hope this article can bring back your beautiful memories of the old days.
Drop us a comment if you have interesting memories to share.
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