Nostalgia

Back In The Late 1980s & Early 1990s

- Roshan

How I Used to Spend My Weekends as a Kid. Share a nostalgic look at how you spent your weekends growing up, whether it was with family, friends, or on your own adventures.

I like to go in time in my mind on the dull afternoons and think about the years gone by. Boy some of those years especially during my childhood were so good and I think I really had it good. I think the 80s & 90s, even if we didn’t have the technology of today, were a much better time period. We had great cartoons, great movies and great music. If you were a football fan during those years you had great players and rival teams. If you were a tennis fan like myself, you had some great players to watch.

I read a lot of books and we would get movies from one of the two video lending libraries that my family had membership at. At those ages usually on Friday evening my sister and I would go with our dad to the city from the little suburban place that we lived in and sometimes mum joined us too. My sister and I would plan to get atleast 2 to 3 good movies to watch (mostly English) and then if we could we would go and check out a book store or something like that. Post that we would get ice cream or dinner and go back home.

Saturdays and Sundays morning would be very lazy and I’d try to complete any homework that I had to do and then post lunch we would pop in one of the movies. My sister and I would watch that and then go to our rooms where we either listened to music or I read a book. Then after dinner we might watch another movie and sis and I would discuss it until we felt asleep. Sunday it would be more of the same but I would listen to more music on Sundays and probably check for any sports events I could watch.

This is ofcourse on weekends that we didn’t have relatives visiting us. And once in a while I would also get together with my friends from school and we’d hang out for a few hours. Good times!

Have A Hungry Bunny Right Now!

- Roshan

Let’s look at a blast from the past, an icon of my childhood days. Hungry Bunny is a local restaurant fast food chain that opened up in the early 80s in Kuwait. It was inspired by a Australian franchise called Hungry Jack which was what Burger King was called in Australia back then.

My memories of Hungry Bunny is their awesomely cool 1980s commercial with the bunny and the song that is so catchy. My family used to get their frozen patties mostly and I remember eating that a few times when I came back from school. If I remember correctly I had it more in the 1986=87 period when I was 10. I distinctly remember watching The Flintstones after coming back from school and drinking a juice and eating the burger. Good times!

Hungry Bunny fast food chain

  • Founded in 1987 by Mohamed Al Amar Al Dossary, a Saudi Arabian entrepreneur
  • Has branches in Saudi Arabia and franchise locations in other countries 
  • The company’s mission is to expand through franchising
  • Hungry Bunny also owns a meat processing factory in Dammam, Saudi Arabia 

Seven Rock Albums Turning 40 In 2025

- Roshan

Aerosmith, ‘Done With Mirrors’
In a better world, this album would have launched Aerosmith’s comeback. After a half-decade apart, guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford returned to to the fold and help the group record the most underappreciated album in their career. Done With Mirrors was a lean, mean return to form for one of America’s best ’70s rock bands, but the album failed to capture the public’s attention. Two years later, the band reclaimed their commercial stature with the use of outside songwriters and more ’80s-friendly production on the massively successful Permanent Vacation.

Motley Crue, ‘Theatre of Pain’
Motley Crue solidified their status as one of metal’s biggest acts with the follow up to their 1983 commercial breakthrough Shout at the Devil. Although the band themselves are rather critical of the album, Theatre of Pain’s increased emphasis on pop hooks helped the band break through to a more mainstream audience with the help of the hit singles “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” and “Home Sweet Home.”

Phil Collins, ‘No Jacket Required’
Already a star both as a solo artist and as Genesis’ frontman, Phil Collins exploded into megastardom with No Jacket Required, which sold over 25 million copies worldwide on the strength of singles such as “Sussudio,” “One More Night” and “Take Me Home.”

Heart, ‘Heart’
The Wilson sisters jumped head first into the ’80s with their self-titled album, using outside songwriters, pop-friendly keyboards, hairspray and high-budget MTV videos to pull themselves out of a commercial slump. Though they’d express regret over the commercial concessions in later years, the plan certainly worked, giving the band a five-times platinum album and their first-ever No. 1 single, “These Dreams.”

Ratt, ‘Invasion of Your Privacy’
Ratt proved that 1984’s “Round and Round” wasn’t a fluke with their 1985 follow-up Invasion of Your Privacy, which boosted the band’s unique mix of sleazy rock guitars and pop-smart hooks with higher production values. “Lay It Down” and “You’re in Love” were the big hits here, but the overall quality showed that Ratt would be a force to deal with going forward.

AC/DC, ‘Fly on the Wall’
Never a band to follow trends, AC/DC stuck to their straight-ahead winning formula on 1985’s Fly on the Wall. The album didn’t rack up the sales or acclaim of their earlier ’80s work, but contains a handful of gems for true believers including “Sink the Pink,” “Shake Your Foundations” and “Playing With Girls.”

Rush, ‘Power Windows’
Rush’s experiments with futuristic musical instruments continued on 1985’s Power Windows, as they added sampling and electronic drums to their palette on songs like “The Big Money” and “Mystic Rhythms.” The result was their eighth straight platinum album.

Blast From The Past – What Is The Saddest Meal You’ve Had?

- Roshan

CHEEZEZIA pizza corner in the now defunct Kochin Food Mall in the Revenue Tower building just past Marine Drive. I can never forget that experience of going there with my cousin one Summer evening and getting the oddest looking pizza ever. This was only my second visit to the Food Mall and the first time ordering the pizza, if you can call it that. We were a little scared but tried them anyway. A medium sized pie with 8 small to medium slices. We slowly picked up a piece each and ate them.

There were toast crusts of what seemed like rusk to us (if you don’t know what rusk is it’s a hard, dry biscuit or a twice-baked bread) – basically what they did was they served us a circular disk of rush, on top of which they added some cheese and – wait for it – the toppings that go with a usual BHEL PURI! A fucking bhel puri! The toppings other than the tomatoes were lots or coriander, chopped onions, tomatoes & Sev (a slight crunchy noodles made from chickpea flour paste). And ofcourse cheese! The sheer audacity to call that a pizza!

We managed a small slice each and then paid and left, laughing so loudly. In no way, shape or form was that a pizza and the people running it should have been in prison doing hard labour for even suggesting that it was!

Nostalgia : Blank Cassette Tapes And The Era Of The MixTape

- Roshan

One of the things that brings back so many memories from my early childhood upto my 20s. The cassette tape as one of the things that I loved as it had my music on it and I love music. We used blank tapes to record songs from the radio or if you had the twin deck on your stereo system you’d get that elusive album from a friend or someone, and record the whole album. Or ofcourse you made your own mix tapes.

TDK was my jam. We had Sony and some other brands but TDK as the one I loved! I used to buy so many of them so I could my favourite rock and some pop songs & artists recorded on them if we couldn’t get the particular album in the shops.

I made so many mixtapes. I would give them to friends and in particular, at the age of 17, to a girlfriend – songs i thought at the time were some of the best romantic songs. The girlfriend is long gone but I do love the songs just as much.

Some Fun Facts About Mind Your Language

- Roshan

Mind Your Language is a British sitcom that aired on ITV from 1977 to 1979, with a brief revival in 1985. The show is set in an adult education college in London and focuses on the class in English as a Foreign Language taught by Mr. Jeremy Brown, who teaches a group of enrolled foreigners.

Here are some interesting facts about the show:

  • Inspiration: The series was inspired by the 1937 book “The Education of HYMAN KAPLA*N” by Leo Rosten, which is set in a New York night class for English learners.
  • Cancellation: Michael Grade, then Director of Programmes at London Weekend Television, commissioned the show but later canceled it after three series, believing it had exhausted its comedic potential.
  • Revival: The show was briefly revived in 1985 (or 1986 in most ITV regions) with six of the original cast members.
  • International Popularity: Despite criticisms of racial stereotyping in the UK, “Mind Your Language” found significant success abroad and continues to be rerun in countries like India.
  • Cast Diversity: The show featured a diverse ensemble cast portraying students from various countries, each bringing their unique cultural backgrounds to the classroom setting.

“Mind Your Language” remains a notable example of 1970s British television, reflecting both the era’s comedic tastes and its evolving perspectives on cultural representation.

The 7 Hammer Horror Movies With Dracula

- Roshan

The Hammer Horror Dracula films are a series of British Gothic horror movies produced by Hammer Film Productions, beginning in the late 1950s. These films are known for their atmospheric storytelling, vivid color cinematography, and striking performances, particularly by Christopher Lee as Count Dracula and Peter Cushing as his nemesis, Professor Abraham Van Helsing.

Key Films in the Series

  1. Horror of Dracula (1958)
    • The first Hammer Dracula film and arguably the most iconic.
    • Christopher Lee debuts as Dracula, with Peter Cushing as Van Helsing.
    • A loose adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel, known for its sensuality, graphic violence (for its time), and vibrant visuals.
  2. Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
    • Lee reprises his role, though Dracula has no dialogue in this installment.
    • The story follows a group of travelers who unwittingly revive the vampire.
  3. Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)
    • Dracula returns from the dead to terrorize a small village.
    • Known for its religious themes and lush, Gothic visuals.
  4. Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)
    • Focuses on a group of bored aristocrats who revive Dracula as part of a satanic ritual.
    • Lee continues to deliver a menacing presence.
  5. Scars of Dracula (1970)
    • Offers a more violent and gory take on the Dracula mythos.
    • Dracula is portrayed as particularly cruel and sadistic in this entry.
  6. Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
    • A significant departure, bringing Dracula into a contemporary London setting.
    • Features Van Helsing’s descendant battling Dracula.
  7. The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)
    • A sequel to Dracula A.D. 1972, blending Gothic horror with espionage thriller elements.
    • Dracula plots to unleash a deadly plague on humanity.
  8. The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)
    • A unique blend of Gothic horror and martial arts.
    • Does not feature Christopher Lee; Dracula is portrayed by John Forbes-Robertson.

Hallmarks of the Series

  • Christopher Lee’s Dracula: Tall, imposing, and with a mix of seductive charm and monstrous brutality, Lee’s portrayal redefined the character.
  • Peter Cushing’s Van Helsing: A fearless, intelligent adversary to Dracula, often serving as the moral and physical force against evil.
  • Production Design: Lavish Gothic sets, moody lighting, and Hammer’s signature use of Technicolor heightened the sense of dread and macabre beauty.
  • Themes: The films often explored themes of repressed sexuality, religion, and societal decadence.

Legacy

The Hammer Dracula series had a profound impact on the horror genre, influencing subsequent vampire films and popularizing Dracula as a cultural icon. The films remain celebrated for their performances, style, and ability to blend terror with an underlying sense of tragedy.

When A Terrible Movie Reminds You Fonder Times From Your Past

- Roshan

For some reason I was reminded of some good ole fun times spent with my younger cousins who were in India on vacation from the UK. I rewatched Batman & Robin a couple of days ago and it reminded me We went to see the movie at theatres back in 1998. It was 4 of us  – Harish, Aswin & Sree. Just us guys and we watched the movie is this theatre which has since had a full renovation but back then it was a dump and there were a couple of huge rats running around.

Anways, I remember that Aswin & Srree spent a few days in my parents home in Thrikkakara around early 1999 I think. I was not working or studying at that time having just completed a 2 year computer diploma course and was awaiting the results of the exams. So while they were at my house, we spent almost all of our time playing video games on my old computer and watching cartoons. Anways, I just remember enjoying my time with them playing a bunch of games like some F1 & Indy car race games, some football game demo that only allowed you to play USA vs Russia (doh!), some funny cartoony race game called Wacky Wheels and lots & lots of DOOM!

And at night they would come to my room and I’d switch the ac on. I slept on one end and Aswin on the other with then 7 year old Sree in the middle. And we’d tell jokes and crack each other up until late night and we feel asleep. And it was a fun time.

What Did You Love Doing As A Child That You’ve Stopped Doing?

- Roshan

What did you love doing as a child that you’ve stopped doing? Rediscover a childhood passion and consider how you can bring it back into your life.

Reading – I used to be a bookworm and I was quite happy to spend hours in a nice comfy chair or in my bed reading book after book, usually with some music playing in the background. My relatives found it easy to give me gifts – just get him a book to read, was what they would say!

I used to play a lot of games on my Atari with my sister & dad. Later on,I used to played quite a few games on my pc but the only games I bought myself were a couple of FIFA & NHL from EA Sports. The rest I used to install a lot of demo games from various cds that I would get from computer magazines like PC Today and others.

Other than that was spending time with my cousins. I loved the times that we played football or cricket in mornings of our holidays and board games in the evening post tea and then watch movies together as a group at night. Those were some awesome times.

Full House Fans Have A Fun Podcast They Can Enjoy

- Roshan

Cut it out! You got it, dude! Fans of the hugely popular 80s-90s sitcom Full House will recognize these very memorable catch phrases from the show. It is sweet, it is funny, at times very cheesy & corny but in the end it is a beloved show that will touch your heart at times and make you smile and laugh. So if you are a fan of the show, you should know about the podcast called Full House Rewind, hosted by Dave Coulier who has guests from the cast and crew and people connected with it on for interviews and some fun quizzes.

Dave as you may know was 1/3rd of the main male adult cast. The show was about Danny Tanner, a father of 3 young girls – 10 year old DJ, 5 year old Stephanie and baby Michelle – who has recently lost his wife. To help raise the girls, his best friend Joey and brother-in-law Jesse move in to the house and hence you get Full House. From season 2 you have Rebecca who joins the main cast and marries Jesse by season 4. They have twin sons, increasing the household even more. Add in next door neighbour Kimmy, a recurring character who joins the main castfrom season 5 and DJ’s boyfriend Steve who becomes a main caster for season 6 & 7.

The show lasted 192 episodes over 8 seasons before ending and the series was consistently in the Nielsen Top 30 (from season two onward) and continues to gain even more popularity in syndicated reruns, and is also aired internationally. Join beloved Director, Actor, Comedian and Television Host Dave Coulier (“Joey Gladstone”) as he reminisces on what it was like to grow up with your favorite TV family. From Uncle Jesse’s hair to Michelle’s attitude, relive some of the most hilarious and heartfelt moments with exclusive behind-the-scenes stories and interviews from VERY special guests. Full House Rewind will have a variety show feel with recurring segments and bits that along the way explore different family dynamics and relationships and how deeply the show impacted their own. Whether you’ve been a fan since the beginning or you’re watching “Full House” for the first time, there’s room for you in our home!

I’ve been enjoying watching an episode every few days along with rewatching the show on my tv. It’s been fun & nostalgic. You can listen to the podcast on Spotify or watch it on Youtube.

It Was Cheaper To Have Fun In The late 2000s

- Roshan

So in 2006, September, just 10 days after my parents and I moved from our house to this current apartment that we are living in, I had decided to have a day out in the city. A shave and shower later and by 11:30 or so I was off to start my day out at a cafe nearby, which was Cafe Coffee Day. At the cafe I had a couple of cookies and a big cup of Kaapi Nirvana, which is a large frappe. After about 45 mins there, I walked the few feet to both Planet M & Music World, which were stores that I used to frequent to buy buy music cds and dvd, and bought a 2 cd best of The Scorpions and Iron Maiden’s new album, respectively.

Then I went to Men’s Studio and bought a pair of light brown jeans and two shirts plus a couple of underwear(!!) and while the jeans was being altered to my length specifications, I decided to go for lunch. The Oberio bar & restaurant is quite nearby and I popped in to a very crowded room for a couple of vodkas and had some ginger chicken & a plate of noodles, which I noted was very good.

Now in 2007 the coffee and cookie would have cost me less than ? 300 and the cds would have been around ?800. The two shirts and jeans would have been around ?1500 and  the food would have cost me around ?500 or less! If I did all that today, I would be ?7700 poorer! The frappe and cookies at Starbucks would be around ?700, the cds would be around ?1000, the two shirts around ?3000 and the jeans ?2000 and finally the two drinks and food would be around ?1200! Wow!

Pump – Aerosmith

- Roshan

Pump is the tenth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith. It was released on September 12, 1989, by Geffen Records. The album peaked at No. 5 on the US charts, and was certified septuple platinum by the RIAA in 1995. It also has certified sales of seven million copies in the U.S. to date, and is tied with its successor Get a Grip as Aerosmith’s second best-selling studio album in the U.S. (Toys in the Attic leads with nine million). The album was the fourth best-selling album of the year 1990. In the UK, it was the second Aerosmith album to be certified Silver (60,000 units sold) by the British Phonographic Industry, achieving this in September 1989.

Pump was the second of three sequentially recorded Aerosmith albums to feature producer Bruce Fairbairn and engineers Mike Fraser and Ken Lomas at Little Mountain Sound Studios. The song starts out with the energetic Young Lust before going into one of my favourites of the band – F.I.N.E. which should have been the name of the album but whatever. The song title is an acronym for “Fucked Up, Insecure, Neurotic, and Emotional”, as stated in the album’s liner notes.  Its raunchy lyrics focus on youth angst and lasciviousness, and the verses feature the line “I’m ready” after each line, suggesting  sexual arousal, or being “ready” for sex. Tongue-in-cheek lyrics are prevalent, including “she’s got the Cracker Jack, now all I want’s the prize”, “I got the right key baby, but the wrong keyhole”, “I shove my tongue right between your cheeks”, etc.

Going Down/Love In An Elevator is a fun song with typical glee sung by Steven Tyler and co about well, according to Tyler himself  based on an actual experience where he was making out with a woman in an elevator and the doors opened. With a raunchy music video to boot! We move on to the harder Monkey On My Back which I understand is about beating a drug addiction. Great song but then we go on to what I think is the very best song that the band has ever composed. It’s Janie’s Got A Gun which describes a young woman planning her revenge for childhood abuse. Clearly this is a fun and awesome tune and mostly upbeat despite the dark lyrics and implication. It won the band a 1990 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Then we have Dulcimer Stomp which segue’s into the danceable The Other Side, which is about finding a new love and moving on from a toxic relationship. My Girl is an upbeat ditty while Don’t Get Mad/Get Even is more down low blues influenced about taking revenge for getting cheated even. Hoodoo/Voodoo Medicine Man is a similar drum beat heavy – almost hypnotic ending with the drums. And finally we have the power balled What It Takes which was released as the 3rd single. There is even accordion in it and it’s probably one of the top 5 ballads released by the band.

Overall its and excellent album and it received mostly positive reception, and has since been called “a high-water mark of the glam metal era”, that “stands toe to toe against Aerosmith’s undisputed mid-’70s classics.” Pump is first Aerosmith album that I bought back in 1991 when I was 15. I had previously only heard Angel and on hearing samples of Dude Looks Like A Lady and then the music video for Janie’ Got A Gun, I was hooked to the band. I’d call this one my joint favourite Aerosmith album along with 1993’s Get A Grip. I rate this album a 9 outta 10!

Tell Us About The Last Time You Slept On A Couch

- Roshan

Well it’s not the last time that I slept on a couch but it is, for some reason, something that I recently remember doing and it even came to me while I was half-asleep one night. This was perhaps when I was 14 or so, 1990-1991 and we were in Irinjalakuda which is where my father’s family home is. But I think this as not at his house but another relative;s house – maybe his older brother’s family’s house. I am not very close to that side of the family as I have always preferred to spend time with my mom’s family.

Anyways we were there for a wedding and there was a party, so this would have been the night before or two nights before. My family has to drive 90 minutes or so to reach this place and I think we were staying for the weekend. There was food & drinks being served and my dad was having a gala time with his relatives and my mom and sister were sitting with a bunch of the ladies in another room. I was bored very quickly and post a quick dinner, I wandered upstairs and settled in a big room. A male cousin, a few years older than me, asked me if I wanted some comics to read and I said yes.

So I spent the night, which would have been from 10 pm till almost the next morning lying on that couch with a table lamp next to me and read these Astrix comics. Most of the night I was alone but I do know that early in the morning two of my cousins came and lay on mattresses on the other side of the room. I spent the night listening to the sounds from the party downstairs and reading the books and fell asleep y around 2 am when the party stopped.

Prompt from 31 March Writing Prompts from Mama Kat’s Losin It

Top 5 Singers When I Was 10-12 Years Old

- Roshan

Write a list of your 5 favorite singers growing up…do they still make your top 5 list?

  1. Ronnie James Dio : I first started listening to Rainbow when I was 12 via this cassette of Rainbow songs that someone gave me. I ended up becoming a lifelong fan of Dio and he is my fav male singer of all time.
  2. Joey Tempest : The first singer that I liked at the age of 10 – The Final Countdown song & album changed my life and I turned over to the rock side of things
  3. Jon Bon Jovi : Same year same day, same hour that I first listened to Europe, I also listened / watched Bon Jovi for the first time and was blown away.
  4. Bryan Adams : Evergreen Bryan Adams. I first started listening to him aged 12 and been a big fan ever sing
  5. Klaus Meine : The summer before I turned 12, I spent several weeks in my mom’s eldest brother’s house. My cousins and I played a few bands over and over and Scorpions was clearly #1 for us. Klaus Meine’s vocals is always awesome.

Prompt from 31 March Writing Prompts from Mama Kat’s Losin It

A Childhood Memory Which Includes A Bollywood Song

- Roshan

A childhood memory

I remember my friends who were my neighbours as well. When my family lived in Kuwait they and their parents lives right opposite our apartment for many, many years – 11 of which I was alive. The girl was a year older than me and the boy was 2 years younger than me. Along with the other kids in the building we played a lot of games together and spent a lot of time watching tv together; like cartoons and tv shows.

One particular afternoon sticks in my mind about the 3 of us in their apartment playing the games we did. After having watched the Amithab Bachchan & Hema Malini starer Satte Pe Satta we decided to play out some of the scenes in the movies. What I especially remember is me and the sister lip syncing to one of the songs and walking around like in the movie while her brother, played several characters spying on us and hiding behind the furniture.

I dunno why but this scene played out in my memories when I was lying in bed this weekend and for some reason I was thinking about my childhood. I haven’t seen them since 1990 and am barely in touch with the brother on Facebook. But I do miss my childhood fun days.

Wing Of Tomorrow – Europe

- Roshan

Wings of Tomorrow is the second studio album by the Swedish rock band Europe. It was released on 24 February 1984, by Hot Records in Sweden, and by Epic Records in the United States. Wings of Tomorrow is the last album to feature drummer Tony Reno, before being replaced by Ian Haughland, who is still the current drummer. This album precedes the world famous The Final Countdown. Compared to their debut, Wings Of Tomorrow was a much more stronger album and has several live performance favourites. The album had 4 singles released – Lyin’ Eyes, Stormwind, Dreamer & Open Your Heart – the latter of which got a new lease on life with a slightly different version in 1988.

In addition to that the title track which is the 6th song is a real banger and should have been one of the singles released. Stormwind is possibly the strongest song on the record with an instantly hummable tune and chorus, and great solo guitar work from John Norum. Scream of Anger is a composing collaboration between Joey Tempest and former member and bassist the late Marcel Jacob. Open Your Heart is the love ballad in the album which gained greater reach and acclaim after being reworked a it and re-released as a single on 1988’s Out Of This World however I prefer this original version.

Another gem is the instrumental Aphasia which showcases Norum’s guitar skills but Dreamer is a lovely ballad that will make you think of sailing on a small boat on the waters as the full moon shines it’s light on you. That was the image I always got when I listened to the song.