Smarties

Do you remember those small candies you could buy from the group of sidewalk vendors that setup shop beside SLU Center? You couldn't have missed it as it was a venerable marketplace of goodies. They always come up with things to interest children ... all to make a buck of course.

The goods were seasonal as well. You'd find flowers on Valentines week, masks and plastic vampire teeth for Halloweeen. Come Christmas time they'd be selling lights and lanterns as well as firecrackers (from the simple paper bullets to the bawang and later on pla-pla).

There were some standard items like snow cream, hotcakes, cotton candy, ice cream, lollipops, Tex, Big Boy, and Bazooka Joe bubble gum, banana-que, camote-que, siniguelas, singkamas in vinegar or salt or with sili, and so on.

What a fiesta of interesting things, particularly considering the bunot where you paid for the chance to win larger prizes. The toys were interesting. The more popular ones were either sulbatanas/sumpit, rubber band launching plastic guns. And of course, lets not forget the plastic balls used for the "touch-the-body" game of physical agility. I mean if you considered Jordan the master of jumping, you should see what us boys (and girls as well) did while jumping in the air trying to avoid being hit. Ulo-ulo shots were too common so you should also know to cover your face, genitals, or nape if you cared in the air :-p

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You grow up and the small joys of life disappear. When was the last time you were content to sit down and lick dripping ice cream? The taste of yema?

I picked up some Smarties on the way out from the office the other day. In the Philippines the same name would look like Nips chocolate bits but manufactured by a competing brand. In the States, as per my baby, they are as above. Well, apparently they are also called sweet tarts, or was that a brand. Either way, she likes 'em. And I miss you mama ....