The ’80s was a period when one could still get away with almost anything, such as leaving the front door unlocked or riding on top of a jeep. It was also a bygone era when Pepsi was ahead of Coca-Cola. My, how things have changed.
Although today’s technology makes our lives easier, it’s hard to compete with the good times and nostalgic feeling of the ’80s. Life was really simple back then.
Here are some things Chinoys from that decade can relate to:
1. The value of P20 during the ’80s was much higher compared to today.
During the early ’80s, the equivalent of receiving P20 a day is like receiving P1,000 daily.
The value of P20 was so high that it was sufficient enough to buy less than half a week of groceries since P50 could cover a family for the whole week. Seventy-five centavos were even enough to ride a jeep, but one could get away without paying by seating on someone’s lap or kandong.
2. The streets were empty by 9:00 p.m.
People would usually be at home by 9:30 p.m. since this hour was considered to be late for most people at the time. This is contrary to the present when we still see lots of cars on EDSA during the same time period.
3. Watching TV was the best.
The ’80s had good TV shows like The Golden Girls and MacGyver. The only problem was that viewers couldn’t miss a single episode since there were no replays or any of the other options we have today. Thus, people would either have to buy a VHS tape and record it or wait for the entire series to restart again at another time.
4. It’s hard to miss MTV and Saturday Fun Machine on Saturday.
MTV was the equivalent of today’s Spotify. For new music, people had to stay tuned to MTV, the premium music channel at the time.
Saturday was also reserved for watching cartoons on the program, Saturday Fun Machine.
5. The fashion trends were iconic.
The ’80s was the decade when people started wearing shoulder pads and neon. Girls would also put on bangs and use a spray net. Swatch watches were also a thing since owning one would instantly make you popular in school.
6. Friends could only be contacted through phone or mail.
Because of the absence of the latest technology, people had to list down all their friends’ phone numbers and addresses in a notebook to reach out to them.
Although using the phone would be the most convenient choice, it was still hard to communicate as some phones had extensions, thus allowing other people in the house to listen in on your conversation. Still, those were simpler times.
Do you feel seen now? Read on for more things Chinoys can relate to here.
