大象传媒

In the good old days.
We were born before television, before penicillin, polio shorts, frozen food, Xerox, plastic, contact lenses, videos, Frisbees and the Pill. We were before radar, credit cards, split atoms, laser beams and ball point pens; before dishwashers, tumble dryers, electronic blankets, air conditioners, drip-dry clothes鈥� and before man walked on the moon.

We got married first and then lived together (how quaint can you be?). We thought fast food was what you ate in Lent, a Big Mac was an oversized raincoat and 鈥渃rumpet鈥� we had for tea. We existed before househusbands, computer dating, dual careers and when a 鈥渕eaningful relationship鈥� meant getting along with cousins, and sheltered accommodation was where you waited for a bus.

We were before day care centres, group homes and disposable nappies. We never heard of FM radio, tape decks, electronic typewriters, word processors, yogurt and young men wearing earrings.

For us鈥漷ime-sharing鈥� meant togetherness, a 鈥渃hip鈥� was a piece of wood or a fried potato, 鈥渉ardware鈥� meant nuts and bolts and 鈥渟oftware鈥� wasn鈥檛 a word.

Before 1940 鈥淢ade in Japan鈥� meant junk, the term 鈥渕aking out鈥� referred to how you did in your exams, 鈥渟tud鈥� was something fastened to a collar to a shirt and 鈥済oing all the way鈥� meant staying on a bus to the terminal.

Pizzas, McDonalds and instant coffee were unheard of. Cigarette smoking was fashionable, 鈥済rass鈥� was mown, 鈥渃oke鈥� was kept in a coal-house, a 鈥渏oint鈥� was a piece of meat and 鈥減ot鈥� was something you cooked in. 鈥淩ock-music鈥� was a grandmother鈥檚 lullaby, 鈥淓ldora do鈥� was an ice-cream, 鈥渁 gay person鈥� was the life and soul of the party and nothing more, while 鈥渁ids鈥� just meant beauty treatment or help for someone in trouble.

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