Lost Worlds - What have We Lost & Where Did it Go? - Part 1

(Idea shamelessly copied from this paperback - definitely worth a read. A lot of the following references would not be obvious -- just like fragments from another scattered life.)

Here is my list -

1. VCR Rental Nights. VHS (not) rewind fine.
   
   
2. Morning newspaper delivery - the "thud" on the balcony.
   
   
3. Nylon back "Easy Chair"
   
   
4. Borolene. Not the cream - but the the most wonderful program to ever air -- "Borolene-er Sonsar".
   
   
5. TV Box - so the TV screen can be "locked". Close second - phone padlocks.
   
   
6. "Niruddes Sonkranto Ghoshona" (Announcement on Missing Persons) before 7:30PM Bengali news - Me and my brother used to play guessing game on the age. One had to guess the correct age in the 3 seconds between the appearance of the photo and the utterance of the details. Later, I even started "Guess the name" contest. One had to be really fast to even aim that.
   
   
7. Bryan Adams in a Pizza Shop / Scoop - welcome adulthood!
   
   
8. Anil Grover column in "The Telegraph" magazine.
   
   
9. Leaving "Adarsha Hindu Hotel" unfinished on one evening as the rest of the hostelites came back from their stupid football game.
   
   
10. Watching "Rani Rasmoni" on open air screen with 350 other boys who just stepped into teens.
    
    
11. Anandamela Pujabarshiki before 1992. Especially, Shailen Ghosh's first five years and Sanjeev Chattopadhyay's middle two!
    
    
12. First road trip in US. Yes, it was Niagara and we stopped at McDonald's at 3AM!
    
    
13. Used magazine purchase from train "hawkers" before the train picked up full speed.
    
    
14. Comparing notes about "phone card charges" with fellow first-timers in US.
    
    
15. Dulal Chandra Bhar's Taal MichDi ads on right newspaper ear. The distinction between it and Dulal Bhar's was as ethereal as that between "Kuwari Dulhan" and "Kunwari Dulhan" (worth a full separate post!).
    
    
16. Reading Panjika on a lazy summer vacation afternoon.
    
    
17. Reading "Bharoter Sadhok" (Sages of India) on another lazy summer vacation afternoon as there was literally nothing else to read.
    
    
18. First sexual "awakening" as Heike Dreschler long jumped for the gold in World Championships 1987. This was the exact photograph, BTW, printed on one amazingly used page of Anandabazar Patrika. I saw this photo of her's first time today, however.
    
    
19. First drink at New Cathey Restaurant. It was Gin and Lime.
    
    
20. Sarodiyo Khela. Especially the best ever sports series called "Utko Sangbadiker Diary"
    
    
21. Sportstar Posters! Need I say more?
    
    
22. ATN. Where did it go? Why did it go? Could someone one day do a comparative analysis between ATN and CVO at their peaks?
    
    
23. Park Street Cemetery - St Xavier's would never be the same without the very dead Sahibs relaxing so close by. Smoking anywhere else would never be the same again.
    
    
24. "Rubber Deuce" ball. Any bozo and his uncle can play first-class cricket. Surviving 7 balls or more with those red tiny things that changed its shape, contour, speed and even horizontal path within a whole 18 yards separated men from sissies. BTW, has anyone else ever felt that someone always seems to carry rubber deuce ball very until it hits the bat? Otherwise, why the hell it NEVER really attains a circular shape on its trajectory!
    
    
25. Reading comics at relatives house. Why does comics feel so much better when someone else buys it and when there is a tight time line you have to finish it within?!