Kids growing up today have a vastly different childhood than those born in the late 70s till early 90s. Back then we didn't have the Internet or iPads, but growing up was still awesome. Here are 15 signs that you were really brought up in a uniquely Singaporean environment:

1. You can speak one dialect because you lived with your grandparents growing up

The dying art of dialects, no thanks to the government policy to get everyone to speak Mandarin. Check out this classic Xinyao song which was banned from the radio for over 20 years:

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Too old school for your taste? Here's a more updated version with pretty girls and cute guys for the social media generation:

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Since many young Singaporeans can't even carry a proper conversation in their Mother Tongues now, will dialects die out here eventually?

2. You call every elder you don't know 'auntie' or 'uncle'

Unlike in the States, where children call some elders by their names or their names affixed with 'aunt' or 'uncle', we just call whoever we are not familiar with 'auntie' and 'uncle'. No fuss, no drama.

3. You address relatives by their dialect/mother tongue titles

As if our tiny brains were not already overloaded with the many things taught at school, we were also trained to address our relatives by their positions in the family. Extra challenging during Chinese New Year when we go visiting and greet relatives we hardly meet.

4. You know what 'twist' means

So important during block catching.

5. Your parents sent you for tuition especially when you got nearer to PSLE

Your parents also tried to decipher how does 4 subjects give you a score of 300.

6. You spent weekday afternoons watching SBC drama re-runs even if you didn't understand Chinese

It was usually 3pm to 4pm. Or was it 2pm - 3pm? It just rocked to be able to catch some TV without your parents at home.

Here's one classic for you:

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Want more? Head on over here: 10 nostalgic local Chinese TV drama theme songs

7. You can sing the jingles of many commercials including the cod liver oil one.

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Or this super memorable one:

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8. You learnt most of your English from the Pyramid game and Wheel of Fortune

6pm to 7pm was the best time to improve our English with Darryl David and Pat Sajak.

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9. You also enjoyed Aksi Mat Yo Yo even if you didn't understand Malay

Because we can't resist cats. And somehow Paddle Pop kept advertising during this time slot and it looked so delicious.

10. You know how to use a Transit Link card and can recall how the machine sounded like printing out the receipt

Each receipt had a serial number and if you added up individual digits and if you got 21, it's your lucky day.

You also used the receipts to fold them into hearts. Aw.

11. And when there were no shows on TV, you went downstairs to play at the void deck and sandpit playgrounds

Because life without iPads was more awesome. Block catching, hide and seek, pepsi-cola, just to name a few.

12. You reading material of choice was Singapore True Ghost Stories

Best stories ever. Kept you up all night cowering under the blankets though.

13. Your parents loved comparing your results with your neighbours and cousins

When you are not around, they will boast how will you did. When you are there, they'll start asking why you are not performing to so and so's standards. Tough love.

14. Your well-meaning relatives had no qualms calling you fat and asking you to slim down

Tough love part 2. They won't hesitate to make fun of your pimply face as well to get you to start paying attention to your personal grooming and hygiene.

15.  We didn't really need SCV or ADSL broadband to have fun

SBC had good programmes back then, and the only reason you needed a computer was so that you could play Tetris when your parents were not using the computer.

Miss the good old days? Here's some nostalgia:

9 old school ads S’poreans who lived through the pre-Internet age will remember

9 unforgettable hairstyles S’porean guys swear by in the 90s

13 more lines 1980s S’porean babies used to say but have forgotten

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