17 Nostalgic Signs of #GrowingUpSwiss

So our friends at BuzzFeed have picked their favorites from the trending hashtag #GrowingUpSwiss.

Being quite the nostalgic person myself, I felt inspired to dig into my own mental archives to reflect on growing up Swiss. A disclaimer up front: If you did not grow up in the 1970's or 1980's, you probably wouldn't understand...

Here are my personal memories of growing up as a child of the 1980's in Switzerland:

We played Gummitwist until the cows came home...

My first watch was a Flik Flak.

My rucksack was made of real leather, lasting for six years:

I would hang out in the toy sections at the ABM, EPA and Vilan department stores.

I always bought SJW magazines at school (but never read them).

And I needed my parents' help to build the Bastelbogen:

When the Swiss Army tanks rolled through town, we begged for chocolate and cookies.

I fit through the smallest gap at Knies Kinderzoo:

All my toys were made of wood.

In first grade, they taught me math with Mini Lük.

I was a member of the SBB Junior Club.

And I still remember that train tickets looked like this:

I basically grew up on chocolate popsicles from Migros.

I would carve a turnip for Räbelichtliumzug.

I was always worried when Samichlaus showed up (and didn't know that behind the beard was an in-law).

I felt relieved when Schellen-Ursli came home with the big bell.

And I listened to the audio tape of Schlieremer Chind - Chum mer gönnd in Zoo, over and over again:

Remember these?

(Gummitwist photograph copyright Wikipedia, Bastelbogen copyright by Wikipedia, turnip photograph copyright by Wikipedia, school backpack copyright by kuhfell.ch, Swiss department store bags copyright by WANKEN, SBB ticket stubs copyright by Lorenz Derungs/schulbild.ch)