My parents always say that when I was a kid, I used to cry all the time and they would have a hard time in trying to stop me from doing so. I would only stop crying once I heard Breathless by The Corrs on the radio. I find this childhood story of mine cute and until now, I still listen to Breathless, because it's such a good song. I guess I had good taste in music even as a child.
My first exposure to cartoons was when I was only 2 years old. I used to really wake up early and watch Nickeledeon's morning shows on television until it was noon. I was particularly a big fan of Dora the Explorer, seeing as I even had her hairstyle as a kid. I think this is how I started to develop my conversational skills in English, so I'm glad I got to watch television at an early age.
I started to read at the age of 3 (which is a fact I know well since my mom still brags about it to this day). My mom says that one day, she just discovered me reading one of the books we owned inside my room. We have this collection of books in our house--stuff like fairy tales and classic children's stories, almanacs, and dictionaries. I remember reading the stories with graphics aloud and trying to imagine myself as a storyteller, which I think ignited the development of my diction and speaking skills.
I was allowed to use our computer when I was 5 years old. I still remember playing old computer games like Minesweeper and Pinball. We also used to have this encyclopedia program where I could visit famous historical places in a 360-degree point of view, which I always enjoyed fiddling with. Looking back, that was where I started to dabble in modern technology.
I was in 1st grade when I began to use social media. I got a Friendster account with the help of my sister. I even remember excitedly watching her from behind our computer as she was setting up my account. Of course, like any normal girl at that age, I bedazzled my homepage with glitters and pink. It was fun and an enjoyable pastime. I guess that was my first time in trying web design and putting my artistic sense to use.
I was in 3rd grade when I started using Facebook. Just like Friendster, I had a little help from my sister, but unlike before, I got accustomed to using it quite fast. I used Facebook mainly for playing games like Pet Society and Amoeba World, looking at cool pictures, and posting some jokes that I thought were funny. I think this is when I began to form my current personality, because I was able to discover some of the stuff I like today through Facebook.
This was also the year when I was given my first own phone. I don't know the exact unit (I think it was a Nokia 3205), but it was a Nokia phone and it had this blue Snoopy dog case on it. I mainly used it for texting, because my dad would message me when he was at the school gate to fetch me. As a kid, I think having a phone was one of my first responsibilities. I had to make sure I didn't drop it or leave it behind anywhere, and I had to always reply to my parents' messages. It was a fun and simple thing, but looking back, I think it was the first time I felt like an adult.
I was in 4th grade when I created my Twitter account. Although almost none of my classmates at that time were using it, I still made one, because my 2 sisters seemed to like it. I didn't really understand why everyone liked it at first, because I couldn't seem to understand its purpose. It was just like Facebook, but you were only limited to 140 characters. So, I got bored of it real quickly and only started actively using it 2 years after. Now, I use Twitter on a daily basis, because it has evolved from a mere site where I can post a diary 140 characters long into a medium where I can find out what's trending, what's the latest news, and where I can express my opinions on important issues.
This was the year I first started watching anime. A friend introduced me to Fairy Tail which is not the first anime that I watched but has been my first stepping stone to becoming a fan of anime. I watched Fairy Tail on a site called AnimeLink (which is still up and running) almost everyday and until now, even though it has ended, it still holds a big place in my heart. I'm also really thankful for my friend for recommending it to me and we still talk to each other up to this day even though he goes to a different school. I think anime has shaped a really big part of who I am. It was also one of my first obsessions as a child and it still is.
This was when I first discovered the website called Wattpad where people can read and write stories for free. My sister started using it and so I got interested in it as well. I only used to go on it to read, but later on, I found myself having the urge to write a story of my own. I tried writing for the first time, and though I can say that it's really bad (looking back), that was my first time I even considered creating my own story and it feels so nostalgic now that I've come this far. My writing has improved and I have a more mature taste for stories now, but I still enjoy going to Wattpad to read some good romance stories. What I really love about it is that it provides for a good writer-reader communication so the readers can give the authors some feedback and they would be able to improve their writing. As amateur writers, I understand how Wattpad has been a big help to them. I really appreciate it for being the inspiration that brought out the writer in me.
I had watched some videos on Youtube before, but hadn't really though of creating an account until 7th grade. My two friends during that time were really into a Youtuber called nigahiga who they talked about a lot, but I was unfamiliar with him. That was also the first time I had heard of the term "Youtuber" and it bothered me that there was something I didn't know about social media, so I decided to create a Youtube account to familiarize myself with the Youtubers they were talking about. To my surprise, I actually found myself really liking Ryan(nigahiga)'s videos and I immediately became a fan of him. Now, I know a lot more Youtubers and am very active in using the site.
This has been my most recent new interaction with social media and I can say I'm a fan of it. It's just a simple app where I can communicate with my friends and send mini-updates about my life and I enjoy it so much. I don't really post much on Facebook anymore, because I have this strange thinking that I might come off as boastful or I might seem like I'm bragging if I post stuff about my life. But on Snapchat, I don't have to worry, because my friends do the same and it's like we're telling each other stories about the daily events that take place in our lives.
We'd love to hear from you. Please send questions or feedback to the below email addresses.
Before contacting us, you may wish to visit our FAQs page which has lots of useful info on Tiki-Toki.
We can be contacted by email at: hello@tiki-toki.com.
You can also follow us on twitter at twitter.com/tiki_toki.
If you are having any problems with Tiki-Toki, please contact us as at: help@tiki-toki.com
Close