Christmas memories

A "Saint" was born!

My first remote control toy!

As the holidays are approaching, and the last minute shopping it's finished, I bring back in memory the toy stands (mpounamadika) of my town's main plaza.

In this time of the year, back in the days, during evening hours, the central square of my city, was transforming to a big toy market/bazaar. Small vendors from nearby cities, were displaying their merchandise, (mostly toys and Christmas decoration), trying to attract the hungry eyes of the young explorers and parents, for their holiday purchases.
Most of the toys were ranging from the price of a few dollars up to the amount of $10.00-$ 15.00.
This toy bazaar was the place where middle class families, were doing their final Christmas shopping, buying their "Saint Basil"(Santa Claus) gifts.
I got most of my gifts from that bazaar, until one day, at the age of 6, Saint Basil surprised me, by putting under my bed the most amazing toy I had ever received.
It was my first remote control toy car (a red sport mini cooper), with amazing shining wheels, racing stickers, and a remote control.


I kept this toy as my most favorite one for 2 years, until one day at the age of 8 I got curious of its mechanism, took a screw driver, and I decided to make a small operation on its components, trying to get to the bottom of its engineering.

That moment, was the beginning of a new era in my childhood years, in which anything that had a mechanism, I needed desperately to take it apart down to its screws.

I started from toys, but I ended up with my father's watches, who had a small collection of them, and I have been attracted to their gear movements on the back of their dial, for years.

That was also the time, when I got from my friends and family, the nick name of "Saint", meaning totally the opposite.