what did you do when you were 17?

[helen]

Re: what did you do when you were 17?

When I went to college my dad gave me a Polaroid camera and I already had a Argus C3 35mm camera my grandmother gave me (how she had it I have no idea) and one of the Kodak 110 camera.

And my dad also gave me a TI calculator that had the basic 4 functions on it that must cost him around $100 at the time. I was kind of the laughing stock with the rest of my engineering classmates at the time since they had the slide rule calculators and I didn't. Did buy one later that fall when someone from the school was having a special, I think it was the Texas Instruments SR-72, cost around $80-90 at the time, last me about 4 years. Back then the debate was TI calculators vs HP calculators sort of like the IBM/Mac debate of today.

Last night I picked up a TI-30Xa from Wal-Mart for about $10, only because I might need a spare (already have 2 other TI-30 of different types around the house).

[damontucker]

Re: what did you do when you were 17?

I think I was one of the first in my class to get a calculator watch!

It was great for taking those math tests in the back of the room....

"Manoa...why you looking at your watch so much?" "Um... teacher... just waiting for our next recess" Yeah Right!

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: what did you do when you were 17?

Back then the debate was TI calculators vs HP calculators sort of like the IBM/Mac debate of today.

I got my first HP calculator when I was 17. Reverse Polish Notation. Brrrr.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: what did you do when you were 17?

At 17 I signed up for the Air Force just so I could get the heck outta my Ultimate Japanese household (Dad was so Samurai and Mom was so...well the subserviant wife to Dad).

At 17 I used to go to Speedex's grandmother's shop (Wing Coffee) in China town and we used to scoop up all the crack seed we could.

At 17 I learned to drive, then the following year I learned to fire an M-16 and drank my first beer while doing my patriotic duty.

At 17 the year for me was 1977.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: what did you do when you were 17?

I got my first HP calculator when I was 17. Reverse Polish Notation. Brrrr.

Oh my goodness. 2 Enter 2 + I had to use an HP16c calculator for my job at the Gas Company for 22-years and I hated it everytime I had to use it.

[flying snow]

Re: what did you do when you were 17?

At 17 I signed up for the Air Force just so I could get the heck outta my Ultimate Japanese household (Dad was so Samurai and Mom was so...well the subserviant wife to Dad).

Ooooh! I have a question for you (I'm assuming youre Japanese?), if you don't mind. The given names Takashi and Takeshi, how are they pronounced? I think I know, but would like to make sure. If you could spell them the way they sound (does that make sense?), I'd greatly appreciate it. Sorry, totally off topic.

[D'Alani]

Re: what did you do when you were 17?

Ta Kah She

Ta Kay She

[craigwatanabe]

Re: what did you do when you were 17?

Ta Kah She

Ta Kay She

Confirmed correct...

Simple rule of Japanese is all vowels are short except when doubled up then it's long. Unlike Hawaiian when a doubled up vowel is two short sounds.

So my last name (Watanabe) is pronounced: Wah Tah Nah Beh. With the emphasis on the "Nah". If you're unsure as to where to emphasize then simply don't.

One of the hardest Japanese names to say correctly is when the name ends in ...shita as in Kinoshita. Think of Keno you play in Vegas but the emphasis is on the "no" part. You say Ki NO' (sudden pause) SHta (as if the "i" is silent). So you say it: KiNOshta.

And yes Watanabe is my real last name. Watanabe is the Japanese equavlent of "Smith"...so many of us, like rabbits.

I ordered a pizza when I was living in a dorm at Lowrey AFB in Denver from Domino's Pizza. When the delivery guy came he entered the main "day" room where everybody sits and watches the one TV set and said, "Pizza for Watunbe. So everybody's looking for some African guy that eventually never picked up his pizza so the driver sold it to the first buyer.

After a half hour of waiting longer than I should have, I called Domino's and inquired as to when my pizza was coming. They indicated the driver came down but I wasn't there. Okay...I get it now. So I reorder the pizza and the guy asks how do you spell Watanabe. I replied, "S-M-I-T-H". He said that's not how you spell my last name. I indicated that that was okay and I'll just listen to the driver say "Smith" instead of destroying my name again.

[flying snow]

Re: what did you do when you were 17?

Lol. I used to have my maiden name ruined all the time as well. Sigh. What can you do.

I thank you much for the info!

[1stwahine]

Re: what did you do when you were 17?

Speech Tounaments, School Plays - MTG, Senior Pep Squad, Hawaii Teenage Republican/MHS TARS President, Traveled to Arizona, California, New Mexico, Phillipines, and Tapei. Studied hard and graduated. Invested in my first resturant by myself.

Yep, seventeen years old was mighty interesting for me.

Auntie Lynn

[hidenori]

Re: what did you do when you were 17?

What did I do when I was 17? That seems like a whole nuther lifetime ago! I graduated from high school in June before I turned 17 and was on a mainland college campus when I turned 17. I regretted that move only for that first year away from home. After that, I was glad to get the head start.

[shaveice]

Re: what did you do when you were 17?

wow. you guys were way more mature than i was. i was picking my nose, had a girlfriend (how's that possible when picking one's nose?), was involved in track and wrestling, and hung out with my friends playing tag football and swimming. life was so carefree back then....

[Menehune Man]

Re: what did you do when you were 17?

Met my first wife. Partied like crazy. Bodysurfed Makapu'u when I should've been in school. Worked at the Waikiki Jack-In-The-Box. Drank and smoked Da Kine too much(if that's possible) and luckily still graduated. All at 17! Ahhh, memories!

[Tamashii]

Re: what did you do when you were 17?

When I was seventeen...
I was elected by my high school senior class to be a "prom princess" but no one had asked me to the prom.
I sang in the Oregon All-State Choir and decades later can still sense the volume, vibration....I just can't describe this....250 voices singing Rachmaninov. One of the best hours of my life! I think this was the only thing my mother ever bragged about regarding me, until 40 years later when I sang at Carnegie Hall. She died 2 weeks after that and at her funeral some of her neighbors said that she had told everyone she knew that her daughter was performing there. That made me cry a lot.
Toward the end of my 17th year, I moved to Hawaii. It was as far as I could get from home and still be in the USA. One of those decisions that changes everything..........

[kimo55]

Re: what did you do when you were 17?

got kicked outta da house for growing da kine. 2 days later, got a job and place to live in Waikiki. the rest is waikiki in da ol days history. that would be 1972