Texting - no not that kind.

Philippines
November 3, 2012 3:58am CST
On the second straight day I went to the cemetery, November 2, which is actually All Soul's Day, there were only a few people left visiting their departed loved ones, unlike in the previous day when the cemetery was packed and there were even lots of people selling food and drinks. In fact the place was almost empty. A family arrived visiting the grave near where my father is buried. It was a couple and their daughter. I noticed the daughter was holding something familiar. I took a closer look and I was not mistaken. She was holding a rectangular cardboard printed with comic-style artwork. The cardboard has vertical and horizontal dotted holes which allows you to tear it into smaller rectangles. One rectangle features one frame of the comic strip. I remember we called it text or teks. I suddenly flashed back to my youth when these teks were very popular among kids. Thinking about it now, I can't quite remember for certain what were the mechanics of the game but let's see: At least two players are needed and they each need to choose one teks to use as pamato - these will be the throwing pieces that will be used every turn. A third extra teks called panggulo is needed if there are only two players. To play, one player will throw or flip the three cards in the air. When they hit the ground check the cards whether they are showing the front or the back of the card. Look for the odd one out. For example: Player 1 - facing up Player 2 - facing down Panggulo - facing down Player 1 wins! He'll throw on the next turn and he'll collect the bets which are piles of other teks. If all cards face the same way or the odd one out is the extra card, there will be a re-throw. Did you play teks in your youth? What were the prints on the cards you played? During my youth, they were usually scenes from Tagalog movies. But later on I heard they feature animé characters. I'm not sure what's on the one the girl in the cemetery was holding, it wasn't close enough for me to see it clearly. But it's definitely teks she was holding. And it was a pleasant surprise to find they still exist in this day and age of computer games where even other card games have their own software version.
1 person likes this
10 responses
• Philippines
4 Nov 12
I have actually played this game when I was a child. This was one of the popular games to collect cards aside from "apir-apir". Cards of my time was also bigger than today's cards. Though these games were still present today but its popularity is declining. Someday, this might be gone.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
4 Nov 12
I'm not sure I've played apir-apir or even heard about it. How do you play that game?
• Philippines
5 Nov 12
Wow I've never played that one. What kind of cards do you use to play that game?
• Philippines
5 Nov 12
It's when both player is holding a card on their right palm and perform high-five. Once their palms meet, they will then let go of their respective cards and let them fall. Whoever got the card facing up when it touches the ground wins. The bet depends on the agreement of both parties.
1 person likes this
@Raine38 (12250)
• United States
3 Nov 12
Hey there silentwill, I remembered even arguing with my siblings because they would cheat me on counting the teks when they have to pay me up whenever I win. I remember we have this distinct way of counting them, like one teks card for each syllable of a number. Like "isa" was counted as "I-sa" and corresponds to 2 cards. I think we still have some of these stowed away in those cardboard boxes in our garage. But our fascination with teks has evolved to magic cards, and now, my younger siblings are onto Pokemon cards. Those were the days wherein playing with the neighbor's kids and our other playmates are so simple and so much fun.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
4 Nov 12
One number equals to two like you said it's counted i-sa. But dalawa also counts as two only, one count for dala and one for wa so it's not really per syllable.
@mydanods (6513)
• Nigeria
4 Nov 12
i always got cheated when playing games with the neighborhood kids. i think i allow them to cheat me on winning because they never get to persevere in the games.
1 person likes this
@jaiho2009 (39141)
• Philippines
3 Nov 12
I can remember my kids playing this game. They have an ice cream plastic container full of text/teks with them. I just wonder why it is called "teks" or text...I knew it's an art, something like faces of anime/cartoon characters and not words printed on every card.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
4 Nov 12
There were words printed on the ones I played. They had the dialogues of the movie in bubble thoughts. Like comics.
• Philippines
3 Nov 12
teks - from the old days
Hello SilentWill, Yes i remember them, the most popular teks that i had back then was Dragon Ball Z and Ghost Fighter. it was only once i tried to play with them, then when i won something i decided not to play anymore to prevent myself from loosing more teks.there was another thing called on the round one, the teks that i know is obviously rectangular shape.
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• Philippines
3 Nov 12
Are you talking about pogs? Those are the round ones and usually thicker than teks.
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• Philippines
3 Nov 12
I guess I'm older. I played teks before animé became popular. And I agree with pheenkeesh those rounded cardboards are called Pogs. Coca Cola popularized it in our country I think. I didn't get to play it because I think I was already on my teens when it became popular and I didn't play much anymore.
• Philippines
4 Nov 12
Yes, I played teks during my good old grade school days too! I would even save money from my daily allowance just to buy new packs of teks from the store across the school and would boast when I get myself brand new ones. Those were the good old days where there were no laptops, no tablets, no cell phones and the only means for kids to have fun is play with other children.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
4 Nov 12
It's sad that much physical contact among kids have been lost due to those gadgets you mentioned. But it's good to know these games still exist. Even if they are not popular now as they were before these games will still survive as long as there are children who are not as 'fortunate' as those who are born to families who can afford those gadgets. As for parents like me who do have such gadgets, we can still help preserve these simpler games by exposing our children to them and limiting their use of electronic gadgets that take away hours of their time.
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
3 Nov 12
yes, my brothers did. they were made of cardboard. i can't recall what was printed on them, maybe since i didn't play them. all i remember is they say tsa (face up) and tsob (face down). they also had these cards with fighter planes on them and their stats and because of them, i never forgot the word "mach." well, i'm glad they're back and that even little girls play teks now. :)
1 person likes this
• Philippines
4 Nov 12
The other card game you're referring to is Trump Card. The cards are larger and they have pictures and stats of fighter planes or racing cars. I also played them but can't remember the mechanics of it well.
@beamer88 (4259)
• Philippines
3 Nov 12
I didn't know kids still play this card game. I remember having two boxful of these teks cards. Some I won from other children, but most were given to me. I think most of them were English movies and TV shows but the dialog were in Tagalog. I had Jaws and King Kong, plus the TV series Bionic Man. There were others but I really can't recall anymore. Now I'm regretting not having kept them. I would've loved to show my son one of the games I played during my childhood.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
3 Nov 12
Hmmm why can't I remember English movies? I only remember Tagalog movies printed. Since they are making a comeback, you can buy your son some and show him.
@bluespygirl (2112)
• Philippines
3 Nov 12
Hello there. Nope, I didn't play text when I was younger maybe because I prefer other Filipino games like patintero, piko and taguan. Text game is now back. I could see my youngest son playing it nowadays. Yeah, filipino movies, filipino soap operas are printed in it and so are the famous cartoons. I wish kids of now generation will resume playing games that will give them more physical exercise than playing online games
• Philippines
3 Nov 12
So they are really coming back into fashion! Cool! While playing teks may not be that type of game where kids will get plenty of exercise (like playing tag, hopscotch etc.) it still beats sitting in front of the computer because you have to throw the cards in the air and bend down to pick them up. I too wish kids nowadays will engage more in these games where they interact face to face with other kids rather than virtually or online.
@ardoy0731 (7308)
• Philippines
3 Nov 12
Oh I remember this card game and used to play with it.I even used shoe box to keep all the teks that I have and I've won to other playmate.I used to play it after school and during weekend.There is also season for this game.We also went to other street to just play and compete with other kids.It also became extra income since some players do buy when they are already lose their teks.I also tried to buy when times that I lose and have no teks left, cause it was cheaper to buy from your playmate than buying new one in stores. One of the childhood games that I used and enjoyed to play.Unlike today that more on indoor and video games.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
4 Nov 12
There are indeed more kids playing indoor and computer games today. Hopefully other outdoor games will see their revival too like this game that we enjoyed during yesterday's youth.
• Philippines
3 Nov 12
Yes, I've heard of teks. My brothers and our neighbors used to play those when we were younger. As for me, I'd start a collection so everything I had was in mint condition and properly arranged. I collected teks with anime prints (Ghost Fighter, Flame of Recca, Dragon Ball, Pokemon, etc). We also lived nearby a wholesale store so I bough these by bulk instead of buying them from the sari-sari store. It bring back good memories and I'm glad they're reviving these again. I thought that kids nowadays just play DOTA or Facebook games :)
• Philippines
3 Nov 12
I feel so old. Lol. I played teks way before those animés became known. I only remember very old Tagalog movies. One was called Supremo, I believe it was a movie by Ramon Revilla. The senior one! You're right I thought they all play Dota or Plants vs. Zombies or Angry Birds now. Glad to see there are still simpler games like this being revived.