So many things have happened in the 1990s. The internet just started to boom, pop music became a thing for teenagers, Barbie dolls, Nintendo and game boy became a fad. Some say that growing up in the 90s had given them some of the best childhood memories. But what is life like now for those 90s kids?
For Oman Board Games founder Ahmed al Busaidi, the years flew by so quick but he felt that he is living the dream.
Ahmed is one of the few who are trying to revive the fun times of the 90s by re-introducing some of the games that have gotten popular during that era. This also includes board games and other card games that have begun to capture the interest of the much younger generations.
“Our concept is to bring people together and let them create happy memories. Our goal is to deliver delight and entertainment. Over time, we’ve noticed that it’s not just the kids who are interested in what we do but even young adults and the elderly’’, Al Busaidi said.
Oman Board Games is one of the pioneers in Oman that introduce tournaments in games such as Jenga and UNO, allowing the public to buy or rent them during any event.
He said that the events they conducted allow for wholesome family fun and even those who are coming alone eventually meet new friends.
“We live by the slogan “It’s your turn to roll the dice” or as we say it in Arabic “Yallah Dorak”. When we compare our generation to kids nowadays, there are lots of differences. For instance, kids these days find joy in playing UNO while our generation loves physical games and playing outdoors’’, Al Busaidi said.
Al Busaidi felt that 90s kids were raised to be more conservative.
“If I had to name a trait that defines us, it is the mindset of evolving with technology. It is during our time that technology started to boom. So we have this amazing — a magnificent cocktail, one would say’’, he said. Follow @omanboardgames to check his latest available games.
Another 90’s kid, Buthaina al shukaili shared, that 90’s generation kids are uniquely special.
“They always seem to know what they are doing by being exceptionally creative and exposing their talents in the most unexpected ways’’, she shared.
“Back in my school days, I struggled with math, yet my friends had trouble with art, so we ended up exchanging homework. Funny how life works, my fondness of art grew since then and now taking over my life’’, she added.
Buthaina graduated with an art degree from the Scientific College of Design. She shares her work on digital platforms. Check her out on Instagram @buthaina.alshukaili
Dr Fatma al aamriyah is now the proud owner of Asnan Lounge. With someone who grew up in the 90s, she shared life had been a well-balanced endeavour for her but they had their own sets of challenges.
“After graduation and working for quite some time, I thought of having my dentistry empire. However, we, as fresh graduates back then, faced a real-life crisis with expertise proficiency. Some of us hardly got an opportunity to work and practise our skills’’, she shared.
At Asnan Lounge, her goal is “To educate and spread awareness about oral hygiene” adding that “Looking after our oral hygiene is a part of our health. It is more of a lifestyle.’’
Al aamriyah shared that one’s attitude towards change should always be positive and open-minded to receiving various ideas while adapting to life changes. Check her out on Instagram @dr.fatmahamed for the latest offers and services.
All the 90s kids interviewed for this piece agree that their era has its fair share of challenges the same way that kids nowadays have their share of issues. They also agree that there is a generational divide but that we should look at each other with awe and try to understand better how we can learn from each other’s experiences. The three agreed that one of the best benefits of the technological changes is that social media has made it easy to market services and this is something that every generation will be able to appreciate no matter their background.
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