The Granddaddy of Ovalteenies
Ah, childhood memories brought back to life. Horlicks was a brand of milky-chocolate-flavoured disks in foil packets that my dad and I used to love stuffing into our mouths when I was a kid. There was no candy in the market like it. The unique combination of malty-chocolatey-not-so-sweet-but-super-yummy taste was simply addictive. :D
It disappeared when I was still in grade school, and was reincarnated/ copied sometime late high school, in the form of Ovalteenies. My dad and I thought it was extinct.
Lo and behold, yesterday, my officemate Kristine came back from Hong Kong and brought a packet of the long-lost (chocolate) tablets! I literally whooped when I saw the name! She graciously gave me a packet to take home to my dad, and here's what he had to say:
(In the car, on the way to work)
MICH: I have a surprise for you, from my friend at work. (Gives him the packet)
DADDY: What's that? (Looks closer kasi mukhang Magic Dust yung wrapper, then brightens when he reads the name) HORLICKS? Really? (Looks closer at wrapper) With melamine?
MICH: (Thinks, oo nga 'no, Chinese pala yung characters :p) Haha. Probably. But yeah, that's Horlicks. Apparently meron pa sa Hong Kong.
DADDY: Can you open it for me? (Driving kasi)
MICH: (Opens the wrapper, scent of malty-chocolate wafting around the car)
DADDY: Mmmmm! (Gets the packet and holds it near his nose) Mmmmmmm!
MICH: Parang bata...
DADDY: Sarap! (Goes on to stuff two in his mouth and shares memories of Horlicks)
Then some tricycle stops ahead of us and blocks the lane while getting something from a taxi driver beside him. Cars start blowing their horns, but daddy's oblivious.
DADDY: Buti na lang may Horlicks!
We love you, K-Ching! Thanks so much! =))
Note: Upon further research, Horlicks was actually also sold as a malted milk hot drink in India, claiming to induce sleep when consumed at bedtime, hence the picture of kids drinking from mugs. The company is owned by GlaxoSmithKline.