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The Microwave
Mum would have used the microwave to warm up the milk and baby food when I was a baby.. Obviously because it is so handy, we are still using the microwave today, though I try to only use it for reheating leftovers, or melting things for baking... The idea that I am nuking my food scares me a lil... -
Car
Though I didn't actually drive the car when I was younger, I did use it as my transport, so it was a piece of technology that had an effect on my life. When I was 14 mum started letting me drive down our road to get home and now I use it every day to get around. -
Washing Machine and Dryer
I used to press the buttons on the washing machine to help mum when I was little, and though I would have been too young to press the buttons in 1991, I still had my clothes washed for my by third degree. This is another gender specific object, specifically in my immediate family, where my mum washes all of her own and my brothers clothes, and I wash my own. -
Heater
I am sure my family would have had heaters before I was born, but I am guessing this is around the time when it would have been first used in to keep baby Jess warm from those winter nights. Today, I have a heater in my room, but I rarely use it because I don't want to use too much power.. -
The Television
The television. I used to watch Disney movies when I was a child as my bedtime story. Today, I watch tele when I am procrastinating or relaxing, but I still use it to numb my brain... -
Video
I watched many Disney videos to put my to sleep. I still have my collection, and am slowly bringing it into the 21st century. -
Pens and Calculator
I went to nursery school and then infant school until I was 5, so I learnt to read and write and do simple sums when I was young. Mum packed me off to school each day with pencils, an eraser, crayons and a calculator. -
Oven
My mum did a lot of baking when I was little. But I didn't actually start to bake myself until 2007. I love making cookies and scones :) This is definitly a gender specific piece of techology, because mainly women use it, and it is a skill which the mothers pass onto their daughters. While men cook, they rarely bake - a generalisation based on my family and friends. -
Books
I love reading. I have not stopped reading since they taught me in nursery school. I can't wait until I get into my own home and can have bookshelves full of my books. :) I prefer holding my books rather than e-books.. -
Plane
We flew from England to New Zealand. This is also something which I have continued to use, making the trip back home every two years. -
Bike
Dad taught me how to ride a two wheeler in my first NZ summer. My bike was awesome! It was bright Orange!! I still have a bike and use it every now and then, but it needs new wheels, and on a student budget they will have to wait. -
Casio Keyboard
My dad would always sit down and play a few songs with me. I remember being tricked one day, as he pressed the demo button and began to play along flawlessly. Though he played the trumpet really well, piano or key board we definitely my aunts forte. -
Telephone
I remember buying a telephone at a garage sale, thinking that I could just plug it into the wall and talk. Mum and dad put it in their room. And never gave it back :( -
Computer
We got a really really crappy computer, It could only handle word processing and a fake version of pac man, though I do remember spending hours playing on it... In 2002 was when I got my first computer to use for my school work, and today I have 2 - one for games and one for work. -
Casette Player
Once we settled in Auckland, we would go for road trips every summer to explore NZ. I would take my portable casette player. I still have all of my casettes too.. though they have seen better days. -
Stereo
The first stereo I remember going out to buy is still sitting in the lounge - it was mum and dads.. It has huge speakers and has an attachment to play records. I still have my first stereo which i got in 2003, but it scratches most CDs which i put in it. -
Train
The first time I remember going on a train was the steam train which took the family up to Helensville. I spent the whole trip on the balcony at the back waving at people... When I was intermediate it was how i travelled to the mall and the city. And I have used the London Tube system many times in recent years, but I am still pretty nervous about going on trains traveling at high speeds... -
Dishwasher
Dad bought mum a dishwasher for Christmas in 2000 so guess whose job it became to fill and empty it? -
CD Walkman
I upgraded to a Walkman when I was in England. I have just had to throw it away this year.. It was a great lil thing... -
Printer
I also got a printer when I got my own computer... but it would never work properly. The family has three printers lying around today... All of them work, but we rarely use them. -
Celphone
I started Intermediate in 2003, and mum thought it was a good idea to give me a celphone which I could use if I got into trouble. I never really used it though, because mum would make me pay for my own credit... Since then I have gone through 7 phones, but only upgrading because they have actually died, not because I got bored with them. The brands which I have used: Alcatel, Sony, Motorola, Sharp, LG, & Samsung. -
DVD Player
We got a DVD player when our Video player started to destroy our tapes. Our family is very big on watching a movie marathon, and DVDs are so much easier to use than videos... -
Playstation
We finally convinced mum to get us a playstation in 2003... When they had already released the 2nd version. -
Playstation 2
And year later we got a Playstation 2 for Christmas. :) -
iPod
I got a shuffle when I was in highschool, but I lost it pretty soon after I bought it... I think I left it on the train... I got a nano 1st gen to replace it, and then upgraded once that had died to the 4th? gen nano... I havn't bothered to upgrade again. I don't like how apple doesn't like to share its software... -
Dehumidifier
We got a dehumidifier to try suck the moisture out of my brothers room. It is kept outside of the door to my room so it sucks the damp air out of my room. -
Motorbike
A close friend took me for a ride around the park... It was AWESOME! -
Heat Pump
We got a Heat Pump a couple of years ago, but it could have been better positioned in our house, becuase only one room gets heated :( -
Xbox 360
I started playing with the Xbox 360 long before the Playstation 3, but I can't decided which one I prefer more. Again, this is a gender specific piece of technology, but as I am quite the tomboy, I see it as a piece of technology for me as much as it is for boys. -
GPS
I bought my first GPS because my partner of the time was useless at reading maps, and I was the one who drove everywhere... While it is a fantastic piece of techonolgy, I hate being told what to do.... -
Playstation 3
We finally upgraded to the Playstation 3 in 2010, and now we have two because my brother and I like playing different games and there wasn't enough memory on his. Seems like overkill, but they keep us entertained. This could be something to put towards gender specific, especially after that toys r us experiment, but I love playing the FPS more while Gray loves RPGs, so in our family, it is an shared gender thing, but generally it is a boys toy.