Tag Archives: collection

city/country mugs

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I’m not really a mug collector. I’m a doll collector so I usually buy the traditional dolls in the city/country I visit.

But it brought a smile to my face when I realised that my desk mugs incidentally have the mark of the country where they were bought.

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The one from Korea was given by our friend Gali though; who, together with Russell shot our Spring prenup.. I didn’t buy a mug when we visited Korea (yes I bought a doll haha) but I remember how each day, during our week-long stay there, we’d cap the day with a mug of coffee/matcha latte at Starbucks. Memories. 🙂

And oh, another happy note. We finally ordered from Amazon the two books I talked about in my previous post. Yey!

the dolls we brought home from Eastern Europe

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I’m a doll collector. Wanted to be one ever since I was six when my parents (or was it my grandmother?) bought me a very pretty and dainty Filipina porcelain doll wearing the Philippine national costume. Wanted to be one ever since I was six when I played with my cheap but really cute United Nations dolls – they were dolls wearing different national costumes (I wonder what happened to them….). And as it happens, when you grow old, you forget about your childhood dreams. Until something reminds you of them.

I worked in a Japanese company hence it was but natural that we have displays of Japanese dolls in the visitors lounge in the office. Seeing the dolls, there came remembrance. One of my best friends, Dhonna gave me my first doll, an omiyage (present) after her first assignment from Japan. And it went rolling from then on. Whenever I travel, I buy the doll of that country. Friends have been very generous as well with their gifts in that whenever they travel to some countries, they also think of me and my collection and buy me a doll. Most of my collection are in my parents’ home in Davao now. With the exception of this exquisite Belgian porcelain lady which my manager in my previous company thoughtfully asked her brother to buy for me. I had it with me because it was the latest doll that was given to me and I wasn’t able to bring her to Davao before I moved to Japan. Customs check ruined her hair and hat and necklace though. 🙁 Seeing her not in her perfect state just breaks my heart. 🙁 Sorry, she’s surrounded by neighbors who can’t be posted here hence I can only share her bust. 🙂

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It was but natural therefore for us to buy dolls during our recent trip to Eastern Europe. I’m having regrets now though that I didn’t buy a porcelain one. Albeit I’m still mighty happy with these new addition to our collection.

Magnet couple dolls we bought in Vienna.

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Rustic mother and daughter doll we bought in Cesky Krumlov. Rustic – very Bohemian.

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And of course, a marionette that we bought in Prague. It was only during this travel that I learned marionettes originated in Czechoslovakia. It took me a long time to decide which marionette to buy though because most of the original design ones are scary looking and reminds me of witches. Hence I ended up buying this wooden Czech boy.

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Friends, hope you remember me during your travels. 🙂