One of my project mates got back from his vacation in Shikoku. His omiyage made me a happy pregger today. 🙂
I loved it so much I was given two extra packs teehee.
It’s warabimochi powdered with kinoko, the roasted soybean flour that’s packed with B vitamins and protein. Truly a delicious and healthy snack. I just love kinoko!! 🙂
Found a new Kitkat flavour! So cute! I think it can actually be a wedding favor especially for those who have a Sakura theme.
The taste? Love it – this coming from a maccha lover. There’s a hint of something mixed in though that I can’t quite put a finger on what flavour it is similar with. Nonetheless, it’s still very good.
This one was today’s office omiyage from Saudi Arabia.
And. Thankful for bonuses and tax refunds. Would hopefully buy the Laura Ashley curtains I’ve been having a crush on. 🙂
Monday.
People in the office are so well travelled. Ask them if they’ve been to Europe and you’re sure the answer would be that they’ve been to at least two countries at the other side of the globe. Hence, considering the tradition of bringing home presents/omiyage/pasalubong, there were times in the office when we’d have a motley of chocolates on our desk – like the day I had on my desk a chocolate from Russia, a Ghirardelli bar from California (this one’s a favorite together with Lindt and Godiva and Royce!!) and another piece of chocolate from UK. Sometimes we loose track already who gave the presents as sometimes, our secretary would make the rounds and hand us the chocolates by just saying (sweetly) where they came from.
Today, our “ration” is quite a number as well. (I wasn’t able to take a photo of the flat slab of chocolate from UK though).
This one’s a traditional Japanese sugar candy (I don’t know from what prefecture!). It reminded me of meringue only it’s creamier, and finer and, because I chose the green color, has the teeny weeny hint of green tea (matcha). Ain’t the design pretty?
Durian merlion from Singapore. Gah, I miss the prawn rolls (and the chicken rice and the chili king crab and the eat-all-you-can shrimps).
Now, we have a secretary who absolutely loves Disneyland so much that she’ll hand us her omiyage from Disneyland on a Friday or Wednesday making me feel sometimes like I’m time warped (I smile and nod at her as I deeply try to recall if it had been a holiday the day before). Yes, she takes a leave to go to Disneyland. This time, she got us this. Be magical! (Dear Disney, you never fail to remind me to dream ☺)
The pink Mickey I had before this was cuter (our secretary gave me two of this, yehey).
Sweet tooth is happy.
Monday and Tuesday, fruitful days at the office. Thankful. And finally, our wedding album is ready for shipping. Yey! 🙂
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. 🙂
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.
Rustic mother and daughter doll we bought in Cesky Krumlov. Rustic – very Bohemian.
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.
Friends, hope you remember me during your travels. 🙂