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Archive for the ‘Quirks’ Category
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Quirk of the Month: Phantom Souvenirs
I’ve tried to tame down my tendency to hoard cartoon character trinkets and cheaper-by-the-dozen souvenirs whenever I visit theme parks or tourist destinations, but I’m successful only half the time.
Plays and musicals are no exception to my souvenir obsession. …
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Quirk of the Month: Bambowtie
“Bam-what?” you ask. It’s simple. A bambowtie is a bamboo bowtie.
My Brooklyn-based cousin Nicole Mercado and Yoram Savion of YAK Films were in Manila a few weeks ago. We were hanging out at The Collective where they introduced me …
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Quirk of the Month: Nutella Book
Now that World Nutella Day is over, it’s time to scrape the leftovers of hazelnut spread found at the bottom of your jar. While you’re at it, also check out The Unofficial Guide to Nutella by writers Sara Rosso and …
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Quirk of the Month: Paper Dolls
When I was a little girl in the ’80s, the word internet was unheard of. Online games were nonexistent, and although we had a number of gadgets such as Speak N Spell and Nintendo to keep us entertained, my fellow …
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Quirk of the Month: Penny Smasher
Whatever you prefer to call it—penny smasher, coin smasher, penny squisher, coin press, or penny pincher, among many other things—it refers to that novelty machine found in amusement parks and tourist spots that melt and roll your penny into an …
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Quirk of the Month: Edible Mickeys
Call it the power of marketing. Just place a popular logo, brand or character on any ordinary consumer item and its selling power increases tenfold. When my family and I spent New Year’s Eve in Disneyland Hong Kong, my …
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Quirk of the Month: Nike Mag
No other futuristic film has captured our hearts as much as 1985’s Back To The Future. The 1989 sequel showed Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, in the year 2015 riding a wheel-free anti-gravity skateboard, the hoverboard, while …
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Quirk of the Month: Sungka
I was cleaning up my pad when I found this souvenir I purchased from Dagupan in 2008—a sungka (pronounced as soong-kah) set. Still wrapped in plastic with its ₱130 price tag, my oblong-shaped Filipino board game was gathering dust.…
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Quirk of the Month: kikki.K Stickers
This Swedish home and office stationary store was founded by entrepreneur Kristina “Kikki” Karlsson almost a decade ago, but I first laid my eyes on a kikki.K store in Singapore just last month. Where have you been all my life?…
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Quirk of the Month: Oreo Stars
I discovered this new variety of Oreo cookies when I was shopping for groceries in Tagaytay last weekend. Instead of a sandwich, a single Oreo cookie has a star-shaped center (eight-edged star, to be exact) and is filled with the …
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Quirk of the Month: Windmill Figurine
My best friend Jackie is visiting from the Netherlands and she surprised me with a box of Dutch goodies.
One item that went straight to my Kitsch List is this little windmill figurine that she purchased from Xenos, a …
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Quirk of the Month: Rene Requiestas Stickers
If you liked my post on Rene Requiestas’ gargoyle last week, then you’ll want to get your hands on a Rene Requiestas sticker.
Created by artist/entrepreneur Paolo Icasas, the sticker costs P5 each and you can purchase them at his …
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Quirk of the Month: Honolulu Cookies
It pays to have friends and relatives from different parts of the globe. You can always ask them to buy you a little something from their place when they come home to visit. I recently asked a friend from Hawaii …
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Quirk of the Month: Daet Goodies
It’s a Filipino thing to give “a little something from your trip.” We call it the art of pasalubong. Whether it’s an origami set from Japan or an “I love New York” shirt from Manhattan, it’s always a good …
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Quirk of the Month: Pinwheel
If you’re interested in selling souvenirs and kitschy items, carnivals and fairs are the best places to sell them for jacked up prices. Kids and grownups alike are in a cheerful, gullible mood, so it’s the perfect time to introduce …