Tag: toys
I Found My TikTok Niche: Hello Kitty and Friends
I used to abhor TikTok. As a geriatric millennial, I would roll my eyes at TikTok influencers and the ridiculous videos that made them famous. And then one day I found myself spending hours on this controversial app. At first, I was just quietly browsing and liking, and then I soon found myself creating videos […]
Dusting Off My Sungka, A Traditional Filipino Board Game
I was decluttering when I found this toy 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 traditional Filipino board game was gathering dust. As I unwrapped it, I realized I didn’t really know how to play this game. My parents forbade […]
Unearthing My ’80s-’90s Toys
While stuck in enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the Philippines, I finally did the major thing I said I’d do when I have the time—declutter my stuff. My board games, electronics, and toys from the ’80s and ’90s have been gathering dust on the second level of my closet and my mother’s bodega. Most are […]
![[Vlog] Biggest Toy Vending Machine in Taipei](https://katewashere.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/biggestvendingmachinetaipei3.jpg)
[Vlog] Biggest Toy Vending Machine in Taipei
I thought Japan was the ultimate place for vending machines and UFO catchers, but when I visited Taipei for the first time, I realized it’s also a huge part of their culture. While spending many a dollar on capsule toys that will clutter up in my bedroom (I can’t help it; they’re so cute!), I […]
Mail Yourself a Wooden Postcard From Taiwan
Woodworking is an integral part of Taiwan’s aboriginal tribes. Whether you’re exploring the night markets or museums, you’ll find an abundance of woodworks that give you a peek into their culture. For first-time visitors like myself, it’s easy to get drawn to the rows upon rows of souvenir shops selling wooden items, like keychains, toys, […]
Quirk of the Month: Old Maid Travel Card Game
When going on long flights and road trips, boredom can strike any time. For millennials and Gen Z, there are gadgets, phone apps, and lately, fidget cubes to combat long hours of waiting. But whatever happened to the analog ways of killing time? In my childhood (I’m a milleXial), we turned to board games, card […]
Quirk of the Month: Mystery Manila’s Card Game
When I was 11 years old, I wanted to be many different things when I grow up—writer, lawyer, and during one brief period, toy maker. I wanted to invent different board games and puzzles for kids. The people working at Mystery Manila currently do that for a living. They’re in charge of designing the game rooms of […]
Quirk of the Month: Snoopy Happy Meal Set
McDonald’s announced their new lineup of Happy Meal toys last December to hype up the January 2016 release of The Peanuts Movie. Although this CG-animated, 3G version of Charles M. Schulz’s classic started screening in the US as early as October, it arrived late in Manila. As Charlie Brown would put it, “Good grief!” But […]
Quirk of the Month: Minion Monopoly
Call me a predictable tourist, but I cannot leave a theme park unless I purchase something from the souvenir shop. Look what I got from last month’s trip to Universal Studios Singapore—Monopoly: Despicable Me! It’s like your regular Monopoly game with a few loony twists. Instead of traditional dice, you use the Minion spinner to […]