w00t w00t booyah

Another fukubukuro! Yay! (I could do these for six months straight.)

This time, the Japanese-American National Museum had a giveaway, as part of the Oshogatsu Festival for this year, which coincided nicely with the Target-sponsored Free Saturday - which was held on a Sunday - which means, we made it. Today.

Told kid we could spend the entire day there - he lasted less than an hour. Bounce house plus HUGE crowds = exhausted kid by lunchtime. Seriously - he almost face-planted into his lunch at noon. Slept until nearly 5 PM - but I digress.

He grabbed one of the big bags - the $20 variety, and when they took it down for him? A small one fell at the same time and I snagged it.

The currency for getting dinner eaten tonight was opening these before tomorrow, because Jim ended up working Late LATE due to scheduling snafus. (He won't be home before 10 PM, if I'm any judge.)

Onward!



This is what they looked like, before opening - the dragon was this week's origami project (cute, neh?).

My little bag opened up to this:



A box of very nice notecards, a 25th Anniversary pin and a felt frog - the mascot for the museum - the kind with the pinch mouth that can 'eat' a number of things? Awww.

Kid's bigger bag had this in it:



That big box with the red fish on it? It has a BIG red fish SOAP ON A ROPE in it. XD

Another 25th Anniversary pin, some literature from a photography exhibit held there, a nifty '365 Days of Japanese' calendar and a pretty silver and rose-quartz necklace. (I traded the frog for the necklace. >.>)

Happy New Year! Still!

You know what that is. Best day of the year at Marukai is New Year's Day because that means - Fukubukuro Time!

Best grab bags on EARTH. They make 200 of each kind, and you'd better be there on time when they open at 9:00 AM because these things go FAST.

This year? It turns out there are actually three kinds - Food, Non-Food and Non-Food Beauty and I got the honor of buying the Very Last Bag (a Non-Food Beauty) after making it through both lines and getting one of each of the other kinds. Lucky? Oh man.

The gag this year was that I was the only blond hair and blue eyes in line and knew more than anyone else about the program. I just waved my hand in front of my face and proclaimed 'I only look like this.' Everyone laughed - I love my neighborhood.

Let's get this party started.


( Read more... )

Happy New Year everyone!

You know I love this, right. Want to make me happy, give me a grab bag - I don't care who made it up, total randomness makes me giddy.

So when Marukai and I get together on New Year's Day - it's a real squeefest. Can't help it. Though this year? It's very clear the exchange rate is really hitting hard - the food version was *very* diminished over last's year's offering.

But onto the reveal. For those of you new to the game? The local Japanese market makes up 200 of each version of this lucky bag - food, and non-food.

Supposedly, you only get one and you have to pick. Me? I'm nice and get in line again. But this year, I was only able to get one of each. The food version looked like this:



( Come Inside! )

You know I love this, right. Want to make me happy, give me a grab bag - I don't care who made it up, total randomness makes me giddy.

So when Marukai and I get together on New Year's Day - it's a real squeefest. Can't help it. Though this year? It's very clear the exchange rate is really hitting hard - the food version was *very* diminished over last's year's offering.

But onto the reveal. For those of you new to the game? The local Japanese market makes up 200 of each version of this lucky bag - food, and non-food.

Supposedly, you only get one and you have to pick. Me? I'm nice and get in line again. But this year, I was only able to get one of each. The food version looked like this:



( Come Inside! )

So, when I looked back at 2009, I see that I did not post pictures from the fukubukuro last year.

I was sick. Oh. That was when I got to stay in bed when I got sick - right. Okay.

Well, welcome to the first holiday since March of last year where I have NOT been sick (hooray!) - both Christmas and New Years have been plague-free!

So I got up on time, got kid up on time, got us both dressed and through both Burger King and Starbucks (yum yum breakfast) and to Marukai just in time to get in line for the 200 (of each kind) lucky bags that Marukai does every New Year's Day.

I love 'em. And with kid along, getting the bags to the car was FUN - because to have hands free in a parking lot? Kid had to ride on my shoulders and hold my latte. AMUSING.

Let's check out the haul. (I was able to score two of each kind. kiyone is scoped out for the non-food bag, and catsonmars gets the food version.) But here are mine:



The non-food bag was 11.2 pounds, and the food bag was 18.8 pounds all by itself.

( Wanna see what's inside? )

Will have to wait.

Still sick.

Managed ramen and ringing in the New Year - then went home and died.

Got up, went to Marukai - and got lucky bags. Sadly, no calendar this year, so will have to find one. Quick.

Came home and died.

Just got up. Making dinner.

Will die again soon.

Pictures tomorrow when I have light to shoot in - the only observation I can make so far is that they are HEAVY. The food bag is too heavy to carry by the handles.

Will have to wait.

Still sick.

Managed ramen and ringing in the New Year - then went home and died.

Got up, went to Marukai - and got lucky bags. Sadly, no calendar this year, so will have to find one. Quick.

Came home and died.

Just got up. Making dinner.

Will die again soon.

Pictures tomorrow when I have light to shoot in - the only observation I can make so far is that they are HEAVY. The food bag is too heavy to carry by the handles.