100 Happy Days: Day 82 New Bag

Happiness is receiving gifts.

I have never learnt to receive gifts with grace. I am always embarrassed. I get many guests from overseas, everybody brings gifts for me and my instant reaction always is “You shouldn’t have.”  Later on, I feel bad that I was rude. I realize that when people bring gifts, it signifies that the person thought of you. But, at that instant, I feel that I may not need it.

Nevertheless, it gives me great pleasure to give gifts. I study people’s taste before buying one, and am very pleased to see people happy with my choice. If I am happy giving gifts that means I am depriving others of such happiness. So, gradually, I have started accepting it as a token of love.

Today, I was very happy when I got the beautiful handbag that my cousin had picked especially for me during her shopping in New York. I love bags and this is the best gift I could ever get.

So here I am, with the project of ‘100 Happy Days’I am posting pictures each day here on my blog then sharing the link on my page on FB too. You can enjoy my work either here or on my page at FB at Pushee’s World

Travel and Souvenirs

Many years ago, when I started travelling abroad, I noticed people buying things that they didn’t really need. I was brought up in a middle class home where we only shopped for things that we needed and nothing more. Therefore I was surprised when I saw people buying dozens of assorted key-chains as if they were free.

That was the first time I was introduced to the concept of souvenirs.

I learnt that people shop for souvenirs to bring back home the memories of the places that they visited and to give away mementos to their well-wishers too.

I used to love dolls, I had decided then that I would collect dolls from every country that I visited.

But this passion did not last long, because after traveling to many places, storing the dolls was an issue. There are many souvenirs I have collected over the years but most of them I have given them away. They attract me but the thought of storing puts me off.

Walking through the narrow streets of Ghana I came across this wooden carved figure and I couldn't resist buying

 trekking through the dirt path in the interiors of Tenerife in Spain, I came across a tiny shop that sold this metal lizard with a baby

 Then I was looking for table lamp and loved this hand painted shade with a carved metal stand when I saw it in Spain

masks always amuse me and this tiny wooden mask captured my attention

Over the years I have collected many souvenirs that have included books, artifacts, coins, key-chains, fridge magnets and many more.

It becomes easy to give as souvenir to friends, specially those who appreciate it.

I have tried many airlines but I like to travel in those flights that have good inflight shopping. Most of them have duty free stuff like perfumes, jewelry and drinks. But sometimes if you are lucky you might find rare things too, for example this ‘camel-tooth-pick’ souvenir that I had purchased during my travels to Dubai.

When the inflight shopping is interesting, then it is certainly much better activity than just sleeping and eating, no?