Prosaic Poppy 2005-2006

Favorite Memory Archive

Shopping in Japan.

I lived in Okinawa for a year, and by far it was summed up as the best shopping experience I have ever had.

I loved browsing the aisles of everything...whether it was clothes, toys, food, or stationary...

I loved figuring out what things were, and how much they were going to cost in American dollars.

I loved the clothes, purses, shoes, stationary, stoneware, and glassware that you could not find in an American mall.

I loved the aisles of food,the dessert shops--even the vending machines.

I loved the little unexpected treasures found in unexpected shops that can only be found on the winding alley streets of Okinawa. Every day out was a shopping adventure. Something new to be found. I souvenir shopped for an entire year. Of the things I bought I still have:

1 very tiny purse mirror, ingeniously thin.
A unique silver ring.
2 purses
A red cotton bag.
A grapefruit spoon.
Several Chopsticks
Tea cups
Rice bowls
A large fan with panda bears painted on it
2 long vests
1 pair of slippers
A houndstooth checked dress
1 pr. of toe socks
1 mechanical pencil
1 bathing suit that I won't even think of trying on
Ocarina
Notebook paper
Stationary


Thankfully there is an Asian market nearby my home so that I can stock up on Pocky from time to time. When I step inside, the scent of the store takes me back in time...back to shopping in Japan.

If only they could bottle the salt air as well.

posted by Kassi Gilbert @ 10:58 PM