to titillate and astound the recipient.
This was not the first time when I had received pasalubongs from this loving and unstinting very good friend, Bhie F.; however, this batch was indeed on a different level for this came with a new pair of running shoes (my second from her after April 2024!).
Well, I only learned about these pink kicks when I was informed by a kumare who was requested for safekeeping and forwarding me these pasalubongs. Conversely, I knew beforehand about the kokeshi dolls since Bhie F. initially planned to have them couriered from Perth when we talked over the phone while I was in Sydney, Australia. Given the limited time, it didn’t materialize. So you could imagine my friend bringing these dolls (glad she didn't have an excess baggage!) and shoes from The Land Down Under when she attended our High School Ruby Jubilee in Bicol on May 1, 2026. No, I didn’t make it because my husband was home for his annual break. I had to be a “good” girl. Period. LOL.
Now shipping these pasalubongs from our province was more than a month delayed for valid reasons. If not for Dan, my nephew-in-law, who had already picked them up from my kumare and personally handed them to me in the middle of my painting works on June 8, I wouldn’t be having beyond the seventh heaven again.
I immediately PMed Bhie F. to inform and thank her about my receiving the package though I hadn’t opened it in my present state: both hands dirty with white paint. So once I was clean and ready, I recorded a selfie video, expressing my positive intense emotions for this benevolent woman who has been one of my top backers for this “addiction.”
Afterwards, I prepared myself for the unwrapping.
Beat the drum loud!
DOLL NO. 1:
Surprise, surprise!!! I didn’t expect that a Matryoshka doll is among my 12 new dolls. I was sure that I hadn't mentioned this “burgeoning” collection to my friend, thus the amazement. Uh-uh. Was extrasensory perception (ESP) phenomenon activated?
DOLL NO. 2:
Yay!!! This is an authentic Usaburo Okamoto kokeshi doll, having the artisan's signature at the bottom of the base. Any kokeshi collector is familiar with its value. I am warmly welcoming this additional member in my trove of vintage Usaburo dolls.
DOLL NO. 3:
Helloooooo, my sixth Matryoshka!!! You may have a sad face, but you gave me so much J.O.Y.! If I were your Fairy Godmother, would you allow me to give you the prettiest smile? Be it a sunny disposition or a long face, your uniqueness is what makes you shine.
DOLL NO. 4:
OMGeeeeeeee!!! This second Usaburo kokeshi doll has obviously mirrored my beam! Possessing an exotic charm, she can be a sultry temptress. Beware! Ha-ha.
DOLL NO. 5:
Yippeeeeee!!! This is a rare and costly kokeshi doll. Who would not recognize Watanabe Masao's creation with those trademark countable bangs? Owning another Masao's doll, I had my desire fulfilled.
DOLL NO. 6:
Hey, hey, hey!!! You sure look divine kimmi doll! This is a modern version of the kokeshi doll and my Australia-based friend was the one who introduced this to me.
DOLL NO. 7:
Woohoo!!! Meet my fifth kimmi doll, dear readers. Her femininity is adorable! The intricate flower design on her kimono shows us that this is hand-painted art.
DOLL NO. 8:
Whoopeeeeeee!!! Her facial expression may be ambiguous, but her enchanting looks won't get past us. Similar to the first two kimmi dolls, she’s donning a gorgeous kimono too!
DOLL NO. 9:
Rah-rah!!! A wee modern kokeshi doll this is, but the happiness it has brought is great in intensity with its innocent face and perfect color combination.
DOLL NO. 10:
Hi there, cutie pieeeee!!! How I wish I had your long eyelashes for they are analogous to youth and beauty. Hehehe. Seeing your kimono, I likewise remembered that lavender used to be my fave color. In fact it's my chosen color motif for my wedding entourage gowns in 1997, but was opposed by my future mother-in-law because it’s associated with mourning. *eye rolls*
DOLL NO. 11:
Wheeeeeee!!! Does this doll represent my tame or wild side? Harharhar… Dreaming of having a platinum hair color, I wonder if a red orange hair will better suit me? Hmmm... *thinks*
DOLL NO. 12:
Yes!!! This is a kokeshi doll key chain. Aside from being attractively designed by the artist, her expression sums up my absolute unparalleled euphoria as I opened this last but not the least pasalubong inside a red paper pouch.
Increase in population once more! Seems like this is the kind of boom which I will openly promote. *e-laughs*
With these newly obtained dolls, I decided to use them as the table centerpiece in our living room.
Every day they will remind me that someone has not stopped adding vibrancy to my sometimes bleak world. Indisputably, Angel Free is a GENUINE lifelong FRIEND whom I wouldn't tire keeping a most resilient low-maintenance bond with.
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