Take a look at the clever map. These are the souvenirs the travel experts suggest buying when visiting. On my dozen or so trips to Asia, I tend to buy fewer items on each visit. My only vice remains refrigerator magnets. I probably have several hundred now, and nowhere to display them! If you have a fairly new refrigerator, you know the exterior have very little or no magnetic surface! Oh, and lots of T shirts, but who knows where they are?
Anyway, here is what I have purchased, despite their suggestions.
Japan My best purchase ever in Japan was in Kyoto. I bought the world’s best tofu. Of course, I had to eat it there. You may recall my email about finding the world’s best. It was delicious!
Thailand Rather than harem pants, I had several nice wool suits custom tailored, along with some shirts that I never really cared for.
South Korea Only a magnet, sorry. I was obsessed with the Korea Airline flight attendants, who were perfectly dressed and coreographed.
Russia I did buy the famous matryoshka dolls in Moscow. But my best purchase was smoked omul at Lake Baikal in Siberia. Skip the cheap vodka!
Singapore Only a magnet, everything was very expensive, even the famous Singapore Sling at the famous Raffles Hotel.
China Well, Hong Kong instead, but nothing but great memories of young ladies out for an evening of dinner and dancing with stilettoes trying to negotiate the steep hills of the city.
Cambodia One of the greatest gifts is getting to visit the famous Angkor complex, with Ta Prohm being my favorite. I have lots of magnets!!
Malaysia I have a fake Rolex that still works! The seafood here is simply the best in the world.
Vietnam I love the art work here, whether their hand cut greeting cards, or silk woven art work of local people and country life.
Laos Despite seeing all of the opium being grown on the roadside, the best was a cup of coffee, filtered through an old tube sock at a local wet market.
Nepal After being invited to lunch at our guide’s modest home, we gave him all of our cash upon departing Katmandu. It was a fair trade!
Myanmar We visited a tobacco shop and bought local cigars and cigarettes at Inle Lake. So very strange, since neither Mike nor I smoke!
You can most likely conclude that I don’t really buy much. But back when I was managing many people, I managed to always find something to bring back. One year, it was knock off designer scarves from Bangkok. Some years, not as generous.
For myself, aside from magnets and T shirts, my heavy shopping days are over. I am trying to think of some of our “great” purchases. It seems most were either food items, or great memories! Which do you prefer?
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