When I was 12 we had a Japanese exchange student – Akiko stay with us for a few months. She was sent lots of very cool parcels from home – filled with all sorts of exotic Japanese things….I am sure this is where my love of cutesy Japanese stuff all started. I remember being fascinated by it all. The dolls, the lollies, the origami paper and especially the band-aids with pictures on them. We had only ever had straight up, no nonsense band-aids of the camel colour variety – no fun at all, especially because the only reason you ever needed to put a band-aid on was because you had hurt yourself.
The worst of course was when your mother ripped it off and took a layer of skin and hair with it….truly awful. Band-aids with pictures on it though….now that’s another story. Any excuse for a band-aid would have me reaching for one of these beauties.
Now that I am grown up I have a collection of course – some I bought in Japan, some locally in Footscray and some have been gifts. My daughter Kitty loves looking at them and trying to think of an excuse for me to put one on her or her baby doll Mia. It’s hard though because I think they are too cute to use – and try to offer her the plain old normal band aids instead! Pretty funny!!
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3 comments:
Darling girl
You do make me laugh – I am sure that you have inherited your bower bird instincts from your great grandmother – Nan Kelly.
She collected household linen, especially tea towels and handkerchiefs, every birthday and Christmas card she was ever given, and china cups and saucers which were carefully displayed in her special cabinet in the lounge room. She also had a definite liking for Avon perfume bottles and paste jewellery of the glittery kind. As she lived in a very small country town for a lot of years with a very limited disposable income, that was probably all she could lay her hands on.
As a child I was always fascinated with Nanna’s collections – I often begged her to let me look through her boxes of goodies and she took great delight in getting them from her room and sitting with me on the couch discussing her favourites.
Most times, if I was lucky, I would score something to keep for myself. Usually a pretty floral cup and saucer or a tea towel or two, or occasionally a handkerchief to add to my own small collection. But never one of her precious cards
I remember being told that she hoarded like that because of her experiences in the depression and both World wars, when everything was in short supply.
Having observed you in action since you were a small child, Morgs, I’m not so sure that this was necessarily the case…..
I remember counting her tea towels once and I seem to recall the tally being more than 50. Morgs, you would have loved to see them all – some would have dated back to the 1940’s. Sadly, I have no idea what happened to them when she passed……..
Nanna inspired me to start a handkerchief collection, which started with a fine linen hanky embroidered with a Scottish terrier from my penfriend in Scotland when I was about 12.
My pen friend’s name was Alison and she also sent me a tartan handkerchief case which I still have, along with the hankies I collected for a while in the early 60’s. Most of these came to me as gifts because handkerchiefs were often staple Christmas and birthday gifts when I was growing up.
xoxomum
Ahhh so it runs in the family hey! I must admit I remember Great Nan's collections and especially her tea towels and tea cups - of which I have a couple of both. What treasures! So hanky collection hey - I think you better dig that one out so I can take a look. I'd forgotten about those. What fun!
Hey Morg,
I most definitely share your enthusiasm for all things Japanese......... I remember when Mum & Dad went to Japan when we were kids and bought us back a beautiful doll each. I still have mine sitting on my dresser looking nearly as beautiful as the day I got her...........
I also remember the 'Star Twins' Stationary we had, I'm not sure were it came from but I remember we loved it.
The couple of thing's that stuck in my mind about the stuff Akiko had was the tissues that smelt like popcorn or biscuits?? I cant remember which? I do remember I loveeeeeeeeeddddddddd smelling them! And of course the cutsey band-aids, That are to cute to use. Daniel and I have a collection of western band-aids, The Simpson's, The Wiggles and Sesame Street, But the cream of the crop most definitely is our KeroKeroKoroppi band-aids that I was given by Shaine 15 odd years ago and the fact I still nearly have the full pack is certainly confirmation that I too must have the unusual appreciation of cutsey band-aids gene as you! :) Lol.........
Here's to falling over and needing a cutsey band-aid!!
Thanks for sharing
Kell ox
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