Pictured: Taal Volcano
Fellow collector Al bought this mug for me. Thanks for the effort!
Archive for Philippines
Manila #2, 20 oz.
Pictured: Jeepney
Talk about a long journey. Dennis got this mug for me as a thank you gift for taking him and the rest of my former co-workers around Seattle last December. He sent the mug with Russel in January, but Russel never made his way to Seattle. Instead, Russel gave the mug to Jen who gave it to Ditas to give to Wickie who was for sure going to Seattle in February. However, Ditas and Wickie never saw each other so the mug was just sitting around in Los Angeles during all this time. Phew, right? But finally, after five grueling months, the mug arrived here today via USPS mail. Hallelujah!
Baguio, 20 oz.
Pictured: Flowers
Non-biological twin Pen got me the mug during her recent visit to the Philippines. I was quite touched that she remembered. Thank you, Twin!
Cebu #2, 20 oz.
Pictured: Guitars
When Lilian went to Cebu in December, she didn’t fail to get me the latest version of the Cebu mug as a Christmas gift. Thankfully, Ate Bebeth had a meeting in Seattle last week and was able to transport the mug free of charge for us.
Cebu #1, 20 oz.
Pictured: Women in Sinulog Festival
During my trip to the Visayas, I scoured every single darn Starbucks in Cebu City, trying to find a Cebu mug. Unfortunately, they were all sold out. Blasphemy!
After arriving in Manila, friend Homer surprised me with the mug. There were hundreds of them in the city. Geez! I guess it’s true: sometimes what you’re looking for is right under your very nose.
This is when I decided that it’s okay to add mugs into my collection even if I didn’t buy them myself as long as 1) I have been to those places before and/or 2) someone I know gave the mugs to me. I still stand by my no-eBay-buying rule. Afterall, traveling to buy the mugs is much more fun than just getting them on eBay!
Manila #1, 20 oz.
Pictured: Jose Rizal Monument
I spotted someone at the conference room with a mug that said “Manila” on it. Being the lowly intern that I was, I didn’t have the guts to ask where that mug came from. Well, it turned out to be from Starbucks. Inspecting it closer, I found out that it had the Jose Rizal monument on it. I thought, “What a cool mug to represent the Philippines!” Eventually, I found out that there were more of these kinds of mugs scattered around the world and they are called “City Mugs.” Move over Hello Kitty and the rest of the Sanrio gang, I have a new collection to build!
