Ohhh pity, New Year's grab bag days are gone

During the first week of every January, the year starts off with a bang and as soon as you know it, grab bag frenzy takes hold of Japan. Fukubukuro, as they are called, come in all shapes and sizes with an assortment of goods. These good range from an array of clothes to snack bags with chips and chocolates for the little kiddies. For the indulgent, there is a 200.6 million yen (roughly 1.77 millionUSD) filled with a Patek Phillippe timepiece and two diamond rings.

Okay, so you take your pick. Buy a 1.77million dollar "HAPPY BAG" or buy a 1 million dollar dreamhouse and spend the rest on a luxurious vacation to Bora Bora or some other far away place? I don't know about you but I'm banking on the house and vacation to give me more happiness than a few stones and tin. ^_^

I have bought a snack-filled grab bag before, to satisfy the little kid inside of me. It made me happy and my stomach gurgled with glee. One of my students tells me she cannot resist buying a grab bag each year, however, each year she feels so let down when the contents are less than fulfilling. I think grab bags are a clever way to disguise all the junk you couldn't sell from the previous year. Pack the junk up, seal it with a pretty bow, slap a flashy price tag on it and like magic, it's sold! So though I was tempted to buy a "happy bag" this year, I decided to restrain myself and stuck to my precious new bowls. (see entry below on the 8 new bowls)