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Whatchamacallit 132: i’i shetland

This copy of i’i shetland is from my visit to the Shetland Islands in 2013.

i’i shetland is a magazine clearly aimed at locals – more so than any other magazine of this ilk that I’ve ever had the pleasure to read.

The reason I kept the magazine was the “celebrations parties” section at […]

Whatchamacallit 131: Grow A Boyfriend

This boyfriend was a present from a friend – I think I know which one, but, to be honest, it wouldn’t surprise me if a number of different friends had given it to me.

As you can see, it will grow up to four times his size in water – so he’s a grower […]

Whatchamacallit 130: ANA Folding Fan

When I went to Japan, to Hiroshima, for the first time, back in 2013, I made a point of flying ANA, All Nippon Airways, there. At the time, they flew the 787 from Frankfurt to Tokyo Handea. I came back on Swiss via Toyko Narita.

I think the number of times that I have […]

Whatchamacallit 129: Berliner Luft (Part 1)

A year or two ago I was in a la-di-da kids shop, Kleine Gesellschaft, in Prenzlauer Berg, where I stumbled upon “Berliner Luft.”

It’s the kind of kids shop that is so upscale and pretentious that it has its own brand toys.

This is, simply put, a bottle of soapy water, complete with one […]

Whatchamacallit 128: Vase

I bought this vase in, I believe, December 2018, at the Japanese Christmas Market.

The market was held at Malzfabrik, which is located “behind” (sort-of) the Schöneberg IKEA. I went to the market with my two Italian friends – where, generally speaking, we had fun.

There were two negative things about the market: first, […]

Whatchamacallit 127: Star Trek Figures from 2009 / Burger King

This small collection of Star Trek characters was acquired while I lived in Weimar.

These were the toys included with kid’s meals at Burger King – and I discovered that they existed too late to eat enough meals to get all the toys – so I have Scotty, Kirk, Old Spock, Sulu, and Young […]

Whatchamacallit 126: Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

When I left the States to (temporarily) move to Germany, this was a present from one of my wonderful colleagues at Indiana University Bloomington.

It lived in my office before I moved to Berlin, in Berlin it lives in my bookcase, catching my eye, bringing me back to Bloomington. It also describes my life […]

Whatchamacallit 125: Brandenburg Tor as a sand castle model

This is Brandenburg Tor as a toy – one that you fill with sand, compact, moisten, then flip and, voila! Brandenburg Tor has come to the beach.

Ignore the fact that it has an incorrect number of pillars – it should be six.

I bought this in 2015 in preparation for my around the […]

Whatchamacallit 124: University of Wyoming Flag

I’ve owned this flag since, I believe, spring of 1998.

As I vaguely recall, I bought it shortly before graduating with my MA in Political Science (minor in Environment and Natural Resources) from the University of Wyoming.

I cannot say that I ever had a specific plan for the flag, other than to just […]

Whatchamacallit 123: Goldfish Colors (to be deaccessioned)

I bought this package of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Colors awhile back: judging from its expiration date of March 8, 2015, I probably bought it in 2014.

Given the rainbow, I thought of it as Pride Goldfish – so after eating them, I save the box.

In the intervening years, the package has faded slightly […]