Souvenirs: Shanghai Style

I am a complete sucker for souvenirs. Looking back on all the trips I have taken, I can honestly say that I go on vacation to do two things:

1. -Eat
2. -Spend money on (more often than not) useless souvenirs

Who do I buy souvenirs for, you ask? I believe the real question is who do I not buy souvenirs for. My poor friend Sarina bears the brunt of my random postcards which are usually a month after my return and postmarked from somewhere lame like Paso Robles, CA. Then there is Bones. Poor, poor Bones. T-shirts and stuffed animals are forced upon him but who am I kidding, this happens even when I am not on vacation. Okay, I have slightly digressed.

Keeping my love for souvenirs in mind, I could not wait to see what Justin was bringing home. Not because I expected him to buy me things, but because he traveled all the way to Shanghai! Whether he knew it or not, it was his unspoken duty to bring home some Shanghai goods. The fact that Justin kept denying the purchase of anything other than his laser pointer and the Haibo doll for Bones increased my excitement throughout the week because I knew he was lying.

Justin is so stinkin' cute, I could die. The same person who claimed I would not be getting anything came home, opened up his suitcase and excitedly began the revealing of souvenirs. First up was Bones' Haibo doll:


In the next revealing came the fans. I never even thought about asking for a fan from Shanghai, but they are absolutely beautiful. Once I find a place to display them, our apartment will finally have some Asian flair!



While Justin was in Shanghai, we spoke regularly on Skype. Towards the end of his week, I put in a special request for a Buddha. I am not Buddhist, but I can't help but smile when I see a Buddha statue. He is so plump and happy that you can't help but feel happy too. Since I have been on the search for the perfect Buddha, Justin acted surprised when I asked him for one. In his attempt to make me believe that I would not be getting anything I asked for, he claimed he was under the impression that I had already found a Buddha of my liking in the past. Thank Buddha that my boyfriend knows me better than I know myself! Apparently, he had already purchased a copper Buddha several days before (even before I asked!). My little Buddha is wearing the perfect expression, he is extremely heavy and very authentic-looking. Needless to say, I was thrilled to see Buddha appear out of Justin's suitcase. I had convinced myself that Buddha was not coming home with Justin and my search for the perfect Buddha would have to continue. I hate to admit this, but I love it when Justin proves me wrong!

Justin decided to take his larger camera to Shanghai and boy, am I glad he did! He claims he did not want to carry it around so he decided to invest in something that would benefit him on his trip and myself afterwards! Details about this beautiful piece of (purple) technology will come tomorrow.
Thank you, thank you Justin! Words cannot express how grateful I am. I love you!