Trinkets and Trash

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maneki_Neko

After breakfast on Sunday I did a bit of local shopping and then walked over to Chinatown. I had a request from a friend for a Merlion lighter, and the last time I was here I had discovered this great little beachwear store that I wanted to head back to.
Chinatown in Singapore is the land of Trinkets and Trash. Want a Singapore magnet/key chain/bottle opener/t-shirt/ashtray/merlion statue/merlion lighter (ding, ding, ding!!), well, Chinatown is the land of 3 for $10 souvenirs. It's fun to browse and wander through. I stopped into the Buddhist temple for a minute, and was asked several times where I was from. One man commented I was a strange woman to leave my husband at home! I had to laugh at that one.

Another quest was a Happy Cat. The last time I was here, Akshey from the office brought me to Little India, where we had excellent food at Mustard, and then walked around for a bit. There are also many 3 for $10 stores in that area, and when I was with him, I picked up my first Happy Cat, or Maneki Neko, for which the literal translation is Beckoning Cat. At the time I decided that a collection was going to be required, and have committed to picking a different one up whenever I visit Singapore. For the record, my first Maneki Neko was plastic, white, solar powered so her arm waves perpetually. She sits in the window of the study, waving tirelessly at passerby.
So, I was on a bit of a hunt. I saw many Maneki Nekos, but they had to call out to me, to speak to me. Grabbing the nearest cat was not acceptable, it had to be special, and of course they all have to be different, too. Just as I was about to give up for the day, I noticed a window display in a bit more of a fancy shop. They had a whole big bunch, big, small, and although lovely, none had yet to beg me to bring them home, until I discovered this little set::
Tiny little fridge magnets (picture to follow when stupid BlackBerry elects to work again...)
Perfect.