Posted by 
Sometimes you give and give – and suddenly you receive.
Buy Nothing
It’s funny sometimes how the warmer weather – plus the fact that Canberra (thankfully) has no cases of community transmission of COVID. Simply put: many people now feel safe to get out and about. I’ve been listing more things on my local Buy Nothing group, and many of them have been snapped up quickly.
Today, the Japanese lady who picked up some items yesterday came back. She collected some Doreamon and Disney stickers
My kids used to love Doreamon cartoons when the were little. My eldest son, Austin, spoke Mandarin Chinese as his preferred language when we lived in Taiwan. Japanese culture is common in Taiwan, and many people grew up with Doreamon. Doreamon is the blue character with the pocket. He would often produce magical things from his pouch to help save the day as he went on adventures with his school boy friend (who was rather naughty).
I also gave her something for making rice balls. A friend had given this to me earlier in the year, but I still can’t work out how to use it. I think a Japanese chef could work it out.
Plus three kids books as well.
But wait, there’s more
I gave away a vase to someone who just loved it.
And then I gave away a can opener.
My husband, Neil, and I had around four can openers together. I used to have a tiny made in Taiwan can opener that I had had for years. I think it originally cost my ex-husband 30 cents or something like that. Neil didn’t like it as he was worried I would cut myself. When we raided his shipping container full of items from his former life earlier this year, we found lots of objects including a Tupperware can opener (used to retail for around AUD60, I remember seeing it at a Tupperware party – or dou4w3 no5 ) and other fancy openers. The funny thing is that I struggle to use these ones as I find them too high tech. I miss my old el-cheapo one.
Anyway, in the midst of all of that we had an oversupply of can openers, including this Magican can opener that still sells for around $17. Someone in my Buy Nothing Project group was very happy to pick it up.
Surprise!
After dinner, I sent my two cheeky boys outside to play. They came back not long afterwards. “Surprise!,” they both said. I turned around, and there they were holding a beautiful bunch of roses. They were a gift from my neighbour who lives downstairs. Sometimes, when you give you receive back in unexpected ways!
Joyful Giving
3 x kids books
3 x sheets of stickers
1 rice ball maker (Japanese)
1 vase
1 Magican can opener