The Toy Story: South Korea

Remember how I began my Toy Story journey last year?

Yea the story of how I started to buy the real-size toys from Toy Story which I couldn't seem to be doing when I was younger. Well actually it technically began in 2015 when I got Mr Potato Head from Japan. But last year I hit the jackpot of the three main stars in just a single trip to Hong Kong and then I realized that this ritual couldn't just stop there.

And so today, I'd like to tell you the continuation of the story.

It was when I traveled to South Korea. I mean, it's Korea. I never expected myself to bump into any toys, let alone Toy Story toys, LET FVCKING ALONE real-size Toy Story toys. There's no Disneyland in Korea, not even Disney Store. So my trip was really all about nature, culture, and those travelers' actual goals. Not Vicky Amin's goals.

So it took me by surprise, and by delight, to spot a very charming, unassuming toy store nestled in the craze of food places and clothes shops of Jeju's busy city center. I stepped inside with not much expectation, only to be mindblown by the existence of one doll sitting by the corner of the shop.

Bullseye the Horse.

My hand was snatching the doll on its own command. It wasn't made of real quality leather like the one in the films. It wasn't coming with the box, nor any stand, so what it could do was just sitting around loosely or dangling helplessly. But it WAS THE REAL SIZE.

I didn't care much about anything else because it was the real size. I already have Woody, Buzz, and Jessie at home so bringing Bullseye would complete my Toy Story 2 collection. I only had just one concern, though: where was it made? Because if it was just a random toy produced in Korea, just a random doll made for girls to pick out of other unbranded bears and Sallies, I might not gonna go for it.

But then the tag was there. The tag that showed this toy's quality. The tag which confirmed that this Bullseye deserve a spot in my room with rest of the roundup. The tag that says "TOKYO DISNEY RESORT".

And that was it. Without further ado, I brought the doll to the cashier and saved Bullseye from its uncertain future.

But my Toy Story in Korea didn't end there.

Just when I was about to make the purchase, I see one other toy that caught my attention. Not one of those main toys, but important enough to make me think of buying him as well. It's

Wheezy.

It was a literal doll, not a plastic-made squeezy toy like he's supposed to be. But again, he was of the real size. And any real-size Toy Story toys would really matter to me. And on top of that, it's Wheezy.

He didn't have a nice back story in the film. He was abandoned all the way up the shelf, hidden behind the books, showered in dusts. He was about to be sold at the yard sale, but Woody saved him. So I thought, this was my call. I had to save him.

Plus, when I checked the tag, apparently he was also coming from Tokyo Disney Resort. He must have been in the same place as the Bullseye doll I was about to buy, MY Bullseye. They've been through the same journey, been through the same disappointment from not being chosen by the kids who entered the store, been through the same hardship. It'd be a sin if I separate them today, and so, with not much more consideration, I brought along this Wheezy doll.

Now you may think I'm crazy, to having such nonsense thoughts only to buy toys. Well I must say I am. I'm really sensitive about this kind of thing. Nonsense things.

As for these toys, the idea of them traveling from Tokyo to end up in a random toy store in Jeju, only to be brought to Busan and Seoul and eventually to its final home in Indonesia, it amazes me already. These toys have the stories of their own, which I would never know exactly how it went, and that alone gave me more reasons to bring them with me.

Sadly I have no proper photos of them boat. These are when we were on the
ferry to Busan, on the exact day I bought them :D

This Toy Story game is evolving to not only about me.
It also talks a lot about them

The Toy Story

Have I told you that I'm a big fan of this Disney craft?

Well, I am telling you now: I am.

Back then, just when Toy Story was out, I was entirely rooting for the animation. Toys in general were the center of my world, and seeing them alive in this movie was, something. So I had always felt jealous of Andy because of course, I wanted to own all his toys.

But it was pretty complicated to make it come true. The real toys would cost me weeks of begging and gallons of tears. The happy meal toys would cost dozens of chickens and burgers for me to eat. The replicas, just weren't powerful enough to satisfy my budding OCD need. The best thing I could do was just to draw em all on a paper, in their actual sizes, cut it all and acted like those 2D thingy were real toys.

As I grew up, things weren't necessarily getting easier. The toys were kept coming, in their real sizes, which I was extremely dying to have, but I was just in the middle of my highschool and campus years. Which means, I had no money to buy those expensive toys.

Having all Andy's toys remained only in my dream.

Until working days came, and Japan happened.

I knew it'd come. I had anticipated it because it was Japan, the land of imagination and childhood. So when I was walking around this hobby store and found one of Toy Story's gems on top of a shelf, the long lost hope for reclaiming Andy's toys slowly emerged from my barely-breathing childhood spirit. So without thinking much, I bought the toy.

Mr. Potato Head.

Which was definitely my most favorite. So returning to my dorm, I created a throne for this grand discovery. Not only because Mr Potato Head was my #1, but also because it was my first ever as-seen-on-TV sized Toy Story figure. It was a very tremendous moment. Because I realized that my journey to having Andy's toys, after almost 20 years, had finally begun.

My collection didn't change much for almost 1.5 year, until last month. Yep, my Hong Kong trip. Which included Disneyland in it. Ever since the amusement park was mentioned by our tour operator, I had this plan of hunting the toys. Anything, anybody. I told myself not to think much about the money, because one, you're working already, and two, you've had a better Disneyland experience in Tokyo, so dedicating this one for shopping would be really really fine.

The day finally came. My coworkers and I arrived at Disneyland. I acted normal, but my heart was beating hard and my eyes were wandering scanning where the toys were. I saw no clue of them until about 2 hours later, I spotted these two hanging out at a booth. I began trembling, but I stayed cool. Until I entered a store and saw them seated nicely on a shelf, with one other toy. So there were three of them, and I knew I couldn't buy them all at once. It was such a crazy and frustrating moment, deciding which one(s) to buy. But after thoughts and deliberations, not just with myself, but also with the help of my coworkers, I made up my mind and bought the two main stars. Yes,

Sheriff Woody, and Buzz Lightyear.

Fuck. Never thought this day would actually come. These two, which could only appear in my screens, or in front of my eyes without me being able to buy them because it cost a fortune in Jakarta, yes these two, could really be mine. No more replicas, no more stupid figurines, no more fvckin paper toys, it's now a real deal. I'm not exaggerating it, really, but I'm proud to buy them. Even some coworkers of mine said that they regretted their clueless-ness about these toys and not buying them. Yet here I am, typing this story with those two by my side.

It didn't end there. Remember the other toy I had difficult time deciding whether to buy or not? Well, ever since I left the park, I admit that I couldn't stop thinking of it. My friends said that I made a right decision because it was Woody and Buzz, for God's sake, you score! You don't need that other one. But then, it's not everyday that I could find the toy. But then again, it was too late. We left Disneyland, and now it was time for us to return home. Leaving the city, leaving the immigration desk, leaving my opportunity—and approaching a Disney Store.

Yes, for God's sake, what are the fvcking odds? Disney Store, at the airport? Just several steps away from the officers, and there it lied gracefully in front of my broken-hearted self, calling me inside to see if I still had the chance. And yes, I did. The toy was there. I doubted at first, but come to think of it, it was God's call. Rejecting it, and I'd be sinful. So I lined up at the cashier, made my last payment and went home with another addition to my Andy's toys collection:

Jessie the Cowgirl.

You've suffered enough, Jessie, you're not going to be left behind anymore. I will always love you.

Now you can imagine how hard it was in the store in Disneyland when I had to decide which one to buy, eh? Because it's Jessie. Buying Woody and Buzz is everybody's default and instant call. But buying Woody and Jessie could be good too, because then I'd have both the cowboy and the cowgirl—and buying Buzz and Jessie couldn't be wrong either, because they're an actual couple!

But hey, that difficult time had gone. And now instead of having just two toys, and calling myself foolish for abandoning the other one, I have them three, plus Mr Potato Head.

Jeez.

I can't believe it all happens.

This may seem nothing to you,

But it's a very big thing for me.

It's childhood, and faith.

So this toy story of mine,

Won't stop here

Send Me Santa For These

Beberapa waktu yang lalu gue jalan sama nyokap ke GI. Selagi gue nemenin nyokap liat-liat di Seibu, gue minggat ke bagian jualan mainan. Biasa lah, udah gede gini gue tetep doyan ngeliatin mainan. Dan di ujung sana, di dekat Barbie dan segala pernak perniknya yang cantik, berdirilah sebuah rak dengan tema "Toy Story 3".

Seperti yang udah gue beberin sebelumnya, gue ngebet banget punya mainan-mainan yang ada di film itu. Dan diantara jutaan pilihan mainan yang ada, tiga diantaranya bener-bener bikin gue pengen malingin tuh toko.

Buzz Lightyear
Ini nih yang pertama. Bener-bener seukuran yang di filmnya. Semua tombolnya bisa dipencet, sayapnya bisa dikembangkan, suaranya mirip, argh! Bikin gila anjir. Siapa sih yang gamau punya mainan sebagus ini hah? hah?? *gak nyante saking menggebu gebunya keinginan ini* Tapi harganya dong men, 600 rebu! Gelakaliyak mending buat jatah makan di warteg setaun ye gak?

-image source click here

Mr. Potato Head
Nah si bangke ini muncul setelah perhitungan gue sama Buzz selesai. Sumpah ya yang ini lebih-lebih deh. Matanya bisa dicopot, tangannya bisa dipretelin, mulutnya bisa dilempar kemana-mana, waaaaaaaaa tolong hamba ya tuhan! Stop! Jangan berharap, harganya sejuta.

-image source click here

Rex
Plis yang ini ukurannya sangat menggairahkan -ambigu jir. Pokoknya collectible parah, jumbo dan argh inceran setiap orang yang ambisi jadi si Andy lah pokoknya. Oh ya tuhan pokoknya alasan utama kenapa gue pengen banget beli nih maenan-maenan ya karena sizenya as seen on tv *gue gatau ngebahasain indonesianya gimana* tapi harganya satu komaan masa :'(

-image source click here

Oke oke mari kita hentikan topik ini karena gue makin bertingkah seperti layaknya seorang maniak mainan yang gak jelas juntrungan hidupnya.

But please somebody,
If you're as sweet as Santa Claus...
Buy me those freakin' things!

To Infinity And Beyond

Sebenernya telat. Banget malah. Gue sendiri bingung kenapa bisa begini. Nyesel? Hmm, gak terlalu sih. Tapi ya agak aneh aja udah hari gini gue malah baru nonton Toy Story 3

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Wouwouwouwouwouwoh to the main topic lah! Toy Story 3! Sumpah siapa sangka ternyata meski udah berkepala 3, ceritanya tetep bagus agila cuy. Dan setiap kali nonton Toy Story, hasrat gue buat bisa punya mainan-mainan yang ada di film itu tuh selalu membuncah, jadi sampe yang ke-3 ini pun gue masih aja tontonin.

Dan ceritanya itu loh yang bikin gue kasih millions thumbs up. Ikutan sedih lah jadi mainan-mainan itu dikacangin sama Andy nya. Tapi yang paling nyentuh mah pas mereka masuk pembakaran sampah trus akhirnya pasrah sambil gandengan tangan. Oh ya Tuhan kebayang gak sih lo lagi berjuang menghindar maut bareng temen-temen yang udah kayak keluarga sendiri, trus akhirnya malah pasrah karena udah tau gabisa ngapa-ngapain lagi.

Aaa nyesel jir kenapa gak gue tonton pas liburan masuk kuliah kemaren. Setting sama suasana hatinya tuh mirip banget sama gue waktu itu jadi makna filmnya pasti ngena banget (effusyet mantep banget kan yak bahasa gue).

Dan abis nonton nih film, gue jadi pengen ngumpulin mainan-mainan lama gue trus gue simpen di tempat yang layak biar mereka gausah bilang

while this picture belongs to this website

"So long, partner..."