My most wanted: STARBUCKS City Mugs

VIENNA, Austria
When I went to Austria during the winter of 2002, Starbucks was just put up then. Austrians were of course not as fond as Americans (and Pinoys at that) on the foreign brand. Of course it’s still different when you sip your coffee in your favorite coffee shops in Vienna or perhaps even in Paris !

I found myself in the counter getting myself a cup of coffee, a blueberry muffin and a city mug! That’s when I started collecting these giant coffee mugs!
BANGKOK, Thailand
Later that year, I told a friend of mine that I wanted to start collecting these mugs. And guess what, she said she will bring me one from BKK. Rei went there for a short vacation.
MANILA, Philippines
I think I bought one for myself during the Christmas season of 2002. I got it from Starbucks 6750 (which happens to be the first-ever branch in the Philippines ). I remember spending a quiet “ME Time” there reading a good book (Sighs).

ERRATUM: The Manila mug was actually a birthday gift from a good friend, Mean Jean! It totally slipped my mind, sorry... :( No wonder I used the statement "I think" above, hehehe.

When my mom kept the mugs in the kitchen cupboard the idea of collecting totally slipped my mind for such a long time. And I really mean it! You’ll see later.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates
My brother has been working in Dubai (Hilton Hotel) for over 2 years now. It was during his first month-long vacation when he brought me the city mug (May 2007). He said all the other items I was asking him to “buy” for me are too expensive. Not to mention he probably sensed that I somehow had this wicked plan of not paying him. Hehehe!

Oh by the way, I remember I was staring at the Starbucks store in Dubai Airport (which is really huge! And I mean huge big time!) but for some reason I didn’t buy it. Perhaps it was because I was too excited for my connecting flight to Munich then. Oh well bottom line is, I was still able to get one after a few years.
SINGAPORE
About a couple of weeks when my brother gave me the Dubai city mug when my former boss and good friend Lesley asked what I wanted for ‘pasalubong’ for his Manila vacation. He’s based in HCMC, Vietnam but has been touring around Southeast Asia for some work stuff. I remember he said I gave him a good idea that he’s just going to make the city mug a generic pasalubong to his other friends. Of course he ended up just getting one! I think he didn’t want to have too many items on his hand-carry. But hey thanks again Les!
CEBU, Philippines
I stayed in Cebu from October 2005 to April 2007 and during this time my initial reflex when I stepped into the first (then) two Starbucks shops was to get myself my favorite! But I said, hey I’m staying here for good anyway so I can buy anytime. Funny thing was I already relocated back to Manila (sometime holy week of this year) and yes, the Cebu mug wasn’t in my possession yet until Jai gave me city mug as an early birthday gift!

PARIS, France
Wlad is one of the few non-Pinoy people that I get to hang out with here in Manila . He’s a French businessman introduced by a good friend – Tina. I remember telling him stuff in Tagalog all the time and it’s amazing that he usually understands most of what I say or pretends he gets it then asks somebody later what the heck was it really. I think it was about a couple of months ago when he went to his home country for a visit to his family. And of course, he was kind enough to give me the city mug upon returning home. (Ayos ka talaga Wlad! Videoke na ulet tayo dali!).
HONGKONG
Tina and Wlad planned their HongKong trip a few months ago until finally they pushed through. Tina already promised that she will buy me my mug once she gets there. And she did. She actually texted me when she finally got me the HK city mug. On her last day (I think), I didn’t know that she was supposed to go to Macau as well. Guess what, when she got back she said, “Jeff, I was holding a Macau city mug and I texted you if you wanted me to buy it too but you didn’t reply…” And that was the same day my damn phone got busted! Aaaaarrrgggghhhh!
MADRID, Spain
It was Miguel’s first birthday party (July 2007) when I saw some of Lulay’s relatives from Spain . I think they were here on vacation or something. At that time I didn’t have the thick face to tell her to ask her cuzins to get me a mug. And besides, they just got to the country and even if they go back, it’ll probably take sometime before they go to the Philippines again.

I remember it was only after a few weeks when I finally get to talk to her again. She mentioned she wanted some ‘real-deal’ Spanish sardines from Madrid because they’re so delicious she said. I blurted “why don’t you ask your cuzin to get me a city mug for my collection? J ” We parted ways with a big smile on my face because another cuzin of hers was just going to Manila in 2 or 3 days time. The following week she gave me the mug as a gift! (Thanks again Lulu and cuz!)

COLORADO, USA
This has quite a funny story. Augee (officemate and Rascal Alumna) was scheduled for a client-sponsored visit to their Colorado office. Before she left I was so excited to make my ‘bilin’ about the mug of course. She ym’d me one time to confirm that she already got me my Starbucks but it was a tumbler that she got me… Hehehe. Too bad she was already in San Francisco when I got the message. But it’s okay, for this one it’s the thought that counts! J

The USA is yet a huge continent for me and my city mugs to conquer! Got two other officemates who went to the US (both for client-sponsored visits) and tried searching for my most wanted but funny thing was, there were no stocks at the stores they visited. And I think the client offices were kinda far from the Starbucks stores.
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands
A co-TM (in our office’s other building) heard about my fascination to the city mugs. I was paying her work area a visit one time when she told me if I want to get one from The Netherlands coz her husband was flying back to Manila the following week. Of course I said yes right away to Claire!

We talked about the other cities to get the mugs from since her husband is back to Europe again! Yahoo!
TORONTO, Canada
Dexter was supposed to leave for Canada (client visit) with a co-manager at the office. When the other manager had everything delayed I thought, hey what about my Starbucks? I realized later on that Dexter was already in Toronto . So I emailed and ym’d him a million times (not really, about a couple I guess) and he was like not replying! Until finally he told me on his last day in Toronto that he is getting me my mug! Yey!
LEBANON
A former officemate, Lovely now works as an FA for Qatar Airways. We used to be assigned in the Cebu office about a year ago. I courageously emailed her and asked her how she'd been and of course asked a little favor if she could get me some mugs. Obviously, she travels all over because of her line of work. She was excited to hear about my collection and she said she will squeeze in getting me my Starbucks mugs during her travel. She sent (through another FA friend of hers) the city mug from Lebanon! Thanks Lovely, aside from giving this as a gift! The next ones are of course on me.

I’ll surely have more to say about my future Starbucks city mugs since most of my friends and relatives are now so involved in my collection! How I wish each mug is equivalent to each country I visit. Well who knows maybe soon, my travel plans will be based on the mugs I have from countries and cities I haven’t visited.