Surprises have been restricted to the regime of Cracker Jacks, clams, and fortune cookies now forever! Does cereal even have surprise stuff in it anymore? Why couldn't the Jeeesus make tiny fortunes and toys inside the peach instead of that giant nut? Or how cool would it be if every time you pooped, maybe you get a clown figurine. Or what if orgasms shot out Go-Bots? What if an exploding head was more like a piñata filled with blood, skull, brains, Bubble Yum, marbles, and mood rings!
No luck for me here on becoming anyone’s dealer. But for $3.99 at Toy Tokyo on 2nd Ave. you can cultivate your own problem. On the box label, you get a sense of the theme: mushroom kitchenettes, tiny shoes and purses, little sushis, elaborate miso soup preparation sets, wee cakes, tiny champagne glasses, miniature meats…but you don't know what you get till you open. It’s always a discovery and sometimes you get a surprise set that isn't even listed on the front. It’s a dream come true! The pieces are so tiny, you really have to concentrate on assembling them just right. Once pieced together, the Zen sets in. The Zen of tiny things. Small, beautiful surprises of life. It’s gonna be OK, maaan. O tiny sushi you make me smile again!