You Are Here Christmas – Philippines 3

New Christmas mugs hit the shelves in the Philippines today. I thought they look very similar to the second version, released last year. However, when I gave it the second look, I’ve realized there is definitely a subtle difference. Take a closer look at You Are Here Christmas – Philippines v3 above and see how the name of the mug, gift box, and candy cane are of the red shade? That, plus the red box is the only difference compared to v2.… Read more

Been There – Panamá

Starbucks Been There – Panama was released earlier this year and is finally getting here.
This country is probably the best known for the Panama Canal, and while I am not seeing it on the mug specifically, here are some interesting facts about this wonder of the modern world:
– The first attempts worth mentioning were done by France between 1881 and 1894 but were halted due to numerous issues on the engineering side. The high mortality rate of the workers was also a huge factor – thousands died due to yellow fever and malaria.… Read more

Been There – Trinidad & Tobago

Starbucks Been There – Trinidad & Tobago is a mug for the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. It consists of two main islands, Trinidad and Tobago, of course, and many smaller ones. During the centuries of colonization, it has been under the rule and influence of numerous European countries: Spain and Britain and to a smaller extent France and the Netherlands. The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago became independent in 1962.
Interesting fact: unlike other Caribbean countries, which rely heavily on tourism, the economy of Trinidad & Tobago is primarily industrial with an emphasis on petroleum and petrochemicals thanks to its large reserves of oil and natural gas.… Read more

You Are Here – Belfast

Starbucks You Are Here – Belfast was expected to be released along with Northern Ireland mug, but got delayed. It only gets to stores this week and we can review it.
Here are points of inspiration Starbucks artists used when creating the design of this mug:
– Belfast Castle, one of the city’s most famous landmarks. It is located on the hill and offers great views of the city. It is mostly used as a wedding reception site and events venue now.… Read more

You Are Here Christmas – Poland

One of the European countries gets Christmas early with the release of Starbucks You Are Here Christmas – Poland. It has just been revealed by a Facebook user today and it seems that the design of the mug and the box are very similar to what we’ve seen last year – white background with gold lines, red handle and a black box. To be honest, I was a little bit skeptical about whether they still keep releasing YAHs for this Holiday Season or switch to the new BT series.… Read more

Been There – Rio de Janeiro

Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvellous City) is joining BT mugs series with Starbucks Been There – Rio de Janeiro.
Did you know that the name of the city literally translates as the River of January? And the reason for this is pretty prosaic: Portuguese expedition under explorer Gaspar de Lemos first encountered Guanabara Bay on 1 January 1502 and named it Ria de Janeiro (“January’s Lagoon”). Ria became Rio (river) later and the actual city was only founded on 1 March 1565 under the name São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro.… Read more

Been There – São Paulo

Here’s another Brazilian mug for your collection: Starbucks Been There – São Paulo. It is the largest Portuguese-speaking city in the world with about 22 million people living in the metro area. According to historical documents, the city was founded on January 25, 1554, after Paul the Apostle.
These are some architectural elements to consider when visiting the city:
– I believe it is Paulista Avenue on the left to the handle which is a symbol and the center of the economic and political power of São Paulo where the headquarters of many financial and cultural institutions are located.… Read more

Been There – Brasil

There are three Brazilian mugs from BT series so far. Starbucks Been There – Brasil is the first one. As you can see, the Portuguese spelling was used. Using local spelling for mugs has been a common practice for Starbucks.
Here are some points of interest and symbols from the mug:
– The Amazon River is the largest river by discharge volume of water in the world. Did you know that the river starts in Peru? Peruvian part is also known as Marañón.… Read more

Been There Ornament – Oklahoma 2

There have been rumors about this change, but there was no evidence. Well, it is official now, Starbucks Been There Ornament – Oklahoma v2 is out. The only change I am seeing, that they’ve added an apostrophe to the “Boomers Paradise” so it became “Boomers’ Paradise”. Props to those collectors who make no big deal about the new version, but I can’t resist and have to have both in my possession.
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