Christmas In Italy

Summary

Add to Cart with Kulap Vilaysack & SuChin Pak

Episode: Christmas In Italy

Date: November 28, 2025

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Episode Overview

This lively, laugh-out-loud episode follows SuChin Pak and her travel soulmate, Annie, as they embark on a shopping-centric trip to Italy during the holidays. The conversation, co-hosted by Kulap Vilaysack, is a whirlwind tour through menopause-induced jet lag, Italian shopping escapades, packing rituals, small-town discoveries, and philosophical musings on consumption. The episode transforms the literal and metaphorical “cart” into a metaphor for friendship, adventure, and self-discovery in midlife.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Flying Without a Net – Women in (Travel) STEM

(01:19 – 02:28)

• Technical difficulties open the show, humorously highlighting that “we’re women in stem. We’re fixing audio” (SuChin, 01:55).
• The absence of safety nets mirrors the spontaneity of their Italian journey.

The Soulmate Travel Dynamic

(03:00 – 03:37)

• SuChin and Annie's long-standing friendship fuels the chaos and poetry of their trips.
• Each has their quirks: Annie brings an absurd number of pajamas; SuChin embraces, and accepts, the weirdness:

  “Who me? 88 pairs of pajamas. Who me? With a stainless steel pot and a lid in her suitcase.”
  — SuChin Pak (03:27)

Menopause on Holiday

(05:04 – 07:56)

• First menopausal trip together:

  “It was our first menopause trip... by a pinky nail to pre-menopausal.”
  — SuChin Pak (05:19)

• Italian lifestyle (the country’s midday pause) perfectly matches their newfound need for midday rest:

  “All of Italy is on menopause time... the entire country shuts down from noon to three.”
  — SuChin Pak (06:33, 06:45)

• Annie slept “10, 12 hours a day... jet lag and hormone change blended.”

Italian Customs & Culture Clashes

(07:56 – 10:02)

• Compulsory, lengthy meals:

  “The Italians insist you have a civilized meal at least once a day... they don’t let you leave.”
  — Annie (08:14); SuChin Pak (09:47)

• Frustration at the slow, ceremonial handling of restaurant bills—a would-be “NATO agenda item.”

Packing Rituals, Travel Tactics, and Shopping Strategy

(11:10 – 14:20)

• Annie packs “three shirts and two pairs of pants for two weeks... 80 pairs of underwear. Five made it back.” (11:10)
• The checked suitcase goes empty and returns full of purchases.
• Annie doesn’t buy a return ticket until last minute to score cheap fares and funnel savings into shopping:

  "One of the big tenets of our travel is... you gotta just pick one. You’re either gonna blow your bankroll on the flight, the hotel, or food... For me it's the flight. For her, she's going to blow it on shopping.”
  — SuChin Pak (14:20)

Shopping as Errand & Joy

(12:30 – 16:27)

• Italy trip becomes a series of “errands”: pharmacy visits, eye doctor, shopping for gifts and stocking stuffers.
• Annie touts the superiority of getting glasses and checkups abroad:

  “Anybody who’s had their eyes checked abroad... will never not do that, given the opportunity.”
  — Annie (12:44)

Christmas Shopping and Italian LeMax Villages

(16:22 – 21:28)

• Stocking stuffers were easily handled in Italy.
• Discovery of Italian devotion to Christmas villages:

  “There was a department store... a quarter of that were Lemax Christmas Village pieces... Where in America would you get that kind of devotion?”
  — Annie (17:39)

• Most memorable: a Christmas shop with moving, mechanical scenes of Biblical Nazareth—Mary rocking Jesus, a butcher decapitating a chicken.

  “I can’t even imagine the great mind that could intersect holy with whimsy.” — SuChin Pak (20:08)

Venice: Sci-Fi, Swoon-Worthy Arrival

(22:10 – 24:57)

• Venice described as “romantic, cinematic, sci-fi” (23:35; 23:49).
• The impact of arriving by boat:

  “You could be the most boring person but... you’re looking out like it’s a Christopher Nolan film.”
  — Kulap (24:09)

• They almost abandon the rest of the itinerary to stay.

Shopping Tallies: Leather, Wool, Accessories

(25:18 – 29:37; 39:00 – 54:59)

• In Venice, Annie buys “10 to 12 leather bags,” many destined as gifts but likely never to be used (26:56).
• Italy is proclaimed “source material” for Anthropologie and other American boutiques:

  “Italy is source material. More than any place I’ve been.”
  — Annie (41:24)

• Major shopping categories include Italian wool sweaters, cashmere, belts (“10 to 15 belts” estimated), necklaces, jewelry, and hardware store finds like cheese graters and wooden spoons.

Shopping Philosophy—The "Do Not Buy" List

(44:35 – 47:00)

• Annie’s self-imposed rules:
  • No scarves, sequins, dresses, overly fancy clothes, food that’s a pain to carry, or non-everyday bags. Rules are often broken.

  “It’s just like I’m shopping for a life that I don’t live.” — Annie (47:00)

Small Town Delights: Bassano del Grappa

(29:51 – 38:53)

• Off-the-beaten-path town with rare non-tourist chic, beautiful shops, and Italian second-home vibes.
• Annie bonds with a local through her Italian fluency, scoring deals at a shop going out of business (“Everything’s €10”).
• “We’re like Pac-Man going through Bassano del Grappa.” — Annie (40:55)

Travel Flexibility: Living Without Plans

(30:12 – 31:54)

• They arrive in each town without hotel reservations and make decisions on the fly, which Kulap calls “romantic” for those bold enough.
• Self-described as “menopausal backpackers” but with shopping sprees, not bunk beds.

Florence: Museums vs. Shopping

(56:31 – 61:06)

• Florence is beautiful but less thrilling to the hosts than tiny towns.
• Shopping highlight:

  “Santa Maria Novella... oldest pharmacy in Europe, 1221 is when they began.”
  — Annie & Kulap (57:37)

• Seven bags of potpourri purchased; they adore the old-world pharmacy vibes.

Hardware, Pharmacies, and Unexpected Treasures

(62:25 – 66:01)

• European hardware stores likened to boxes of assorted chocolates—some items are incredible (sailcloth tote, knit clutch), some are misses.
• Pharmacy buys: toothpaste with medicinal, herbal flavors (“tasted like bitters”), sloughing stones, creams.

Regrets, Lessons, and Takeaways

(66:48 – 67:15)

• The only regret: not buying more jewelry.
• They skip Prada outlet in the end—suprised by their own restraint:

  “Even I couldn’t spend my precious time in Italy in an outlet.” — Annie (68:06)

The Christmas Spirit & Post-Italy Life

(69:07 – 76:55)

• Kulap’s laser-focused approach to holiday decorating:
  • Trees go up first, phases of decor, Friendsgiving celebrations, and tales of best-man speeches and flower girl giggles (70:16 – 73:17).
• Reflections on Boycotting big-box stores for Black Friday and evolving shopping habits.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the absurdity of packing:

  "Three shirts, two pairs of pants, 80 pairs of underwear—for two weeks."
  — Annie (11:10)

• On Italy’s schedule matching menopause needs:

  “All of Italy is on menopause time.”
  — Annie (06:33)

• On shopping as an errand:

  “It’s errands. You gotta go to the eye doctor, the pharmacy, you know what I mean?”
  — Annie (12:34)

• On the magic of arriving in Venice:

  “You’re looking out like it’s a Christopher Nolan film.”
  — Kulap (24:09)

• On shopping in Italy:

  “Italy is source material. More than any other place I’ve ever been.”
  — Annie (41:24)

• On friendship and travel:

  “One to two times a year, we go on our honeymoon and renew our vows.”
  — Annie (16:04)

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Segment Timestamps

• 01:19 – 02:28: Opening banter and technical mishaps
• 03:00 – 04:13: Soulmate travel dynamic (“poetry in chaos”)
• 05:04 – 07:56: The menopausal traveler in Italy
• 10:10 – 11:42: Annie’s wild packing style
• 12:44 – 13:16: The joys of international eye exams
• 16:22 – 21:28: Christmas in Italy and the Italian Lemax village
• 22:10 – 24:57: Venice arrival, romance, crowds
• 29:51 – 38:53: Bassano del Grappa: chic small-town shopping spree
• 44:35 – 47:00: Annie’s “do not buy” list
• 56:26 – 61:26: Florence: Santa Maria Novella, pharmacy runs
• 62:25 – 66:01: Highlights from hardware stores and pharmacies
• 66:48 – 67:15: Regrets (not enough jewelry)
• 69:07 – 73:17: Kulap’s home Christmas decor, best man speech, family stories

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Episode Tone & Style

Playful, self-effacing, filled with affectionate teasing and TMI details. The aunties lean into their strengths: honesty, a knack for finding life’s humor, and candid explorations of friendship, aging, and self-indulgence.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode:

This episode is a hilarious, warm confessional about friendship, middle-aged adventure, and the obsessive joy of shopping in Italy during the holidays. You'll come away feeling like you joined two “aunties” weaving through Italian backstreets, suitcases bulging with sweaters and belts, slightly out of phase with the world but having the time of their lives. Don’t miss the next one for even more carts, confessions, and heart.

Transcript

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[Cool Opulaisok]

Also with that Fire Boy.

[Annie]

Wait.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Happy Holidays. Welcome to another episode of Add to Cart, the show where we talk about what we buy and what we're buying into. I'm your auntie Cool Opulaisok.

[Sujin Park]

Welcome to another episode. One other episode. I'm your other auntie, Sujin Park. I mean, wait. First of all, before we get into it, I just want to say we're off the grid.

[Annie]

You knew.

[Sujin Park]

You know this.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I don't want to talk about this on time session. It's so boring. Let's just get to it.

[Sujin Park]

It's hilarious. Because we're doing it.

[Cool Opulaisok]

We're.

[Sujin Park]

We're women in stem. We're fixing audio.

[Annie]

I just need to acknowledge that.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I have to also say that this happened every time that we were on with other people. Like it's not normal.

[Sujin Park]

I know, but now there's no safety net. Now it's just us downing matcha shots.

[Annie]

Trying to make it happen.

[Cool Opulaisok]

We would do this suchin and then your audio would still be shit and then we'd have to do the zoom. It's truly no different than before.

[Sujin Park]

It feels like I'm flying without underwear on.

[Annie]

That's what it feels like.

[Sujin Park]

Fresh. Well, that a little dangerous.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Let's talk about it.

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Ciao Prego.

[Sujin Park]

You are even there.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Fresh.

[Annie]

I am fresh.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Fresh.

[Sujin Park]

Fresh off the plane. Fresh in the deep throes of jet lag. From Motherland Italia. Not to me, but to someone out there.

[Annie]

She is Motherland.

[Cool Opulaisok]

An entire country. Yes. All right, so tell us about the trip you went with your yes. You're Ride or Die. Your soulmate.

[Sujin Park]

Poetry in chaos.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Who's more chaotic? It's a race. It's a race to the bottom.

[Sujin Park]

It's a race to the bottom.

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

You know, we both shake our heads at each other.

[Annie]

That's what makes me laugh.

[Cool Opulaisok]

And that's beautiful. I think that's beautiful.

[Sujin Park]

She is like, you're so annoying and weird and nothing makes sense. And I look at her and I'm like, who me?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Look in the mirror, bitch.

[Sujin Park]

I'm like, who me? 88 pairs of pajamas. Who me? With a stainless steel pot and a lid in her suitcase.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay. I have been sort of armchair to a number of your trips. And the amount of pajamas Annie purchases, you would think she was a full time bed person who changed her pajamas multiple times per sleep.

[Sujin Park]

I do have to say, though, a lot of things are exactly the same.

[Annie]

And will remain the same on this Italia trip.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Regardless if you are in Korea, regardless if you are in France. It doesn't matter.

[Sujin Park]

Doesn't matter.

[Cool Opulaisok]

What remains a constant?

[Sujin Park]

What remains a constant is everything we're into, and that won't change. She's going to be walking into to.

[Annie]

Kitchen showrooms in foreign countries.

[Sujin Park]

No business. No business. None of it even matches. Even if you were wealthy enough to be like, I want this entire kitchen in this Italian kitchen showroom installed in my New York apartment. Even if you had that wealth, the plugs won't work. Why are we here opening cabinets?

[Cool Opulaisok]

That is so why funny.

[Sujin Park]

And then she'll be like, why are we in a pharmacy buying so many sleeping pills? I get it. We're both a strong flavor and it's.

[Annie]

That's never going to change.

[Sujin Park]

But there were some differences. You know, we're both menopausal.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

And this was our first menopause trip.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Whoa, whoa. Thank you for that context.

[Sujin Park]

Thank you for that. I'm not trying to toot my horn. I mean, I'm hanging on by a pinky nail to mena. Pre menopausal perimenopausal. So I'm not like full, but like by a pinky.

[Annie]

So there's no. So just menopausal. Let's just say menopausal.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay.

[Annie]

Okay.

[Sujin Park]

And that is an interesting place to be.

[Annie]

And it's just different.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Wait, so, sue, are you having the heat flashes? Are they.

[Sujin Park]

Are they with us or you're having. You're having. Yeah, sure. Temperature flashes.

[Annie]

I mean, radical mood swings. The jet lag is a kind of jet lag where you're. It Feels like. Okay, let me walk this back. The jet lag at times, yes. Can feel like. Like you're on another planet. But at the same time, it's the most wonderful release because you're so out of it that, like, you just don't give a. You know, you're sleeping. I was sleeping 10, 12 hours a day in the middle of the day, and you're just so out of it. And I think it was like the hormone change, the travel change, time change.

[Cool Opulaisok]

You never sleep?

[Sujin Park]

No.

[Cool Opulaisok]

So this is like, actually beautiful.

[Annie]

And the beauty of it is all of Italy is on menopause time. What does that mean?

[Sujin Park]

Cool up. You've been there. I haven't been there since high school.

[Annie]

I forgot.

[Sujin Park]

This is crazy that the entire country shuts down from noon to three.

[Cool Opulaisok]

All right.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah, I. I mean, I'm talking department stores.

[Annie]

Like, the target of Italy is shut down from 12 to 3. The pharmacy shut down from 12 to 3.

[Sujin Park]

If you have a medical emergency. Ciao, Prego, ciao, prego. 12 to 3. I've been in countries like.

[Annie]

No, Spain has that.

[Sujin Park]

But it's not like in Italy where it is written in law. Do you remember that? No, I don't.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I didn't grab onto it because I think while I'm there, I'm not trying to scurry. I'm not trying to maximize.

[Sujin Park]

But what I'm saying is, with this menopause schedule, you're just more tired, you need more rest. Starting your day at three is just fine by me, by the way. And it's over at 6. It's not extended hours. They don't tack that three hours on at the end. It's a regular American working day, minus three hours.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yes, but also because you're not in a cafe ever. That's a big part of the culture.

[Sujin Park]

I do have to say, I spent.

[Annie]

More time in restaurants than I ever.

[Sujin Park]

Want to see again because of this.

[Annie]

Because the Italians insist you have a civilized meal at least once a day.

[Sujin Park]

And you don't have a choice.

[Annie]

You know, there isn't a boulangerie where you get your goods. Now, am I eating dinner in my bed with a crusty bread and cool.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I sent you those photos that I get. The reveal of you being in any restaurant is massive for me. Because the photos I get are just her bed or a cot with a.

[Sujin Park]

Towel and just nude food, nude groceries.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Just strip wrapped strip breads.

[Sujin Park]

Just throw any ceremony correct, dry and nude.

[Annie]

What am I gonna do?

[Sujin Park]

Buy a jar of Moutard for a.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Three day Trip, if you could. And she sends me this photo and then she writes, table for one.

[Sujin Park]

That's not gonna change. No, that's not gonna change. But the Italians, they insist you have.

[Annie]

A civilized meal once a day.

[Sujin Park]

And what I'm gonna. What I'm gonna ask Italy to do.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

On the agenda at the next. What's a global conference, NATO conference at the imf.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Journalist Su Jin park is gonna stand.

[Sujin Park]

Up in front of all the nations in front of the UN Council. Is this mic on? Is this mic on?

[Annie]

Dear Italy, bring the check with the meal. Give people that option.

[Sujin Park]

Be free. Let people be free. Do not hold them prisoner. It is a form of unlawful and unconsenting lockdown.

[Annie]

Bring the check with the meal.

[Cool Opulaisok]

You need to go somewhere else then. That's not the Italian way. Get another visa somewhere else. We hear your feedback, we ignore your feedback and move on.

[Annie]

You know, I haven't been in a culture where it's their way or no way.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah, you're going to stand at the.

[Annie]

Bar and have your espresso to go cup.

[Cool Opulaisok]

No, no, no. Have your espresso in the beautiful porcelain.

[Sujin Park]

Cup and get to going.

[Annie]

Get to going at the gas station.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Or hang out for three hours at the gas station.

[Sujin Park]

You're going to stand at a bar with the ceramic puck at the gas.

[Annie]

Yes.

[Sujin Park]

Even at the gas station.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Are you bitches driving?

[Sujin Park]

Oh, of course.

[Annie]

All right, we got ourselves.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Let's stop into a car. Let's back up, let's back up. Let's start. Let's go from the beginning. Okay. Okay, we gotta talk about your packing style. You, while away, shared some interesting tibics with Jason.

[Annie]

Correct.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Of how you packed.

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Much to Jason's horror. You packed in what way?

[Annie]

Okay, I packed three shirts and two pairs of pants for a two week trip. Yeah. 80 pairs of underwear. Five made it back.

[Cool Opulaisok]

These tats are crazy. Oh, my God.

[Sujin Park]

Such and fuck am I going to Italy suitcase. Which is wildly different than my coming home suitcase. My going to Italy suitcase is three shirts, two pairs of pants, so many pairs of underwear. And a pillow. Ah, there's no more room.

[Cool Opulaisok]

No, no, no. I know you. So this is a carry on Rolly.

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yep, yep, yep, yep.

[Annie]

And then the checked in large bag is empty.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah, because that's for on the way back.

[Annie]

On the way back. I don't even remember what problem Jason had with that. I don't even remember how that started. I don't know. Should we go back?

[Sujin Park]

I.

[Annie]

Let me just.

[Sujin Park]

What was his big. What was the. What What? I'll tell you that.

[Cool Opulaisok]

That's insane.

[Sujin Park]

Why?

[Annie]

You're gonna buy everything there? No, that. Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Well, that's crazy. That part's so crazy.

[Sujin Park]

That's the thing.

[Annie]

That's the thing, people, you know, I get it. It's not for everyone. I mean, I'm working so hard, both of us clocking in, clocking out every single day.

[Cool Opulaisok]

It's a buying trip for you guys.

[Sujin Park]

It's a buying trip.

[Annie]

It's errands.

[Sujin Park]

I mean, it's just everything you need to get done. You gotta go to the eye doctor.

[Annie]

You gotta go to the pharmacy, you got.

[Sujin Park]

You know what I mean?

[Annie]

It's. It all done.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Wherever you're going at this point, the only optometrist you see are in other countries.

[Annie]

Correct. I did it once and I was like, oh, burn the rest of that manual. Why would I ever get my eyes checked anywhere else? Can't tell you the last time I got my eyes checked here.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah, I know you can't. I know you can't.

[Annie]

I. I don't understand it. Anybody who's had their eyes checked abroad and, and have been through that experience and have bought glasses there will never not do that. Given the opportunity, given in the opportunity. Given the opportunity, of course. And then, you know, I packed a.

[Sujin Park]

Pair of walking shoes and that was it.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Backing up a little bit. You had shared to me, I don't know, a week, two weeks before you were to leave that Annie had yet purchased. Had not yet purchased her plane ticket. So spoiler alert, she did.

[Annie]

And spoiler alert, she didn't have a return ticket. Oh, you guys. She didn't have a return ticket probably till two days before we left.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Why? Why?

[Annie]

Because she just doesn't. She doesn't travel like that.

[Cool Opulaisok]

It's so crazy. You clearly are fine. She's back. This is in the past. And yet my stomach turned when you said, that has nothing to do with me. I was fine here, but truly my stomach flipped as if I was having to deal with it.

[Sujin Park]

I know, I understand.

[Annie]

I hear you. And I understand why one would think that way, because when I tell people, their reaction tells me that I'm not reacting normally, which is like, I haven't known any different and cheap ass flights.

[Sujin Park]

You know, the thing is, is that.

[Annie]

Like, for us, we have huge similarities in the way that we approach travel, and then we've got our little tiny differences, right? She's into kitchenware, I'm into other things. Right? But one of the big tenets of our travel is that, like, you Gotta just pick one, right? You're either gonna blow your, your bankroll on the flight, the hotel, or I don't know, the third category, food. I don't know what's a popular category of, you know, travel. And we choose differently. For me it's the flight, okay. For her, she's going to get the cheapest flight available and possible because she's going to blow it on shopping. Yeah, right. So like for her buying these last minute tickets, you can get crazy deals.

[Sujin Park]

Because who travels that way?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Right, right, I see, I see.

[Sujin Park]

You know like you're not in any algorithm. She's off the grid on that, you.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Know what I mean?

[Sujin Park]

So like there's very few people who.

[Annie]

Can get down like that.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah. She's like, you catch me, catch me with your surcharges.

[Annie]

Yeah, catch me.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah, exactly.

[Sujin Park]

So yeah, I always know she's going to make it back. I don't know what city she's flying in and out of.

[Annie]

I always know she's going to meet.

[Sujin Park]

Me at the airport and take me to the airport.

[Annie]

No matter what her flight situation. Damn. It's beautiful. She ushers me onto the flight and off the flight.

[Sujin Park]

I have never, never landed in a city without at some point her meeting.

[Annie]

Me at the airport.

[Cool Opulaisok]

It's sexy, I gotta say. It is.

[Sujin Park]

I found my soulmate.

[Annie]

You have a found soulmate.

[Sujin Park]

And one to two times a year.

[Annie]

We go on our honeymoon and we renew our vows.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah, you do. Now you had sold me on this trip being about Christmas shopping. Could you walk me through that or how was it?

[Sujin Park]

Was it yes and no. Did I get? To me, the most difficult part of.

[Annie]

Christmas gift shopping is stocking stuffers for my kids.

[Sujin Park]

Do you feel that way?

[Cool Opulaisok]

No.

[Sujin Park]

I don't know.

[Annie]

Why?

[Sujin Park]

Why is it? Because I don't know why. The stocking stuffers stump me. Which is why I love Paul.

[Annie]

Stocking stuffer ideas. I actually need to hit him up for another year of it, but I don't need to because I did it. I check that all off in Italy.

[Sujin Park]

They'Re going to get Italian stockings stuffed.

[Annie]

With random Italian things.

[Cool Opulaisok]

They're spoiled rotten.

[Annie]

Thank you. And then I checked my brother off and I checked his girlfriend off. Done. And that's about as far as Christmas I got. But wait, coo. I have this video.

[Sujin Park]

I haven't seen it.

[Annie]

I wanted to send it to you in the moment, but I went into a Christmas shop. So many Christmas shops, I mean you can imagine.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Ah, I wish.

[Annie]

I mean Italy does with Christmas.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Well, I know a Certain part is that you, you did send me a picture of boxes of LeMax.

[Annie]

Can you believe it? They get it. They fucking get.

[Sujin Park]

There was a floor.

[Annie]

There was a department store we went to and they had a Christmas floor. And I would say a quarter of that were lemak's Christmas Village pieces. Where in America?

[Cool Opulaisok]

I wish.

[Annie]

Where in America, not even here in America would you get that kind of devotion? I was tempted, but I was like, well, that's the dumbest thing I've ever done. Other than brought. Yes, I brought a spoon, a pasta spoon. A pasta spoon that I could have bought online. But I mean, putting a giant village piece in my butt.

[Sujin Park]

I looked.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Never.

[Annie]

I looked. I looked. I was there for a while where Annie was shopping for God knows what. And I was just looking at all the villages because you like to see what an Italian edit of a lemax village looks like. And let me say, it's big.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah.

[Annie]

It's opulent.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Abundant.

[Sujin Park]

It's over the top.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yes. Gilded.

[Annie]

Gilded. I do regret not buying one small Lomax piece and I gotta look for it. Imagine this a Christmas scene where maybe the family is at like a Christmas.

[Sujin Park]

Market and they've got one of those.

[Annie]

Cutout picture thing where you put your head through it.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yes.

[Sujin Park]

And then you're a snowman. Oh, I love it. I loved it so much.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I love it. I loved it.

[Sujin Park]

And I said, no, I, I, this is from America.

[Annie]

I can find this online. So anyway, I did that. But we. They had this one Christmas shop and. Okay, so they have. Imagine Christmas Village.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yes.

[Annie]

Okay. With all the mechanical pieces moving.

[Sujin Park]

But imagine the village is the village.

[Annie]

Of Jesus Christ Nazareth.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Oh, wow. Like every piece.

[Annie]

That's the theme.

[Sujin Park]

So then that is.

[Annie]

Mary is rocking baby Jesus in a manger moving. There is a man. I don't know, maybe he's a shepherd and he's.

[Sujin Park]

I kid you not, opening a wool blanket and closing it over himself.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Oh, wow.

[Sujin Park]

Opening a wool blanket and closing it over himself. There is a butcher cutting the head off of a chicken.

[Cool Opulaisok]

No.

[Sujin Park]

Do you see what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah. I lost my mind. My mind. I lost it.

[Cool Opulaisok]

And had you ever seen that, though?

[Sujin Park]

Like, I can't even imagine the great mind that could intersect holy with whimsy.

[Annie]

Where is that cross section?

[Sujin Park]

Have you ever seen that cross section? No. Whimsical holiness.

[Cool Opulaisok]

No.

[Sujin Park]

He's giggling to himself. There was a woman. There was a woman with a scythe cutting down. Hey, hey.

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Wow.

[Sujin Park]

And I just, I, we.

[Annie]

Oh, my God.

[Sujin Park]

Agog.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I need the Video.

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

So now there's context to it.

[Annie]

And I will send you the video.

[Sujin Park]

So anyway, so wait, just, just so.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I understand, that was lemax or not lemax?

[Annie]

No, that wasn't lemax. How dare you? That has to be some Italian. Like I said, some Italian mind.

[Sujin Park]

I mean, it could have been a monk. He could be living in a monastery this way.

[Cool Opulaisok]

It was Geppetto. It simply was Geppetto.

[Sujin Park]

It's Geppetto. You know him as Geppetto. Geppetto, yeah. Only Geppetto could.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Leonardo da Vinci.

[Sujin Park]

Only Leonardo could. How do I bring holy to the avenue of whimsy?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Of whimsy.

[Sujin Park]

I, it was like layers and layers.

[Annie]

Like I could see the universe into a black hole, you know, and time travel and just like moving. What's that movie when you're just moving pieces on a screen? It was just beyond imagination. It blew my mind. So when I said I was gonna this was going to be a Christmas trip, I mean, I, I, it was a Christmas trip.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yes. You were imbued by the spirit of Christmas.

[Annie]

And I just can't wait to tell you what I. The conclusion I came to for this.

[Sujin Park]

Year, and it's not crazy, but we'll.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Talk about it at the end.

[Annie]

At the end.

[Cool Opulaisok]

At the end.

[Annie]

At the end. Okay.

[Cool Opulaisok]

So you flew into Venice.

[Annie]

I flew into Venice.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Venecia.

[Annie]

Have you been to Venice?

[Cool Opulaisok]

I love it.

[Annie]

I love it. I mean, we had only. We planned the longest time was going to be in Venice. And as we were leaving the island, there was a very serious conversation of do we turn back and just stay there for the two weeks? Yeah. And I'm not saying I regret it, but I'm saying that could have been the move.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah. I wish we stayed longer.

[Annie]

Yeah. Yeah, that could have been the move. Now, when you went to Venice, when did you go?

[Cool Opulaisok]

It was summertime.

[Annie]

Yes, it was summertime.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah. It was warmer. Yeah.

[Annie]

So what were the crowds like?

[Cool Opulaisok]

There was a good amount of people. There were. I'm trying to remember. It wasn't. I didn't feel.

[Annie]

You didn't feel. That wasn't. Like it didn't stick out to you? Because that's what I was wondering. Because it's such a, like it is Disneyland on an island. And I was thinking, I was like, if there were more people here, I don't know that I could stay.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Nobody who is Italian lives there. That's all tourists.

[Annie]

No, it's all tourists. And it's all like, at this time of year, was all Italian tourists.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah.

[Annie]

So anyway, it Was. I mean, Venice, guys, I. Everything they say about it is. It's not even. It's not even. Yes, it's.

[Cool Opulaisok]

It's romantic. It's.

[Annie]

It's sci fi. You're just like, what am I looking at every day? I was just like, what am I every minute. So Venice was incredible.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Like, the drama. The drama of arriving, you know, the boat taxi, as you're entering the city. Like, it is just cinematic. You could be the most boring person. But then, you know, you're looking out like it's a Christopher Nolan film. Like, your eyes are the most skilled dp everywhere you turn, even when you're getting gelato. It's. It is. It's a shot, right?

[Annie]

It's a shot. And no. No camera will ever capture. Has ever captured.

[Sujin Park]

So, like, when you're like, I kind.

[Annie]

Of, you know, I got it, I got it. You're like, no, to be there in like 6D. You're like, oh, they could never. I mean, I've seen that shot a million times. Every travel, you know, blog, you know, every movie, whatever. You've seen that big shot, that boat going into Venice.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah, it looks cool.

[Annie]

But when you're there, you're like, what is happening? Like, am I high?

[Sujin Park]

Is this a dream? It's crazy. It's absolutely bonkers.

[Annie]

Yeah. So I just. Venice is. Venice is a dream. It's like a dream state. And so we had. We had an amazing time there. And then we. And that's the only part of the trip. I had hotels booked. The rest of it was wide open. So that's why we were like, should we just stay? So then we got in a car and we went.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Wait, wait. What type of shopping did you do in Venice? I'm curious. Your style of shopping in Venice is very interesting to me.

[Annie]

Is it? I mean, I do what I normally do. Just where?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Tell me.

[Annie]

Just leather bags.

[Sujin Park]

Ooh, so many. Wait, what's in this leather bag?

[Annie]

Another leather bag.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Pull it out. Let me see it.

[Annie]

Another leather bag.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Girl, that's. Turn around so I can see the hardware. I love it.

[Sujin Park]

Just so many cheap girls. So many cheap leather bags. Nice leather bags. Cheap leather bags. Those medium leather bags. So, I mean, if you've been to.

[Annie]

Europe, I mean, you've been to Italy. You know what I'm talking about?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Like, they have babes, but babes, Are you keeping those bags or is this another situation? Much like the stripe shirts from Paris where we are stocking a boutique in Santa Barbara that is never going to open?

[Annie]

Never going to open. Am I sure about the small leather bag I just showed you? No. Is there a bag that I bought that probably will never see the light of day? Yes, for sure. 2. 2. Did I buy a. I mean, there's.

[Sujin Park]

Just so many bags that I will never.

[Annie]

That if I can't gift, it'll just sit. I have no idea. I mean, you're just in a frenzy. I mean, at least I am. I'm.

[Sujin Park]

I'm.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Can I have a. A bag number? I want.

[Annie]

I want 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Damn.

[Annie]

Maybe 12. 10. 10 to 12.

[Cool Opulaisok]

10 to 12 leather bags. Okay.

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Thank you.

[Sujin Park]

You know, the thing about Italy, where.

[Annie]

Did I read this stat? It was like. I think it was regarding maybe Italian wool or something, but, like, it's like 60% of the leather goods and the like, sort of made in Italy, like goods. I mean, they still produce there.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah.

[Annie]

So. And they manufacture there and they source there.

[Cool Opulaisok]

They take pride in that.

[Annie]

Yeah, they take a lot of pride in that. And that.

[Cool Opulaisok]

That's, like, one part, and then there's. It's actually made somewhere else. That's using different kinds of labor.

[Annie]

Yeah. Like, when you shop in Korea, I have no idea where that stuff is coming from, but there you're like, they're very, like, made in Ital. You know, Italian wool. Italian cashmere. So many wool sweaters. So many cashmere sweaters. So I kind of. I have to have some parameters besides my budget. And I think that was it. I'm trying to think, though, as I say this. Is it true? I don't know, but I think that most of the stuff I bought, I was like, okay, this is, like, incredible, you know, quality for the price.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay. When you say budget, I want to make a distinction. Do you have an overall budget in mind or is such. And Pak talking about the value that she's getting per item?

[Annie]

That's Annie. The second one is Annie.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay.

[Annie]

And the first one is me.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Copy that.

[Annie]

Yeah. It's kind of the only way. Like I said, my big splurge will always be the flight that is the biggest pain point for me in traveling. So, like, I can't go. I can't go crazy, which is why I'm always at a hardware store, which is why I'm always at a pharmacy, which is why I'm always at the target of. I mean, I think I would be at those places anyway, because that's where I love and I get the good stuff. And I just feel like that's who you are. That's who I Am.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah.

[Annie]

And strangely, that's also, you know, my soulmate. That's where she is. Did we go into this another Italian pharmacy? I mean, the Italian pharmacies. You know what I'm talking about. It looks like out of a Hermes catalog.

[Sujin Park]

It's like wood counters, wood ladders.

[Annie]

I mean, chess. They've been there forever. I mean, did we get the most gorgeous.

[Sujin Park]

What do you call those when you.

[Annie]

Like, slough off your foot in the shower?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Pumice stones.

[Annie]

Pumice stones. But like, on these, like, wooden sticks. I mean, just Gorginis.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay, I don't want to jump ahead. So. So how many days in Venice?

[Annie]

Well, you know, I don't count my travel day. Right. Like, we got there, it was like, half a day, but it was, you know, nothing. So five days, four full days, and.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Then you're on your way to Firenze. You said you got into a car.

[Annie]

No, we got into a car. And then we decided after a little bit of research that we would go to this teeny, tiny town called Basana del Grappa.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay, hold on, hold on. That's right. You said. Let me back up. Just so that I wrap my head around it. You said we got hotels in. You knew that. You're flying into Venice. You got hotel for Venice.

[Annie]

Yeah, that's it.

[Cool Opulaisok]

But Annie's to the side. You yourself know you're flying out of Florence, but between that, then and there, it's, wow, fair game, sweaty. I'm getting that feeling again.

[Sujin Park]

Like I said, after sweaty, after every.

[Annie]

City, town, village that we went to, we're like, should we just go back to Venice? I mean, because you can if you.

[Sujin Park]

Don'T have hotel booked. Should we just go back for a night? Just one more night.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Really finds it romantic. Finds it really. I respect it. It's almost like you guys are, like, you know, like you mentioned menopausal backpackers.

[Sujin Park]

Like, it's just not. Because sometimes we're staying in hostels on cots.

[Cool Opulaisok]

That's right.

[Sujin Park]

There's a price. There's a price of entry. Not everyone in this club can be in this club.

[Cool Opulaisok]

You know, the mere idea of going into a foreign country where it's not English speaking and just, like, figuring out, like, hotel on the fly and transportation.

[Sujin Park]

On the fly, it's just with zero reservations.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Commend you. I'll commend you. I'm. I have excessive reservations to cancel.

[Sujin Park]

It's a different kind of work for you.

[Cool Opulaisok]

It's a different kind of work. This is work.

[Sujin Park]

It's Work. It's work. On the ground. Boots on the ground. Am I spending precious Venice time on fountain corners?

[Annie]

Because they don't have streets there.

[Sujin Park]

Fountain corners. Going over possible hotel bookings. Yeah. Yeah, we're doing that.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Are we?

[Sujin Park]

You know, like, is that what you want to do?

[Cool Opulaisok]

No.

[Sujin Park]

You probably want to go to a fucking museum. You probably want to get on one of those boats. Didn't get on one of those.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Gondola.

[Sujin Park]

A gondola.

[Cool Opulaisok]

You were in Venice.

[Sujin Park]

You didn't get on a gondola.

[Annie]

No, I'm not gonna get on a gondola. Not once. I mean, we traveled by water taxi and all that, but I'm not gonna. No, the idea.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Actually, I cannot see you on a gondola.

[Annie]

Oh, no.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I'm not surprised in the least.

[Annie]

Oh, my God. That's like live theater, and I just won't do it. You know, it's like you're looking at the performer. They're way too close. Straight eye contact.

[Sujin Park]

And I have to perform for you. Performing for me.

[Annie]

No, thank you. Yeah, that's not Japanese.

[Cool Opulaisok]

That's not who you are.

[Annie]

No, that's who you are.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay, so why did you choose, say the city again?

[Annie]

Bassana del Grappa. And we. How did we choose it?

[Sujin Park]

I mean, really, all we're doing is.

[Annie]

Typing in either Instagram or TikTok Italy, shopping, you know, and see what comes up. Or, like, we'll be like, hidden Gem Italy. Or, you know, off the beaten path, you know, that kind of a thing. And so, yeah, we're looking for Between Venice and Florence, which is obviously, duh. We're looking for little gems, hidden gems. That's kind of what excites us, too, like, when we stumble on a little place that, like, not a lot of people would go to.

[Sujin Park]

And frankly, I can't even recommend it because it's so specific.

[Annie]

I mean, I loved it.

[Sujin Park]

I was like, of all the places.

[Annie]

I would have bought real estate in Basana del Grappa.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Tell me everything.

[Annie]

It was off the beaten path, and it was, like, close. You know, we were trying to map towards Florence, work our way towards there.

[Sujin Park]

And sure, we could have gone to Bologna, like, you know, bigger cities, but we were just like. I'm not sure, you know what I mean? Like, we're going to be in Florence.

[Annie]

Like, we only had, like, maybe three days max, between the two days that we were thinking, because we were like, let's spend some significant time in Florence as well, because it's a bigger city.

[Sujin Park]

So that's how we got to pisana del grappa.

[Annie]

And it's this tiny little base of a mountain town. There are no tourists there that I saw. I'm trying to think if I saw one, like, non Italian. Absolutely did not. And had the best meal there. And it's stunning. It's at the base of this really big mountain.

[Sujin Park]

And I guess it's like home to grappa.

[Annie]

I don't know what is grappa? That's what people kept saying. Some kind of alcoholic beverage which we did not obviously consume.

[Cool Opulaisok]

That's amazing.

[Annie]

And yeah, no, wait.

[Sujin Park]

And then so we get into basana del grappa the night before.

[Annie]

It's dark, so we don't know what, you know, I have no idea what this town looks like. We found this cute little bed, and I guess it's like a bed and breakfast, but it's not too tiny because that also freaks me out. That's also live theater and it was very cute. And like, they had like a spread in the morning that was included with it, which is kind of fun, you know what I mean? Like Italian cakes for breakfast.

[Cool Opulaisok]

That's crazy.

[Annie]

That's crazy.

[Cool Opulaisok]

That's crazy.

[Sujin Park]

So that was lovely.

[Annie]

And if anybody wants just DM us on the add to cart pod. I will give you my hotel recommendations.

[Sujin Park]

If any of this sounds interesting.

[Annie]

But so then in the morning we woke up and I was like, holy moly, this is gorgeous. It was just at the base of a mountain. And we get into the center of town, which is, you know, cool. Just like a little tiny, you know, like a village, blah, blah, blah, but like chic.

[Sujin Park]

You know how like when you drive.

[Annie]

In somewhere and like, oh, this is where Italians have their second home. Rich Italians.

[Sujin Park]

It felt in some ways like Montecito.

[Annie]

Ah, okay. So like, I could just taste it in the air that wealth, wealth, wealth. These are second homes.

[Sujin Park]

The people that are here right now.

[Annie]

Are Italians, but they don't live here. This is their second home.

[Sujin Park]

And so, like, think about what that.

[Annie]

Does to a gorgeous village that sits at the base of a mountain. I mean, like, the restaurants are all like waiters and tuxedos and you know what I'm saying? Like, that kind of vibe. It's very quiet because there's nobody there.

[Sujin Park]

And we're in between seasons.

[Annie]

And so I'm sure during. I don't know if they ski there or what the winter looks like there. It's lively, but like, there was nobody there. Half the town was closed. But just the chicest shops for Italian, wealthy Italian housewives.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah, you know, but that's not your stuff, though. What are you getting?

[Annie]

The first place we walked into. Sorry, guys, it's close. Because she's going out of business. She's a, like, generation local, and she had this tiny little shop. She's like, I'm closing. Everything's €10.

[Cool Opulaisok]

You know. How did you do that? First stop, do you chew?

[Sujin Park]

And I kept saying, basana del grappa.

[Annie]

You have my heart.

[Sujin Park]

That was the sweatshirt. Venice's sweatshirt is. I'm coming back.

[Annie]

You know, don't you worry. I'll be back.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I'll be back.

[Sujin Park]

Bassana da grappa.

[Annie]

You have my heart.

[Sujin Park]

Okay, so I walk into this thing.

[Annie]

She'S like this chic Bassana del Grappian. And, you know, she was closing shop. She said, get this.

[Sujin Park]

Okay, let me also back up and.

[Annie]

Say, I forgot to tell you.

[Cool Opulaisok]

What?

[Annie]

Of course Annie speaks Italian.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Oh. Oh, well, that changes a lot.

[Annie]

Changes everything.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yes, it does. Yes.

[Sujin Park]

Because, yeah, Italians ain't going to speak English to you.

[Annie]

They're only going to speak Italian.

[Sujin Park]

And let me put my own trauma on this. I'm thinking they're like, in especially places.

[Annie]

Like Basana del Grappa, they're like two.

[Sujin Park]

Old Asian aunties just gobbling it up. What the fuck are they doing here in the middle of November? Like, what?

[Annie]

Who?

[Sujin Park]

When? Why?

[Annie]

Show.

[Sujin Park]

And we're like, oh, my God. Okay. And this. Okay, okay, I'm gonna. Okay, you get the two sweaters.

[Cool Opulaisok]

All right.

[Sujin Park]

Should I get it in blue? Should I get it in brown? Should I get it in gray? Okay.

[Cool Opulaisok]

All three. Okay.

[Sujin Park]

We're doing this. We're doing this hyper thing. And so the fact that she could then speak Italian, I'm sure they were.

[Annie]

Like, was that a dream?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Look, this entire trip, and we are. We. We're at the very beginning is a movie.

[Sujin Park]

I don't know what kind of a movie.

[Cool Opulaisok]

It's a Made for tv.

[Sujin Park]

It's a Made for TV movie.

[Annie]

Pay per view, if you really want it.

[Sujin Park]

You know what I mean?

[Annie]

It's 99 cents.

[Sujin Park]

So, yeah. So she's speaking to this woman because.

[Annie]

We walked in and it was like, ting, ting. She's like, oh, boy. And I, you know.

[Cool Opulaisok]

You set up shop.

[Annie]

Yeah, she. We set up shop. She was like, how much? She's like €10. I was like, I mean, the store was the size of half the size of my adu.

[Sujin Park]

I was like, lady, you're gonna back up to the wall.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I need space.

[Sujin Park]

Give us plenty of space. No frock, no accessory left. Unturned turned salmon.

[Annie]

So we.

[Sujin Park]

Christmas present was there. I bought how many. Okay, the other question is how many bags?

[Annie]

How many belts?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Great. How many belts?

[Annie]

How many belts? I mean, I bought maybe three belts there. I mean, how many belts did I buy? 3 in total on the trip? 3? I don't know. 4, 5, 6. I have no idea.

[Cool Opulaisok]

So I feel like 10.

[Sujin Park]

Sounds like to 15. I don't know.

[Annie]

I don't know. We walked into one market in another little town.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I'm sorry, I broke my pen at what you just did.

[Sujin Park]

Oh, my God. Don't get that ink on you.

[Cool Opulaisok]

That delivery was amazing. Okay, so I'm writing down 10 to 15 bells.

[Sujin Park]

I mean, we walked into one.

[Annie]

One little stall in a market, and probably between us bought eight.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Wow. Okay. Yeah.

[Annie]

Okay.

[Sujin Park]

So anyway, so belts.

[Annie]

I bought Zoe just a gorgeous little gold bracelet. What else did we get there? I can't remember.

[Sujin Park]

Oh, necklaces.

[Annie]

Oh, my God. I got an amazing necklace. So.

[Sujin Park]

And so she's speaking Italian. So this woman says, oh, yeah, I've been here.

[Annie]

You know, she's an original Bassana del Grappian. And they have a word, Bassani. I forget what the word is. Anyway, and she's like, oh, you know, but now I'm gonna retire. I'm gonna close this shop very soon. And she said I was smart enough to have bought gold a long time ago, so I'm just gonna retire. I mean, that's Bassana del Grappa. You have my heart.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Aha.

[Annie]

Okay.

[Sujin Park]

Okay. So you get the vibe, you know, and, like, it's just.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I have a cachet of gold. She said, I bought gold that I'm gonna lean on in my retirement.

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

So here, take it. €10, I don't know, €12, whatever. But take it, buy it.

[Cool Opulaisok]

So are you guys both holding heaps of goods as you walk out of this, like, hole in the wall boutique?

[Annie]

Heaps of goods.

[Sujin Park]

But we're just like.

[Annie]

We're like Pac man going through Basana del Grappa.

[Cool Opulaisok]

The cobblestone streets.

[Sujin Park]

I mean, we're going into shops where we have to.

[Annie]

Like, one of us has to hold the bags outside.

[Sujin Park]

You know what I'm saying? Because it's too many bags and too little.

[Annie]

Like, too many little trinkets.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah, it's like, you know, like stroller parking, except.

[Annie]

Yeah, it's bag parking.

[Sujin Park]

And we went into one store. Was it in Basana? I can't remember.

[Annie]

I mean, it was. It was a really big store, and they had, like, all these sections that almost looked like what anthropology wished it was look like.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Aha. Source material.

[Annie]

Source material. Thank you. That's Italy. Italy is source material.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yes.

[Annie]

Italy is. More than any other place I've ever been. Is source material. For sure. Yeah. So then, you know, and we're just on a couch till the ladies clock out. You know what I'm saying?

[Sujin Park]

I mean.

[Annie]

And she's just yapping, yapping.

[Sujin Park]

She's an extrovert.

[Annie]

She speaks Italian.

[Sujin Park]

They probably haven't made a sale since.

[Annie]

The summer, you know?

[Sujin Park]

And she's trying on every single piece of clothing. I'm sure they're like, what are these two people doing here?

[Annie]

Like, it just. Whatever. And so. Oh, yeah. So we have all these bags, you know, and the sun is about to set, and we're like, should we look up?

[Sujin Park]

And you know what I mean? Because I'm like, we're not gonna. We're leaving tomorrow. Like, should we say? Like, should we see where we're at?

[Annie]

So we're like, okay, yeah, before it.

[Sujin Park]

Gets dark, let's take a quick break and let's just see where we're at. Let's take in. Because we arrived in the night and.

[Cool Opulaisok]

There was all the way through.

[Sujin Park]

And we're like.

[Annie]

I'm like, I don't know where.

[Sujin Park]

I don't even know. Are we at a seaside town? We are. Do I have to take a gondola down? Like, where am I?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Was it then that you saw the.

[Sujin Park]

Mountain or how did you see the mountain? We walk. Okay, so the city center, Right, I'm sure, was like the old center.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Right.

[Sujin Park]

Like, whatever. The walled castle village that it originally was. So we, like, walk out of there.

[Cool Opulaisok]

And immediately as we walk out, I'm.

[Sujin Park]

Like, oh, we're at a base of a mountain. It's stunning. And it's sort of like where we were in the city town.

[Annie]

It was kind of like on a.

[Sujin Park]

Little bit of a plateau, and then.

[Annie]

You saw this sweeping valley below and then this giant mountain behind.

[Sujin Park]

And I see a. I don't fucking.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Get these photos, okay. And I don't even think you took a photo. No. Or a video.

[Sujin Park]

I said to Annie, I said, I.

[Annie]

Really wish there was, like, a little trail there. And it looked pretty picturesque and maybe once in a lifetime, you know, and empty. And I'm thinking, I really wish we could take that walk, you fucking idiots.

[Sujin Park]

We have so many fucking bags. God damn it. And so she was like, you know, And I was thinking in my head, I was like, do we take turns? Like, do I stand here and hold the bags? And you take a 15 minute walk and then do you come home? Like, what do we do? Do we go back to the car and put everything in the car?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Jason would lose.

[Sujin Park]

Take a walk. No, we. We were like, what do we do? You know, I'm like, this is gorgeous.

[Annie]

And then we're like, we gotta go back in. We're like, well, we'll just leave this here. Basana del grappa. You have my heart turned. Right?

[Cool Opulaisok]

You turned your heels.

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

And continued to consume so much Italian wool.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay. How many scarves did you purchase?

[Annie]

Okay, I purchased zero scarves.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Are we out of our scarf?

[Annie]

We are out of our scarf phase. Okay, so I actually went. This is like, the first time I went with a do not buy list.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Oh, what were your do not buys?

[Annie]

Really?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Wow.

[Annie]

Wait, what is my. Dude, wait, hold on a second. On my phone. Scarves is one. Wait.

[Cool Opulaisok]

All right.

[Annie]

I don't know if this is gonna be interesting. Okay, here's my. Let's try, let's see do not buy list.

[Sujin Park]

Oh, my God.

[Annie]

Okay. Do not buy makeup.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay.

[Annie]

Okay. Because I'm not.

[Sujin Park]

Just do not buy fancy clothes.

[Annie]

Do not buy fancy shoes.

[Sujin Park]

Do not buy bags unless it's an everyday bag.

[Annie]

Broke that rule.

[Sujin Park]

Do not buy any more black pants. Do not bring back food.

[Annie]

Broke that.

[Sujin Park]

Scarves.

[Annie]

Kitchen.

[Sujin Park]

Can I ask you something?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Why food, to me seems like, yeah, bring back food.

[Annie]

Well, because in the past, especially, like, someplace like, I'm thinking about specifically Japan, where I was like, wow, this was a lot to carry around. And I did. I brought back stuff, but I was.

[Sujin Park]

Like, did I bring back, literally, a.

[Annie]

Gold tray wrapped in, like, gorgeous, like.

[Sujin Park]

Iridescent cellophane of, like, the most flakiest.

[Annie]

Croissant, like, biscuits for my kids? And I had to, like, hand check.

[Sujin Park]

That and then pack it in my handbag, like, with sweaters around it so.

[Annie]

That it wouldn't get crushed.

[Sujin Park]

Did I need to do that? I mean, kinda. You know what I mean? But I'm saying, like, how much of that. So, like, did I want to bring back, like, olive oil and authentic, like, pistachio butter? Like, yes, but, like, you got.

[Annie]

At some point, you know, you just gotta be like, wait, is this gonna be worth it? I don't know.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah, I get your point.

[Sujin Park]

You know what I'm saying?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah.

[Annie]

In Japan, when I went that last time, like, half of my suitcase was salt. I'm down to my last quarter, quarter bag of salt. I gobbled every single one. My daughter can't eat regular salt, you know, so. Yeah, but It's a lot.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay, so like, so I have seven things.

[Sujin Park]

No scarves, no sequins, nothing sparkly.

[Cool Opulaisok]

You know, you have talked to me about that.

[Annie]

Yes, we talked about that.

[Sujin Park]

And no dresses.

[Cool Opulaisok]

No, no sequins, no dresses.

[Sujin Park]

These are just things that I've bought.

[Annie]

In multitude in the past that just sit in my closet.

[Sujin Park]

And it's just like I'm shopping for.

[Annie]

A life that I don't live. I have to like constantly come back to that. Like, is this life?

[Sujin Park]

Did I want to buy every single.

[Annie]

Coat that Annie tried on? A hundred percent.

[Sujin Park]

Like, but there's no place for me to wear coats.

[Cool Opulaisok]

But it does get cooler.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah, but I'm talking, I'm talking about.

[Annie]

Like a full length, gorgeous camel wool coat.

[Cool Opulaisok]

No, that's New York.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah, that's New York. Like she's gonna buy that.

[Annie]

I'm like, you have to buy this for us, for the people. Like, this is a coat that's less than, you know, $300. That's stunning. Stunning.

[Sujin Park]

Stunning.

[Annie]

You only get those kinds of deals if you're gonna work this hard.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

And by the way, to some paying $1,000 is cheaper.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yes, I, I, Yes.

[Sujin Park]

Do you see what I'm saying? Like, it is a. I really do.

[Annie]

It is a price. So you have to go into every single nook and cranny. We call them polka dot stores because there was one polka dot store that we went into in, in Paris where we just bought so many polka dotted.

[Sujin Park]

Items that we never wore.

[Annie]

But like, I'm like, we gotta go into this polka dot store because you just never know, you never know what's.

[Sujin Park]

Going to be in there.

[Annie]

And you're gonna find a full length camel hair wool coat with it felted pink heart on it for less than 300. Like that's what you're gonna do. So, so that was.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah, that was Basana del grappa.

[Annie]

And you have my heart and. Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay, so then how many nights there?

[Annie]

Two nights. One full day.

[Cool Opulaisok]

One full day. And then we're going to forensic.

[Annie]

Then we're driving to another small town bigger than we're driving.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Who's at the wheel?

[Annie]

Come on.

[Cool Opulaisok]

You.

[Annie]

No.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay.

[Annie]

Can you imagine?

[Sujin Park]

Oh my God.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah. I don't know why I even entertain that. I don't know why I said that.

[Sujin Park]

The joke between us, when people are like, oh, are you guys sisters? Blah, blah, she says, no, I'm the driver.

[Annie]

Wherever we go, that's, she's my driver. Even when there's not a car, she's my driver.

[Cool Opulaisok]

You are the passenger, Princess.

[Annie]

I am the passenger. I mean, princess, or, you know, non functioning human, like.

[Cool Opulaisok]

You are the passenger, Popper.

[Annie]

Yes, I am the passenger, Bopper. And that's just my role.

[Sujin Park]

And.

[Annie]

And. And there's. She wouldn't even dream of getting into the passenger seat for many reasons. Safety being number one. So, yeah, she drove us to another little town called Treviso, which was beautiful. Like, not as small as Basana, but not big. And I'll tell you a funny story there.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Honestly, if this episode is three hours long, I do not give a fuck. This is so entertaining.

[Sujin Park]

You will die. You are gonna die. I mean, I died, okay? So in the Sana del Grata, we found this tour that had this gorgeous Italian wool.

[Annie]

These Italian wool sweaters. I bought three. Annie bought three. Like, we were just like, wow, this is. It felt like cashmere, but it was Italian wool. And we just went nuts in there. And we both, like, walked out of there with a bunch of stuff, and the whole time we're like. Annie's like, damn, should have bought that gray turtleneck one that you had. Cause I was wearing it. I'm like, it's pretty good. And, you know, we're going. She's like, damn, I should have got that one. Maybe I should have got it in brown. Should I get it? I was like, well, should I get it in Navy? She's like, absolutely. So of course we're in Treviso, and we look up the store. Cause we knew it was a chain, Italian chain, and they have one in Treviso.

[Sujin Park]

So we walk in there.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Wow.

[Sujin Park]

We walk in there to get more sweaters in.

[Annie]

Same sweaters in different colors because we love them so much.

[Sujin Park]

And the lady there is like, I know you guys.

[Cool Opulaisok]

She helped you at Pasadena Del Grappa.

[Sujin Park]

And she was going to do, like. She must have been a manager or something.

[Annie]

And she's so embarrassing.

[Sujin Park]

We're like, oh. We just walked by, like, I couldn't believe it. Was this the store that we were just at? How embarrassing.

[Annie]

So we're in there just buying more sweaters.

[Sujin Park]

But I just was like, who else.

[Annie]

Is on a trip that they're shopping to the level that we're shopping at the ground level. At the ground floor. Not like, you know what I'm talking about, like, bargain basement. The salespeople from the different regional stores recognize us.

[Sujin Park]

Shout out to Maria, this to me.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I could write the version of the trip to Italy. Do you know that series with Steve Coogan and Rob Bryden?

[Annie]

No.

[Cool Opulaisok]

It's A movie. It's so good.

[Annie]

Oh, God, I gotta watch this.

[Cool Opulaisok]

You have to. It's a comedy. Starring, again, Steve Coogan and Rob Bryden, who are playing heightened versions of themselves.

[Annie]

Okay.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Sort of in a fictional world. And it's more about them, but it's about them eating good food. Yeah. My version is you and Annie at, like, doing what you're doing it truly. It is a movie. It is a movie.

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

And the heightening of it being you guys are menopausal is just.

[Annie]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Sujin Park]

Because the menopausal, you know, because when you go on a trip with your.

[Annie]

Girlfriend, there's runners that just pop up.

[Sujin Park]

You don't know what it'll be.

[Annie]

But every trip has a joke. Every trip has a theme.

[Sujin Park]

And the theme, the joke is the theme as what's in the bag? Because we would get back to our.

[Annie]

Room and I'd be like, I'll pay you a hundred dollars if you can tell me what's in your bag. Not once did we ever get it right.

[Sujin Park]

I'd pull out things and I'm like, I bought a book.

[Cool Opulaisok]

You bought a book?

[Sujin Park]

I bought a book.

[Cool Opulaisok]

In Italian?

[Sujin Park]

No, no, no, no. In English.

[Annie]

Cause I ran, I read my book.

[Sujin Park]

And I needed another book. I had no memory of it, but, like. You have no memory? I'm like, you're pulling out things that we would be at lunch, sitting down for a three hour lunch, and I'd be like, what's in your bag?

[Annie]

And we would try. And I'm like, I have a. I have a belt.

[Sujin Park]

I've got, you know, a shoe. You know what I mean? And she's like, what's in the bag? Have no idea what's in the bag? Where's the bag? What bag? You know, no memory. Just the menopause. We will pass by stores and you.

[Annie]

Know, you're like, have I been in there? Don't know. Let's go in. We won't know until we're in.

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[Cool Opulaisok]

All right, let's continue our tally. How many sweaters did you yourself buy? Overall? Overall. By the way, all these stats are for overall.

[Annie]

One, two, three, four, five or six.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Five or six sweaters.

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay. Okay. It sounds like only from the store. Two.

[Annie]

Two locations.

[Sujin Park]

You complimented this sweater I'm wearing.

[Annie]

I Bought this at a train station.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I love that sweater, by the way.

[Sujin Park]

Like, I love this sweater. Unturned. Even at a train station, waiting for where? Why were we even there?

[Annie]

Oh, yeah, we were taking. Okay. Even at a train station, waiting for a train, you can do some shopping.

[Sujin Park]

You can get a gorgeous tote bag.

[Annie]

And you can get a sweater. Because I had brought nothing, and I was like, it's turning cold. I brought a light windbreaker, and I had to get a sweater.

[Sujin Park]

I said, we're at the train station. What's here?

[Annie]

Bought a sweater.

[Cool Opulaisok]

This is a navy sweater with giraffes on it.

[Annie]

I am a giraffe.

[Cool Opulaisok]

How so in any way?

[Annie]

Just awkward, you know, long. How do they survive?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Also taller than you think. Suchinpah.

[Sujin Park]

Taller than you think. Definitely taller than you think. Taller than I give.

[Annie]

Taller than you think. Yeah. Have you ever seen a giraffe try to drink water?

[Sujin Park]

How do they survive?

[Annie]

I haven't seen it.

[Sujin Park]

No, because it's.

[Annie]

It's. When they do is the most vulnerable time that this animal is in. Yeah. And so I strongly relate to giraffes.

[Cool Opulaisok]

So.

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

I mean, there's a sweater on every corner in Italy.

[Annie]

It's a land of sweaters.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay.

[Annie]

All right.

[Cool Opulaisok]

So in some ways, it's restrained that you only needed five or six sweaters.

[Annie]

The only reason why it's restrained is because there's only so many days in Santa Barbara that you need a sweater.

[Cool Opulaisok]

It's a bulkier item.

[Annie]

Of course it's a bulkier item. I brought, as I always do since I got that hot tip from Paul. Brought my Ziploc. What do you call that? Compression. Plastic bag. It's the only way I was able to get all those sweaters into one suitcase.

[Cool Opulaisok]

That's very good. Santa Paul Sheer. Okay, so now you are on your way to Florence.

[Annie]

Yes.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay. We're driving.

[Annie]

Driving.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay.

[Annie]

Driving to Florence. Gorgeous hotel. Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

Florence is. I mean, I'm sure the museums there are incredible.

[Annie]

I'm sure the art there. I mean, I saw it through atriums and windows. I got a sense it's a magical town for art lovers.

[Cool Opulaisok]

But for you. Oh, let me just say my time in Florence was. Unfortunately, that's when Scott came down with COVID And so we had. Maybe we had a couple nice dinners. And so traveling and food, for me, is really important. But mainly my memory of Florence, again, very beautiful. Was going to the original pharmacia. Why can't I pull the name right now? Sue.

[Annie]

Yeah. Don't. Okay. It's gonna Cause I went there, of course, and you got me a bunch of stuff there. And I got a lot of potpourri there. It's called. Oh, no, I just had it.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Oh, no, I have something right here.

[Annie]

Okay.

[Cool Opulaisok]

It's the farmers.

[Annie]

Santa Maria Novella.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Maria Novella. Santa Maria.

[Annie]

Santa Maria Novella. Of course.

[Cool Opulaisok]

It's beautiful.

[Annie]

Yeah. Bought seven bags of potpourri. You know, I mean, it's gorgeous. And Santa Maria Novella, if you guys don't know this brand, it's the oldest pharmacy. I don't know, in certainly in Europe.

[Cool Opulaisok]

1221 is when they began.

[Annie]

And they still, like, make their sense and their potpourri. The monks in a monastery in a vat. I don't know if I think they still do. I don't know if that's still part of the lore or whatever, but it's incredible. It's like. Yeah, it's a religious experience. Like, you feel like you're in a monastery when you're shopping there. It's like a monastery gift store. I mean.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah.

[Annie]

Amazing.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Truly. So.

[Annie]

Yeah. So you remember that.

[Cool Opulaisok]

You remember the thing that's my main. I went into that store multiple times while he was, like, mending in the hotel. Like, you know, and then I. I went to, like, little, like, bodegas and stuff to get things for him.

[Sujin Park]

But, like, that.

[Cool Opulaisok]

That really is my memory.

[Sujin Park]

I unfortunately didn't get the full, like.

[Annie]

Yeah, you didn't go to, like, the Erewhan, the Erawan of Florence, where I got my tray of pastries.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I'm sure you had so many cornettos.

[Annie]

I had a lot of cornettos. The cornettos are like the Italian croissant. And it's generally a morning thing. And we didn't do a lot of mornings.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah, you did state that you started your day around 3 and ended at 6.

[Annie]

Yeah, because by the end of the trip, I was like, on that time. And so. But it doesn't matter. We're not getting out of there before noon. It doesn't matter if I got up at 5 or if I got up at 11. It's just not gonna happen. You're shuffling around, you're showering. You're, you know, Are we on the bikes at all?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Are we.

[Sujin Park]

No, it's not really none of the towns that we were in because they're.

[Annie]

All like these cobblestone, ancient towns. I didn't even see any bike.

[Cool Opulaisok]

So you're on foot, hauling.

[Annie]

Hauling, like Sherpas. Yeah. And like, when we say goodbye to the hotel when we leave, she's not Gonna see us till, you know, the sun is deep into the ground. We're just resting our suitcases there. It's just basically luggage holds.

[Cool Opulaisok]

That's so wild.

[Annie]

I don't think.

[Sujin Park]

I don't even know if any of.

[Annie]

The hotels we stayed at had a restaurant in it. I don't think so. I mean, half of them. No. They don't have a front desk.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah, that's not. Yeah, that's. That's pretty rare.

[Annie]

Oh, yeah. Okay. Okay.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I'm trying to think. There's a few. Well, because, like, we basically cashed in all the points.

[Sujin Park]

Right, all the points.

[Cool Opulaisok]

So then. And of course, at the fancier one, so. Yes, of course. You know, in Venice, where we stayed on the canals. Yes. There was a restaurant. But you're going out to eat. Like, you're walking the streets to get out.

[Annie]

Yeah, walking the streets. I could have done more time in Venice, less time in Florence.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay. Yeah, okay.

[Annie]

Loved Florence. But, like, again, I know you guys, a lot of you are, like, rolling your eyes, like, yeah, you go to Florence for the art. You go to Florence for the history. Like, you're not going there for what we're doing. No. And so it was really cool and I loved it. But I get a kick out of really, like I said, like a Bassana del Grappa, Like a little tiny town that is super chic and nobody's at. And I'm walking into places and.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Well, because you're a hunter.

[Annie]

Yeah, yeah. And Florence has been.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I mean, by that, I mean, you're a scavenger.

[Annie]

And by that, I mean a bottom feeder.

[Cool Opulaisok]

And that's where we land at the very bottom.

[Sujin Park]

That's it. I mean, it's pretty standard trip, wouldn't you say? I mean, wouldn't that surprise you if I.

[Cool Opulaisok]

If I. Wait, wait. Was Florence the end?

[Sujin Park]

Florence was the end.

[Annie]

And I flew out of Florence.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Wow. And Annie left the same day.

[Annie]

She left the same day out of the same city.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I mean, wow.

[Annie]

Yep. Got me to the airport, helped me with my tax free.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Oh, yeah.

[Annie]

Thing. The VAT, the VT. Got my $33. Just kidding. But something like that. And it's never worth. To me, this VAT thing, the way I shop. 90% of the stores are like, no, they're not gonna give you vat. Like, I'm paying cash anyway, you know, like, for so much of what I do, you know, when I get there, I'm like, was this really worth it? But you can't help get caught up in it. And Annie's very Very strict about it. Like she. You know what I mean? Like, she does not leave a country without that.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Well, yeah. She's not gonna leave money on the table.

[Annie]

No, no. Not even a penny. So we're standing in that line. She's helping me figure it out without her. I don't even know if I've ever. I don't know if I've ever done that.

[Cool Opulaisok]

You wouldn't bother. You wouldn't bother otherwise.

[Annie]

Wouldn't bother.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Okay, so let's talk about some other categories of purchase. What did you get at all of the hardware stores? Did we buy more bungee cords, knobs?

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

I mean, I don't.

[Annie]

We went into a lot of hardware stores.

[Sujin Park]

Okay.

[Annie]

The thing about European hardware stores is.

[Cool Opulaisok]

You know, it's not Ace Hardware. No. It's not Home Depot.

[Sujin Park]

It's not.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yes, of course.

[Annie]

It's that.

[Cool Opulaisok]

It's more of like a general store back in the day.

[Annie]

Exactly. So, like, some hardware stores have gorgeous specialty foods, packaged foods. Some hardware stores have, you know, dinner sets, like cutlery.

[Sujin Park]

You know what I mean? Some hardware stores, like the one we went into, and she got an adorable.

[Annie]

Knitted, hand knitted bag, had an array of insane little bags and pouches. You guys don't understand. Hardware store is like. Like a box of bonbons. You know, you don't know what the filling is. You think it's all just chocolate, but you could bite into one and it could be shit, you know, it could be. Yeah, it could be some sort of nugget that you're like, this makes me vomit. But then you could bite into another one and it's caramel. It's caramel toffee.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah, I like a coconut.

[Annie]

Yeah, that's weird.

[Cool Opulaisok]

That's for me.

[Annie]

Yeah, that's what I like. Yeah, but that's. You won't know.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah, they all.

[Annie]

You think that they all look the same, but you won't know. I mean, Annie is that. I mean, I learned from the master herself. Because a hardware store in Paris, I would never have walked in. And now I can't pass by a hardware store in Europe without walking in. She walked out of a hardware store in Italy with a tote made out of sailcloth, a knitted evening clutch. Wow. Cheese grater.

[Cool Opulaisok]

You. You guys get a lot.

[Annie]

Metal suction hooks.

[Sujin Park]

Okay, okay.

[Annie]

Okay. Why don't she. She bought a bunch of these wooden spoons with holes in them. I don't know. Something like that.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah.

[Annie]

I don't know. What. What is that for? They call it a risotto. Spoon.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I think it's for risotto.

[Annie]

I've never cooked risotto. I don't know if I've even eaten risotto. It's not my thing.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I'm sure you have, but you'll never cook it. That's not how you do rice. That's the type of rice you fuck with. So what did you get at the pharmacies?

[Sujin Park]

I mean, at the pharmacy, you know, you're running the mill. You get toothpaste, you get.

[Cool Opulaisok]

What toothpaste are you getting?

[Annie]

She got weak because we ran out of toothpaste.

[Sujin Park]

She got a toothpaste that was lovely, but kind of tasted like a.

[Annie]

You know, like you mix drinks with and it's like the dark.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Like bitters.

[Annie]

Yes.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Ah, okay. Medicinal.

[Sujin Park]

Medicinal, exactly. Herbally. Medicinally.

[Cool Opulaisok]

But you usually would get tubes of things. Were you not getting tubes for later?

[Annie]

Because, as you know, I'm on that Hydra, Paxi, blah, blah, blah type.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Oh, yeah, I forgot.

[Annie]

And they're just not. They're just not on that anymore. I'm on a new toothpaste phase of my life. Yeah. Like, you know, until someone tells me otherwise, there's that. So I was looking for. And I. I was, like, showing them, and they were like, no, I don't. We don't know what that is, and we don't carry that kind of toothpaste. Now, had there been a Hydra, whatever, Paxilite toothpaste brand, it would. I would. That would be worth coming home. I love toothpaste. I love.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah, I know. You do.

[Annie]

Different toothpaste. Yeah. I love putting weird, pasty things in my mouth that surprise me with taste.

[Cool Opulaisok]

All right, I'm gonna let that. I'm gonna let that sit. How much sleeping pills did you purchase? How many bottles?

[Sujin Park]

I'm on a new thing, too.

[Annie]

I have so many sleeping pills from different European trips, and I have a whole thing now with sleep that's much better. And I think a lot of that has to deal with, like, getting my hormones regulated.

[Cool Opulaisok]

All right, well, so that's a tbd. We'll put a pin on that and circle back. That's an outside of Italy conversation. Okay. Are there any other categories that we're missing in terms of, like, your volume buys?

[Annie]

I mean, I think it's just the belts and the things I left on the table.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah.

[Annie]

The regret I have is not buying more jewelry.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I love right now. We're doing, like, what happened? You know, this is after your Super Bowl. How could we have done better?

[Annie]

Where did we miss the play that I missed, the play that I regret not really going hard on is jewelry. It's jewelry.

[Cool Opulaisok]

So I heard you say you got one awesome necklace.

[Annie]

I got two necklaces, two brooches. I got a bunch of necklaces and little bracelets for Zoe because she's really into that now. She's into very sophisticated gold jewelry. But to find that that fits a child is really hard. So I found a few pieces.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Did you antique at all? Did you flea market.

[Annie]

We went into a lot of vintage spots, but that was. For some reason, it just wasn't. It wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. That's all. And I really thought I was going to make it to the Prada outlet, which was why, frankly, I booked Florence. I booked Florence for the Prada outlet.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I didn't hit the outlets, but my niece Dana, she did.

[Annie]

She's.

[Cool Opulaisok]

She's.

[Annie]

She cleaned up.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah, those fancy ass outlets. She got good.

[Annie]

Yeah. In the end, even I couldn't spend my precious time in Italy in an outlet. I mean, even that.

[Sujin Park]

Hey, call me cultured. Hey, somebody. Somebody say that I'm of the earth.

[Annie]

And know, you know, the value of traveling to a country that has shaped history. Somebody call me a historian. I felt like I don't think I could spend a day at the outlets in my four days in Florence. I couldn't do it.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Look at that. Look at that.

[Annie]

And erivederchi.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Ciao.

[Annie]

Is that a wrap?

[Cool Opulaisok]

That's a wrap.

[Annie]

That's a wrap on Italy.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Should I just looking at this timer.

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Should I just say. Should I just save what I was gonna say to the next episode?

[Sujin Park]

It's totally up to you.

[Annie]

Because while I was doing that, I was sending you pictures of all that stuff. You were sending me pictures of the. Of holiday decorating. So how do you want to do?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Well, maybe I just. Just. Because we'll get into it.

[Sujin Park]

I'll just.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I just want to share some of.

[Sujin Park]

My busy be and on schedule.

[Cool Opulaisok]

No, that's interesting that you say that.

[Annie]

It felt like it was on schedule.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Well, look, everybody thinks that I'm way early. And I'll always say that I'm late. I'm late.

[Sujin Park]

And then, I mean a lot of.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Dripping with judgment that you're even later.

[Sujin Park]

Because I look at the circles you keep.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah, that's true. But even within my circles, there's a lot of side eyes and I don't care. I don't care. Okay, so just some decorating stats. It was 11:5.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

When the Christmas Storage delivery came back to the home was unloaded. But I didn't. Decorating sort of didn't really. Okay, maybe a little bit. Began 11, 7.

[Annie]

Wow.

[Cool Opulaisok]

But my best friend, one of my best friends, Kevin, was getting married that.

[Sujin Park]

The weddings.

[Cool Opulaisok]

So that of course, we had to focus up on that. And they got married in Palm Springs. It was a beautiful wedding. I was his best man. Everybody. I was just like, she's my what? And I'm like, just say best man. Because I am the best man for.

[Annie]

Every job, by the way.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. My speech killed.

[Annie]

Soojin. Oh, God.

[Cool Opulaisok]

My speech killed.

[Annie]

Was there a theme?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yes, there was a theme.

[Kay Jeweler Announcer]

Of course.

[Annie]

Best speeches always have a theme.

[Sujin Park]

What was the theme?

[Cool Opulaisok]

The storytelling was that like Kevin was the man who didn't want to change and Marin was the one who got him to.

[Annie]

Yep.

[Cool Opulaisok]

And that was the crux of the entire.

[Annie]

No rolling on the floor.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Of course.

[Annie]

Of course.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I have to pat my back. I can't.

[Sujin Park]

Center stage.

[Annie]

Center stage. Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

And then my baby girl was co. Flower girl with Kevin's niece Hazel. And it was in these beautiful dresses.

[Sujin Park]

First walk.

[Cool Opulaisok]

No, it's not.

[Annie]

No, she's done.

[Sujin Park]

Flower girl.

[Cool Opulaisok]

This is her second time. Her grandma. The month before.

[Annie]

I missed that. We'll have to circle back on that. Didn't know that happened.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Pin on that. September. End of September.

[Annie]

Okay.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah. So this is her. She's in a number of like, you know, of three months she's had. She gigged twice.

[Annie]

And I can't imagine that she is shy.

[Cool Opulaisok]

She is, actually. Okay. So she.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah. What kind of a flower girl? Cause you get the flower girls that.

[Annie]

Like, are shaking it and some cry.

[Cool Opulaisok]

She's three years old. I mean, it's. You know, the first one was a church wedding for old people. Like, there's no getting around. My mother in law is 79. My new daddy, My new granddaddy is. My new papa is 87. Sujin. They had to sit down during the ceremony.

[Sujin Park]

I wished I. I could have done that. I didn't even know that was an option.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Six months pregnant, renewing your vows, both.

[Sujin Park]

In pajamas, sitting down. Annie and I, I mean, we're the most romantic couple, you know?

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Sujin Park]

Yeah, I agree. Our vows twice a year.

[Annie]

I mean, it just.

[Sujin Park]

It's a never ending love story.

[Cool Opulaisok]

So in that scenario, in this huge church with like at one point during the rehearsal, I said to Scott, she's not walking in this alone like that. It's such a stretch of pew. And so I walked with her and about like Halfway. She was like, I'm done. And I'm like, well, we still have to go to our seats. And this time, it was more fun with Hazel, but it's still just. It's still, you know, a lot of people looking at you.

[Annie]

But she.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I thought she did a fantastic job. Great.

[Annie]

Expect nothing less.

[Cool Opulaisok]

And it was a more fun situation. She loves Kevin and Maren. There were kids there. Yeah. It's just a different vibe.

[Annie]

People were standing.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah. Like, people were standing.

[Sujin Park]

Able bodies were around.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yeah. It's a first marriage.

[Sujin Park]

Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Here we go.

[Cool Opulaisok]

So different.

[Annie]

Yeah. Different. Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Yep. So what I'm trying to say is, Kevin's dumb wedding got in the way of my decorating. But around November 13th, the first phase.

[Annie]

Oh, yeah. That is two phases. Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Christmas decor completed. Cause also weekend. Yes, of course. Trees. Trees up. That's the first thing. Okay, first.

[Annie]

First thing. Okay.

[Sujin Park]

First things.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Trees up. So then, November 16, I have my first holiday party.

[Annie]

Whoa.

[Sujin Park]

First.

[Annie]

Wait, there's more than one?

[Sujin Park]

Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

This is my busy season.

[Sujin Park]

Oh, boy.

[Annie]

God.

[Cool Opulaisok]

So this was the Los Angeles Friendsgiving Ms. Elephant at my house.

[Annie]

What did you wear?

[Cool Opulaisok]

Oh, I don't know.

[Sujin Park]

Oh, yeah, like, that's.

[Cool Opulaisok]

That part was like. Doesn't matter. Like, just the sweater that you gave me one Christmas. And, like, it's casual. So that's. These are my decorating stats.

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

We're at the time this recording. What's coming up next is Thanksgiving. I'm behind on that, but I'm okay. I basically told you. I asked Scott to. He's gonna smoke the turkey. And that is. That is his.

[Annie]

Has he ever done that?

[Sujin Park]

No.

[Cool Opulaisok]

No. I have cooked our turkey probably now 20 years.

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

But I want. I. Every time. The way my dumb oven is. Is that when I take the turkey out, it sets off the alarm every time I want to free up that oven to warm up other things. And I, you know. You know me such. It's. I want to do less.

[Annie]

Yes. This is you doing less. I mean, this is a big one for you to let go of the turkey.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I'm letting. Of the turkey. I'm. I'm. Yep.

[Sujin Park]

And I'd like him to do something.

[Annie]

Well, that's implied. Always implied, by the way. On both ends.

[Cool Opulaisok]

That's right.

[Sujin Park]

That's.

[Cool Opulaisok]

That's right. And I just want to get a sit rep and let you know at the time of this recording, you know, I'm. I'm. There was one year you. And I said November 1st.

[Annie]

Yeah.

[Cool Opulaisok]

Be done with buying presents for everybody. I'm very behind. But I'm also not stressed about it.

[Annie]

Oh, okay.

[Cool Opulaisok]

I'm not. I mean, I think I'm like, oh, wow. And I, I'm. There's a lot of sales are happening prior to Black Friday. Mm. I am doing my best to avoid during Black Friday, I am participating in a couple of, you know, Boycot, Target, Home Depot, Amazon. I'm not saying that I've been totally clean from especially Target and Amazon, but there's nothing there that I need to get anyways. It's like pretty convenient. So we'll talk about what in the next episode. Things that we're buying. We're gonna do our picks.

[Annie]

Yes.

[Cool Opulaisok]

So for now, that's our show this episode. I hope you felt like you were traveling with Auntie sue having to share a bathtub. But first you have to shove an open package of prosciutto and the ends of crusty bread off the covers just to get under.

[Annie]

That's right.

[Sujin Park]

Just dust off that towel and, you know, put it away because if you rehang it and you wipe your face.

[Annie]

With it, you'll get crumbs. I did that once, won't be doing that again. Make sure to go to Add to Cart World.

[Sujin Park]

Enter your email address there because we got updates and when we do, you'll be the first to know and always.

[Annie]

On Instagram to Cartpod.

[Sujin Park]

Bye bye.

[Annie]

Add to Cart is an auntie's unlimited production executive. Producers are Kulat Vlaisak and Sujin Pak.

[Sujin Park]

Tony Williams is our engineer.

[Annie]

The music is by Wasabi and produced.

[Sujin Park]

By LA Made it and oh so.

[Annie]

Familiar with additional music by APM Music.

[Sujin Park]

Be sure to check out all the items mentioned today on our Instagram at.

[Annie]

Add to Cart Pod. Follow Add to Cart wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Annie]

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[Annie]

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