My Barbie Doll

Barbie. Who do not know this popular girls’ toy? It’s the first adult-bodied doll. It was invented by an American businesswoman, Ruth Handler and his husband Elliot Handler in 1950s. The beginning of the invention is when Ruth Handler watched her daughter, Barbara played with paper dolls. Ruth and Elliot had an idea to make three dimension fashion plastics dolls when they visited Switzerland and purchased a German Lilli doll. Lilli inspired them to design long limbed, shapely and beautiful dolls and only 11.5 inches tall.

Ruth Handler started to produce the dolls with the help of her husband’s company, Mattel Company. Ruth and Elliot named their new fashion doll after their own daughter, Barbie. Barbie dolls’ soon to be boyfriend Ken was named after their son Ken. Barbie dolls were officially launched on March 9, 1959. The first Barbie dolls had a black and white swim suit and her hair with a pony tail with bangs in blonde or brunette hair color. Not only Barbie, but Mattel Company also produced the other plastics dolls similar to Barbie but with different names.

Barbie dolls have changed over the years. Her fashion, hair style and make up change to reflect the current trends in fashion. The most popular Barbie doll ever was Totally Hair Barbie with long hair that reached her feet. It is estimated that over a billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide in over 150 countries.

This is my unforgettable experience about Barbie doll:

Barbie reminds me to my childhood. I used to be crazy about Barbie doll. When I was in vacation in Timor-Timor (now Timor Leste), my uncle brought us (My dad, my grand parents, my cousins, and I) to see around the city. I was so happy coz we visited the white beach. After that, we stopped at one of my aunt’s family’s shop. Then, I saw Barbie displayed on the shop window. It was so beautiful in a princess dress. I asked my dad to buy that doll for me, but he didn’t say anything. I asked and I asked so many times, but my dad still didn’t say anything until we left the shop. I was so angry then. So, I kept being quiet as we go around the city.  When we took the pictures in front of the Governor’s Office, I didn’t smile at all. Soon, all of them realized that I was cranky. My cousins said that my lips looked like a fish mouth. (You know, when I’m angry I don’t want to speak and I close my mouth all the time). Hahaha…

Two days before I left Timor-Timor, I was still in bad mood. I spoke, but a little, only if it’s very important. Then, my uncle and my aunt invited me to go with them. I didn’t know where we would go. They brought me to many toy shops, but no toys were attracted for me. I encouraged my self to say that I wanted the Barbie doll in their family’s shop. I was so happy coz I finally owned that Barbie doll.

I really loved Barbie doll so that I made many dresses for my Barbie doll by my self. I took many different kinds of cloth from the tailor near my house.  My mom’s compliment made me so happy; she said that the Barbie’s dresses looked so beautiful. But, one day my mom's anger shattered my happiness. When I was playing hide and seek with my sisters, I accidentally broke my little brother's medicine bottle. My mom saw my Barbie near that bottle. She thought that I was playing Barbie doll when I broke the medicine bottle. She was mad. She took my Barbie doll and said she would cut my doll into pieces. I could only be quiet because of frightened and I didn't want to see my mom destroy my lovely Barbie. I cried silently in my bedroom when my mom didn't see me.  T_T

Now, I still like to see Barbie doll. And I promise to my self, one day if I have a daughter I will buy a Barbie doll for her. I will make beautiful dresses for her doll. (^_^)