I don't give hostess gifts very often. Partly 'cos I wasn't brunged up proper (sorry Mum), but mainly because we're not usually being 'hosted'. However this time we'll be relying very heavily on Em, JD's sister, and we want to bring something to say 'thank you'. Ideally, we'll give her and her family things that they'll like and use, rather than some dust-collecter or other. And she's a Strine living in Japan and might be grateful for a top-up of TimTams or Macleans toothpaste or something.
Having thrown together a quick list of ideas for her to pick from, I thought I might jot them down here in case I (or anyone else) wants to refer back to them. So, in no particular order:
- local wines (generally limited to two bottles per adult, not an option if taking carry-on luggage only)
- local foodstuffs (can't bring them into Oz/NZ, but can often take them into other countries)
- honey, jams, quince paste
- TimTams, Mint Slice, musk sticks, Tiny Teddies, soft liquorice
- local cosmetics - favourite toothpaste or moisturiser
- OTC pharmaceuticals that are harder to get there (two-months worth limit into Japan)
- classic Australian stories/books
- The Magic Pudding, Cuddlepot and Snugglepie, Storm Boy for kids
- Picnic at Hanging Rock, My Brilliant Career, Cloudstreet, Playing Beattie Bow for teens/adults
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| (Will my citizenship be revoked if I admit I always found the Gumnut Babies to be a bit freaky?) |
- films of classic Australian Stories, and/or other Australian films (Mad Max, anyone?)
- soft toys - wombats, kookaburras, platypuses, Bananas in Pyjamas
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| Pronunciation guide: Wom-bat, not womb-at. |
- souvenir t-shirts (I haven't a clue what's on ones available locally, and I rarely wear them)
- merchandise from the local AFL footy club (football guernsey, ball cap, scarf)
- coffee-table book of Australian art/architecture/landscapes/etc
- Aboriginal artwork, didgeridoo, boomerang or similar
- tacky souvenir shop stuff, and boy, there's some doozies there
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| Koala kitsch, anyone? |
So what's the best or worst hostess gift you gotten or given? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!
Bilby stuff from Easter would be a great gift!
ReplyDeleteWomb...at? I kiss the feet of anyone who brings me hard-to-find local delicacies. My favorite brand of grits, Grandma Utz potato chips, even basic stuff like chocolate chips or brown sugar (neither are available here with anything approaching regularity) will have me singing their praises forever. The worst things are little cheesy knickknacks like shot glasses, or any of the tacky souvenir stuff that doesn't transcend regular tackiness to land into majestic campiness. It just takes up space.
ReplyDeleteKaretchko, bilbies are a great idea, but I'm not sure they'll last through Singapore to arrive at Japan intact.
ReplyDeleteIn Australia, rabbits are a ($#&#&(!&*%( pest, destroying the environment and thereby endangering many local fauna (and flora), including the bilby. The bilby is a marsupial about the size of a large rat, with a tail like a kangaroo, great big ears and a long muzzle. (Bilby means 'long-nosed rat'). Strines are encouraged to buy chocolate bilbies rather than bunnies at Easter, with proceeds going to conservation efforts.
Rhiannon, local delicacies are always grand. Em and her family travel fairly regularly to Oz, so there's not many consumables she needs (although she has requested a specific leaf tea - is smuggling tea into Japan the same as smuggling coal into Newcastle?).
ReplyDeleteMy effort to send local delicacies to some invisible friends who were gathering in Montauk last year was met with mixed responses. They loved the TimTams, but they began using the musk sticks (bright pink confectionary, with an acquired taste) as an instrument of torture.