Taking a gift... - Russian Ukrainian Belarus Travel Music Woman Dating News

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Taking a gift...
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Posted by: jpierce55

I would like to take a gift when I go overseas, at least something small. What would you recommend. I considered perfume, but people have different tastes. I also found a lovely pink ladies Fossil watch, it is not costly but nice. Do you think the watch would be appropriate?

Any suggestions? Is showing up with flowers good enough?

Posted by: Pin Boy

j,

leave the jewelry home...there's a thread ( not sure where, maybe someone can direct you) about appropriate gifts.

some of the things i recalls are: tote bags, t-shirts, sweatshirts with names of USA places/universities on them, food stuffs, keychains with flashlights, small tools, lots more that i can't recall right now.

flowers are always good and MUST be given in odd numbers-even numbers are associated with funerals or something equally depressing.

why not the jewelry? then you are upsetting the balance of the relationship from the beginning. for you the cost may be nominal, but for the lady it may be something too expensive for her to buy...keep things simple in the beginning. there'll be plenty of time for monetary gifts down the road if things work out for you.

good luck and have a great trip!

pin boy

Posted by: jpierce55

I figured someone would say that. I understand your point completely and that is why I asked.

The only thing, Pin Boy, is that a Fossil outlet is close to me and the watch would cost about or less than a tote bag or t-shirt. $20 will buy a fairly nice watch.

I would hate to buy a shirt and it not fit, I really could not take a guess between small and medium. If I get a shirt I can also get names like American Eagle or Aropostle cheaply.

Are you against a small bottle of perfume? I read it and shampoo are acceptable gifts. I have allergies to some perfume so if I buy one that does not bother me it may be of great benefit.

Maybe I should just stick to flowers?

Posted by: Pin Boy

j,

i'd say the cost of the watch does not matter...it's still jewlery and has a different connotation than something more simple. shirt size is not a big deal as it may likely be worn as a night shirt. the larger the better.

i would never presume to pick out perfume, or even shampoo (but that's me), for a woman.

pb

only 20 bucks for a fossil watch?? i'll send you a twenty to get me one. LOL!

Posted by: jpierce55

I will follow your advice then, and I kind of feel the same way on the perfume. That is why I did not even look at any. I will save the watch for later, assuming a later happens.

I am going back tomorrow to get me a Fossil, $69.99 gets a pretty good mens watch.

Posted by: Eryk

Hehehehe

>>tote bags,

Like we don't have them here

>>t-shirts, sweatshirts with names of USA places/universities on >>them,

Try somewhere more obscure, like Tokyo or Sao Paulo. All those "Arizona Wildcats" (or whatever - I don't remember too many specifics - I am surrounded by them every day on the Bus) T-Shirts are made in China anyway and we are just as close to there as you are

>>food stuffs, keychains with flashlights, small tools, lots more >>that i can't recall right now.

Try ZipLok food bags ...see if the recipient can suppress the smile when she says "thank you"

OK, I am being a bit sarcastic ...sorry. But try to remember we have all the same stuff here as you do there ...if it is harder to find here it is usually because there is little or no demand. Example, nicotine chewing gum ...almost unobtainable ...why? Because no-one (relatively in statistical terms) is interested in giving up smoking.

>>flowers are always good and MUST be given in odd numbers->>even numbers are associated with funerals or something >>equally depressing.

"Funerals" is correct. Also, if there are Babushkas in the picture then avoid "yellow" to be safe.

>>why not the jewelry? then you are upsetting the balance of >>the relationship from the beginning.

Watches aren't jewelery ...they are tools, like screwdrivers, penknives, cellphones and calculators.

>>for you the cost may be nominal, but for the lady it may be >>something too expensive for her to buy

Unless you go completely bonkers and start flashing engagement rings around the issue is 1% what you give and 99% how you give it. There is nothing wrong with the 'watch' idea ...if that is what you (meaning the OP) are best placed to obtain at an advantageous rate then go for it. (IMO)

Eryk

Posted by: BrianV

Go out and pick her up something fun and nice. Do not spend hours of thought over price and meaning and how something will be taken. A gift is something that comes from you to bring somebody pleasure and a smile and show you thought about them. No matter if it costs you 5$ or 500$.
If you think a pink fossil watch is cool then get it for her. A girl is a girl no matter where in the world she lives. You know, pretty, shiny, sparkly things that smell good are fun. Besides you may find yourself trying to win a heart here too?
My girl thought Indian jewlery was great when I first met her. Her best friend tipped me off to that one. But everytime I go to visit it is the Colorado tourist tie die t-shirts that are worn the most?
I say a 20$ pink fossil watch is the way to go!!!
Have fun on your trip. It will be the adventure of a lifetime you will never forget!!! If she likes you it really does not matter what you bring.

Brian

Bring some maple syrup candy if you want a good laugh.

Posted by: Pin Boy

i still say for an initial meeting, a watch is not a good idea, no matter how utiliatarian (or sparkling) it may be

how many women choose a watch based on how many different time zones it displays? or whether it lights up in the dark for those nights camping in a tent? or if it has a can opener attachment? it's a bauble and for some women it is just as attractive as a tennis bracelet or necklace.

the woman could turn out to be a user. this may give her the first signal that you're willing to part with your money fairly easily (true or not). then you may not know if she truly likes you or your wallet. of course if you're objective and fairly intelligent you can detect this. but how many men have fallen prey to this before? especially with an exotic, foreign woman in a foreign land? a first timer can easily be manipulated. if she is a user and you are attracted to her - and she senses this - she can string you along for what she can get. sounds paranoid? no not really, just cautious. it happens all the time. there's plenty of evidence of that in these threads. let her like you for you. a thoughtful token present of little value will show that you are considerate without making you look like an ATM.

Go (Arizona) Wildcats!!

pin boy

Posted by: Jim_FL

Hey PinBoy,
A watch is a fairly traditional gift for a woman in Russia, just as a dress shirt is the preferred tradional gift for a man. So, you may be against it, but she probably won't be - even if she's a "good girl"

Liliya and her family have always loved getting food as secondary gifts, some of the most requested items have been:
Folgers filter-pack singles (very convienient, and much better than that turkish mud they have available there)
Oreo's
Pepperidge farm Piruttes (sp?) they come in a tubular can...
American chocolate (it's different than russian chocolate)
Animal crackers

I've heard that penut butter and maple syrup were very well recieved by other guys, but Lil's family has no particular affinity for either.

While we hear that Alcoholism is a major problem there, it is also a major part of the culture, two gifts I can highly recommend along this vein are:
Rum (can't find it there at all)
White Zinfandel wine (whether they drink white or red, they will probably like this, and I have never seen anything like it over there.)

Posted by: cockatoo

Holy Smoke if I were going and wnted to take a gift you guys are more confusing than a ball of string. Does anyone have any real info on the subject of gifts?

Posted by: annagybe

I visited Russia, twice in the last two years. Mind you, I'm female, so giving presents to other females is a little different.
Things I've noticed that Russian women use and can be expensive there: tights or nylons. Not exactly a good first present but something to think about down the line. I got some nice, but not superexpensive black (of course) tight from Nordstorm for my then boyfriend's sister. She loved them.
Most of the women under thirty use lip gloss rather than proper lipstick. I meant to get but timing was bad, a lip gloss set of different colors. Figured that at leas one color would work and others could be distributed among friends and family.
Depending on your budget:
http://store.nordstrom.com/product/...ductID=MALPR35T
http://store.nordstrom.com/product/...StyleID=2868620
http://www.sephora.com/browse/produ...ldPaginate=true
http://www.sephora.com/browse/produ...ldPaginate=true
http://www.sephora.com/browse/produ...ldPaginate=true
http://www.sephora.com/browse/produ...tegoryId=S10605
http://www.sephora.com/browse/produ...tegoryId=S10605
http://www.sephora.com/browse/produ...tegoryId=S10605
http://lancome.sephora.com/_us/_en/...ycode=AXEMakeup^F1_Mak_GiftSets^F2_Mak_Gif_GiftSets&vname=name&rtlid=Sephora&rtlssid=basketcount~0~logon~0&jsessionid=ZEXPYGL42R1EZLAUCLABXCQ
http://www.sephora.com/browse/produ...tegoryId=S10605
http://www.sephora.com/browse/produ...tegoryId=S10605

Hope that's a range of prices. I've seen sets like these in Duty Free. So it could be a bit cheaper. If you're embarassed about giving make-up, you could always say a female friend or relative recommended it. Most of the women I saw wore the sparkly ones
Another recommendation, which is easily available at duty free is a perfume sampler. I gave my then boyfriend's mother a sampler of I think Dior perfumes. It's about 5-6 small pretty bottles in a box, usually all done by the same House. They're also inexpensive. If you want American, I think Calvin Klein, and Estee Lauder do them, but French brands are the popular there.
Another nice present is a silk scarf. You can easily spend 30-300$, depending on tastes and budget. I gave a plain silk scarf I picked in Paris, with some Parisian brand imprinted on the edge. In the US, Echo (at most major department stores) is a good brand.
Hope this helps.

-anna-

PS Most of the fashion magazines there advertise the same stuff as the US/Europe.

Posted by: Pin Boy

i guess in the end i would defer to jim's experience as the prevailing opinion in most cases like this...but personally i would wait on such a gift...anna has some good suggestions with which i'd be more comfortable.

pb

Posted by: lindochka

Like Anna, I'm also female, so my "take" on suitable ladies' gifts is a bit different -- I'm not buying for a prospective mate, I'm buying for relatives and friends. I also have a large extended family in Eastern Europe whom I visit annually and to whom I send parcels of presents for the New Year, so I need to be budget-conscious.

Re: the pink Fossil watch, I think it's a great idea. A watch, particularly a fashion watch, is not in the same class as serious (i.e. gold) jewelry and would not be taken in the "wrong" way.

Perfume does not have to be expensive. I got some very nice brand-name gift sets at my local discount department store for considerably less than what's available at duty-free shops.

I also scored a bunch of Revlon lipglosses at a ridiculous price in a local discount store. I bought a couple in each available shade and offered female relatives their choice of color. Revlon is heavily advertised over there and they were very pleased. If your lady has a lot of women in her family you might do the same and enlist her aid in distributing them.

If you are buying for very young ladies, such as her daughter or little sister, perfume is still a good choice. My preteen cousin (age 12) was delighted with Perfumer's Workshop's Tea Rose Perfume and her little sister, age 7, was very excited to receive a tube of Orange Blossom Creme Perfume, a Florida specialty that was a favorite of mine at that age. (Her first perfume! She carried on for days, it was hilarious.)

The younger girls also enjoyed scented shampoos and shower gels.

For men, I agree about liquor. Bacardi rum was well received, and so were Jack Daniels and Absolut. In theory these are available over there, at least in large cities. My folks live in small towns and would be unlikely to drive two hours to the capital to buy them, assuming they had the money. Slightly sweet sparkling wines are nice for the ladies -- Asti and Ballatore come to mind.

American coffee was also well received, and my aunts were delighted with the half-kilo box of Ahmad Ceylon Tea. (If you can get to a grocery store in a Russian-speaking community, you will find it there.) I was informed by my elderly female ESL students that this is a very well respected brand, and it's so expensive (proportional to the economy where my folks live, not to me) that my aunts had never seen such a large package of it. When they can find it in their local store, the largest package sold is 100 grams.

Absolutely yes on Pepperidge Farm Pirouettes! Also Brussels, and Milanos of any flavor. I'm lucky enough to have a Pepperidge Farm outlet store nearby, so I have also gotten Delacre cookies in fancy gift tins.

Maple syrup for someone with a sweet tooth, but you will have to explain about that because there are no sugar maples over there.

I would avoid clothing until you have met people and have an idea of sizes and preferred styles.

Hope this is somewhat helpful!

Posted by: Jill

Quote:

A watch is a fairly traditional gift for a woman in Russia

Not always. There is actually a supersition that if you give someone a watch, you will never see that person again. So it depends on the woman

Posted by: GreenBarb

Have to agree with you there Jill. I brought a watch for my GF and she told me the same but still accepted it because it was from me. Being Irish I brought her a CLADDAGH necklace which she loves. Espcially when I told her of the tradition behind the Claddagh.
One tip if you can bring a bottle of Baileys Irish Cream, the ladies will love it.

Posted by: Pin Boy

can never go wrong with bailey's - anywhere!!!

pb

Posted by: Jill

Mmmmm....Baileys.....

Posted by: Jim_FL

Quote:

Originally posted by Jill
Not always. There is actually a supersition that if you give someone a watch, you will never see that person again. So it depends on the woman

Hmmm.... That makes it ESPECIALLY odd that my wife would go out of her way to get her Mother a watch, just before departing for the USA the first time

Are you sure that's not a Ukrainian superstition?

Posted by: Jill

Well, I have come across this superstition in both Russia and Ukraine, so it is both. And it just one of many things that it is considered bad luck to give. Also, knives, wallets, pearls (for a young girl), mirrors, gloves, etc.

Of course, not everyone is superstitious. My husband also once gave me a watch as a gift

Posted by: joelunchbox

Gifts, another interesting subject. The girl I was writing asked me to bring some hair care products for her. She has very long hair and I thougth that made perfect sense. I had asked her if there was something I could bring her and she told me. I had enough time to find it on the internet and recieve it. She is like me--ask me what I want and I will tell you. I think this is just another way to get to know someone. The gift was not cheap, but she isn't cheap either. When I visited I also brought: McDonalds stuffed animals (I saw some of these in a pictire of her), Some perfume, a nice top-but she was smaller than she looked in her pictures! I tried to give her a little something each day I was there. One more thing, she mentioned Pavoratti being in Kiev..I asked if she would like to go, I sent her money to go. At some point, you have to ask yourself, do you trust that person? She has never lied to me or done anything that didn't ring true. Part of me finds that amazing...I am apparently becoming very cynical.

Posted by: jpierce55

Well I am off today. I went with the watch despite opinions against it, it is what I want to give. The idea of clothing won't work, I could not even come close to guessing her size. Alcohol is a complete 100% no go, otherwise I may fly back to the U.S. the hard way. By backhand.

I don't have any family to buy gifts for on this trip, so that is no concern. I do thank you for your opinions.

Posted by: Pin Boy

have a great trip and write about it when you return. i wish the trip is all you hope and want it to be!!

pin boy