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Desired & Appropriate Gifts?
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Posted by: Keith

I know from living and visting abroad that some things (products) from the US are much desired. I'm curious as to what those items might be in the FSU. When I lived in Turkey, pineapples and cocca were seemingly equal to gold. A bottle of perfume was total luxury. What do the ladies truly cherish as gifts? What is expensive or hard to find that's easy to locate here in the states? What is still difficult to still find in the republics? What about children? What do they enjoy, see or hear about in the West that they would enjoy. What about the lady's mother? What would be desired and appropriate gifts for all of these people? What gifts might not be viewed in a postive light that Westerns would not think twice about? I look forward to hearing from everyone. Thanks.

Keith

Posted by: pharmrep2

Hi Keith
Anything that says "MADE IN THE USA" they would love because it is rare. There is not that many merchandise or products with that label in Russia. They dont like things that say "Made in China". Here in the USA we are mostly brand driven and really dont care where the product was made from. But I found out in Russia, people have a different mentality, like where the item is made from is equal to quality. Items from Japan, USA, and western Europe is good quality, while Items made in Russia and China, are considered of poor quality. About what kinds of gifts, well I let the other people in the board that a crack at this.

Posted by: Jim_FL

A few unexpected things that are almost too easy here in the realm of food

Peanut Butter - most outside moscow have never seen it, everyone loves it
Oreos - same deal, and it's not just for kids
Real coffee - Great gift for the home (mom, dad, & babushka) virtually non existant there outside Moscow (tip-get either the filterpack singles, or pick up a "french press" type pot and bring it along - no hasles with converters then)
Maple Syrup get the good stuff - for a country thats had pancakes for 1000 years, you'd think they would have figured this one out by now. This was a HUGE hit at Christmas.

For kids - go to home depot and pick up some "glow sticks"

For men: Leatherman or Gerber multi-tool
if they have a car: Rain-X

there's tons more so I'll leave room for others

Posted by: OlenkaKyiv

- Coffee from US is wonderful... I love it and it is hard to buy such kind here.
- Tea (even that one Lipton) is exactly different from we have in Ukraine and Russia. Different quality. I think Babushka and mama will be happy to have some boxes

- When my fiance came to me he knew that he should by lots of chocolate in Amsterdam.... ummmm..... I LOVE it. Russians and Ukrainians say that their chocolate is the best, but for me it is nothing in compare with my Lovely brought
- cookies - I don't know exact trade mark and can't explain, but my fiance calls them "cookies"
- for me the best gifts books were.... I adore English books, because they are expansive here and they are so beautiful

Of course his point will be good if your lady likes books like I do

- parfums good idea if you know her tastes
- cosmetic serviette, my mom liked it. we don't have such
- CDs.... with good music (good hint for your Lady to know what music you like)... actually we have cheaper CDs, but US CD are better quality and.... "Made in US"

- T-shirts - I know that you, Americans, like to give T-shirts with the name of state. All my friends wear T-shirts "COLORADO".
- cosmetic - "Clinique" is very good and very expansive here. They have 3-steps for daily care, nice lips sticks, plus buying a lot you will get lots of free-charge items, which girls can give their friends

it will be good small gift for friends also

Olenka

Posted by: Keith

Wow! Thanks for the interesting responses. I hope others will continue to add more to the list. I especially liked Olenka's list of "things." Nothing like a ladies' view on this topic, right? (And Jim, you're too funny! I ALWAYS enjoy reading your responses.)

Let me pose the opposite question now. On a visit to Russia, what does one just HAVE TO bring back (things)? American customs is probably the worst enemy here. I know good Russian vodka is a must but is any particular brand better than the other? I've always thought that Russian "nesting dolls" were cute and would be adored by family and friends. And I've just got to have one of those fur hats! What are other "must haves"?

Thanks everyone...this is a great place to meet and chat.

Keith

P. S. BTW Olenka, nice animated images of you and yours for your "avatar" (photo).

Posted by: OlenkaKyiv

oh.... thank you for nice words about my avatar.

I annoyed all my friends while I understood how to do changed gif-file

I wanted to add another point to the list of things to bring with yourself to Russian, Ukraine. If your lady has any pet, it would be nice to bring some toys for it. My brown poodle has very nice bright red ball and he is happy even he is not able to read "made in US"

What to bring back? the most important thing you shouldn't forget to bring - GOOD THOUGHTS, MEMORIES, HOPES and of course PHOTOS!!

Olenka

Posted by: ConnerVT

Olenka is right about the photos. You just can't bring back enough, especially if you have to leave the subject of many of them behind.

My fiancee kept all the prints from every picture I took there. At least I got to bring the negatives home! All have been reprinted for MY enjoyment.

As far as customs, the two times I have come back to the states, I only have been asked a couple of friendly questions, and sent on through. I believe U.S. Customs feels (for the most part) that there is very little valuables or illegal items being smuggled in to the U.S. from Russia. At most, I've had several botles of vodka, and some tea service pieces.

I wouldn't want to be caught smuggling anything that's restricted by Russia OUT of the country, however...

Posted by: Jim_FL

Quote:

I could get much better stuff in Russia..../..... Also a matter of where exactly you are going to in Russia

Where I went in Russia (N. Novgorod) you seemed to have 2 choices: Nescafe instant or Ruscafe instant :blukh:

(but I'm glad you liked the rest of the list

Posted by: OlenkaKyiv

Quote:

Originally posted by aqua

However if he brought me a box of Lipton and a bag of cookies I�d be hmmm...... confused, I guess. I don�t think my mother would appreciate it either.

However I do think that American coffee is undrinkable. I could get much better stuff in Russia. So I�d say that gifts are a matter of personal preference. Also a matter of where exactly you are going to in Russia - things that are readily available in Moscow might be unheard of in a smaller town in the middle of the country.

Well aqua You said correctly about personal preference, but I am not sure that Russian tea and coffee is different from that one we have in Kiev... there are the same boxes which were done in Poland or whereever else and it is really Yuck!!
Of course girls from capitals and big cities demand more than girls from country side and little towns, but at the same time it doesn't mean that every girl in big cities go to SUPERmarket and buy the best stuff. Maybe you forgot taste of tea packed in Russia being in US

Olenka

Posted by: Emetsky

Aloh folks! 'got some questions here:

1. What kinda coffee are we talking about here. Instant or Ground? Any particular brand?

2. What kinda peanut butter, peanut or creamy. Any particular brand like skippys?

3. What kinda cookies? Mrs. fields?

4. What about junk food like Cheetos?

5. How about lotions like oil of olay? Eta harasho toh-szha?

Spasiba!

Dosvidanya!!!

Posted by: Emetsky

Keith,

FYI...

You can get one of those fur hats from most PX or army surplus stores here in America. You can even get a Soviet Generals uniform :-0

Posted by: Lena

Hello everybody!

WOW the forum is so busy that even with my busy work with our Photo Personals I can stop myself to share my thoughts.

I really happy that Olenka joined to our discussions. Thank you because our men will be happy to hear thought of Russian, Ukrainian, and Belarusian women.

About presents............ Oh, it's a very interesting topic, because all people like to receive and give gifts. I think any present will be pleasant, especially from person who is lovely to you. I like to give presents very much and receive pleasure when I do this. If a present given from all your heart it's very important, isn't it?

Information in general about gifts in Russia.

Russians (most of the time I use Russians, because Russian, Byelorussian, Ukrainian cultures are similar), as a rule, are very generous people, even with a not so stable economic situation. Russians like to give gifts and to receive them.

In general, the most popular gift is flowers, but Russians give and like to receive books, especially literature and illustrated art books, chocolates, jewelry, toys, good Champaign and wine, and electronic products. Wedding and housewarming presents are usually the most generous.

More often than in countries abroad, gifts in Russia are practical, but it doesn't mean that if a foreign man goes to visit his bride, that he should present a TV set or a stereo system

I'll give you more specific examples about this a little bit latter.

What are the most popular holidays in Russia?

1. New Year (1 January) This is the most popular and lovely holiday for Russian people.

2. Orthodox Christmas (January 7) Russians like to celebrate Catholic Christmas, even if he/she is not Catholic, because it's a day off in Russia too.

3. Old New Year (January 13) A very popular holiday in memory of the old calendar

4. International Women's Day ( March 8) It's simply Women's Day. It is not celebrated in the USA, but it is celebrated in Russia and some other countries around the world. All women are honored on this day. Usually, people have the day off from work on this day. Prior to the day that Women's Day is celebrated, males give cards, flowers, gifts to their fellow female students, colleagues and co-workers. As I remember, we had a very big party in my university on this holiday.

5. Orthodox Easter (To be honest, I do not know the exact date of Orthodox Easter, because each year it is on a different day. Religious people know and can count on a religious calendar and know when this holiday is). As I remember, it is two weeks after Catholic Easter, but maybe I'm mistaken.

6. International Labour Day ( May 1)

7. Victory Day ( May 9)

8. Independence Day (I think that Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine might celebrate this on different days)

9. Teacher's Day (October 5) if your fiance is a teacher, do not forget to congratulate her on this day.

10. October Revolution Day ( November 7-8) Russians receive a day off. You shouldn't send flowers and congratulate her on this holiday.

11. Birthday

This is a very important day in every person's life, so during your communication do not forget to ask when is her and her mom's birthday because you'll be the most lovely son-in-law if you do not forget your mother-in-law's birthday

In general, Russians have always loved and love to celebrate.

Are you going to visit your bride????? What is the best present for her, her mum, child and family in general????

As I mentioned, everything will be good if you give any present given with Love�.
But I will try to give the perspective from a woman's point of view. The first piece of advice that I can give you is FLOWERS, FLOWERS and FLOWERS, but you should remember to never present or send your Russian lady an even number 2,4,6,8 of flowers�.(I gave this information in section "Ask Lena" about presents. You can look there for some more information about this.) Give flowers in odd numbers like 3,5,7,9�. But if you present a bouquet, it doesn't matter if it's an even or add number, but make sure that the main flowers in this bouquet are an odd number. This is a lot of information, isn't it?

But Russian people are a very superstition and this is true.
I remember one story� I know one Russian couple. They were dating about 2 years. He presented her a bouquet with even numbers and with yellow roses. She was soooo upset and angry. There are such Russian beliefs that yellow roses mean betrayal and sadness

So do not make this mistake.

What about perfume and cosmetics as gifts????

I think that every woman in this world likes good cosmetics and perfume. I can tell you that not every woman can buy good, real perfume, especially French-made. The most valuable perfume in Russia are those made in France. I think that perfume can be a good gift, but you should know her taste very well since every woman is an individual and has her own taste in clothes, perfume and so on �.If you do not know her taste well, my advice is to take a few different bottles of perfume and give your lady a chance to choose her most favorite. From the perfumes that she does not choose, one will be the best-suited present for her mum, another will interest her sister, and so on. Perfume is the best gift for any woman and she will be happy and will think of you all of the time when she will use this perfume.

What about clothes?????

From my experience of working in an agency, I can tell you that to present any kind of clothing is not a good idea. First of all, you have to understand what is her right size. Western and Russian sizes are not the same. I will try to find and post onto our website this information is future, because even for me living in America, it is confusing to choose and find the right size of shoes and clothing. I don't always understand which American sizes of clothing best fits me, since I am used to Russian size numbers for clothing.
In the cases of some women that I knew in Belarus, sometimes it has happened that men brought jeans as gifts for their girlfriends, but the jeans are so big or small because his girlfriend gained weight or lost weight because she was worried that her lovely person was going to come.

Another factor is style. I can tell you that Russians dress completely differently from Western people. Russian women pay a lot of attention to the clothes and its tag and brand. Most of all, do not buy cheap items. The reality is that Russian women know quality, and I repeat again they pay too much attention to clothes.

She has a child�What will be the best present for the child?????

I think that this is the easiest question to answer. Every child likes toys. Any toy is the best present, and the child will be happy and will thank you. If you are going to send something, just order through an Internet service a basket of fruits and candies. There will be happiness in the eyes of the child and your lady. She will especially be happy to the attention that you are giving her child. Believe me, it's the best way to show your attention to her and the chance to have success..

What are other ideas for presents?????

Of course everything depends from the person, and depends upon what kind of values she has-- materialistic or not.

My advice for other presents is:

1) A good photo of you in a nice frame.

2) Something unique that she will never buy in her town or city. One example of this might be a symbol or souvenir of your country, city, or place where you live.

3) Something that will remind her of you. Gifts that remind her about your meeting.

4) Any type of jewelry: earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc. It should be either made of silver or gold. But before buying such presents, be sure that you have a serious relationship with her.

If she ever asks you to send money as a gift, you shouldn't do this especially if you have not met her yet.

Lena

Posted by: John_G

Keith,

For kids: I might be way off, but I think a Barbie doll would nice.
Also, my next door neighbor's 5 year old has the HULK hands. They are big green fists that make HULK noises when they make contact; he was puching his father. At 42 I wanted a pair to keep my 16 year old nephew in line.

American eagle Gold or silver bullion coins?

Syrup comes in different flavors, how about a variety pack?

aqua

If you need a peanut butter cookie receipe let me know.

Posted by: Khashyar

It sounds like choosing and giving gifts to the Russian children would be a lot of fun

Also... I tend to agree with Lena that if you genuinely give a gift from your heart, that the spirit and intention that went behind your gift is more important than the gift itself.

In Belarus (and I am assuming also in Russia and the Ukraine), Western items are very expensive in relation to an average Russian's monthly salary, and so most everything of quality I am sure would be appreciated.

Some things that I personally would consider brining as gifts:

1) Western wine or spirits for the Russian father of the house (if he drinks)

2) I also think that perfume is a great idea for any woman

3) Any token items from your country (like chocolates, etc) I think would be apprecated because you brought them all the way from your homeland and they represent the place where you live.

4) Since I live in California, I gave Lena seashells and sand from a beach near where I live.

5) I also gave Lena guide books that had a lot of pictures of Southern California

6) Of course, as Lena mentioned, silver and gold jewelry is nice

7) I made some Russian kids VERY happy when I gave them some American coins: nickels, quarters, etc. Whereas the dollar may be easily available in Russia, American coins are not, and the children I met LOVED them. I think I gave Lena a quarter too

and she enjoyed it.

8) I gave Lena's dad an all-in-one carpenter's tool. He is a carpenter, and he loved it (he could not buy that in his town in Belarus).

9) I brought Lena a couple of t-shirts from "Hollywood," and she really loved it.

I think that if you think about it and give it some thought, that you will be able to find appropriate gifts (that don't need to cost a lot of money) for everyone you need to buy gifts for.

10) I brought some hand-made American soaps, Jim Bean hot sauce, coffee from Hawaii, and some other things that I felt would seem exotic to a Russian person, and that could feel like something that was special from America.

Khashyar

Posted by: Keith

Obviously this is a popular topic for discussion. Good information and thanks. I understood the notion of giving from the heart, bringing back memories, etc. I was just asking the straight forward Western materialistic question!

I always enjoy Lena's responses...she helps you get into the mindset of a Russian or Russian lady.

And remembering mother-in-law's (or potential) birthday...now that's a major departure from Western men's way of thinking, huh? Good idea though

Well, I'm waiting on a telephone call from the Jiffy Peanut Butter Company about franchise/distribution rights for Russia! Just call me "Skippy"!

Keith

Posted by: Lena

Hello everybody!
Keith Thank you very much for you nice words.
I made a little mistake about Revolution Day.....

Of course you shouldn't give presents on the day of Revolution.

I just didn't put "not" Sorry!!!! I'm sometimes in a hurry, so sometimes I make mistakes, especially in a foreign language.
Keith , I'm looking for information about education and will post this as quickly as possible.
Lena

Posted by: Keith

Lena:

The mistake is mine. I went back and looked at your posting and that is what you said. My apologies.

Keith

Posted by: Khashyar

Hi Keith...

Lena went back and edited the line that you quoted in your post, so you were correct in the text that you quoted...

She was tired when she wrote that, and she did make a mistake in that sentence

Thanks for pointing that out.

Khashyar

Posted by: Greg in Ga

I almost made that mistake,but fate told me to wait and then I found out that its a bad omen to give a girl a watch..Peanut butter is a great gift idea..Katy eats that stuff like a maniac.Jif is her choice..American chocolate candy..Turtles or those new candybar balls went over very well.They are right about things from China,dont buy them that.Not that they will complain it's just considered not to be of the best quality..Once you get to know your girl and love your girl,nothing beats sending her $100 Western Union and then telling her to spend all of it on something to wear.I think if Katy had her rathers she would have about $96 of every $100 I ever sent..The girl just wont spend the money.Maybe she'll be that frugile over here.I hope this helps...Greg

Posted by: Keith

Aqua:

Of course I was kidding about the peanut butter franchise/distribution but if the food item is as popular as it obviously is then some companies are missing a grand opportunity! Funny but true. Actually I wouldn't make a good representative because I'm not that fond of it...I know, it's anti-American to not like peanut butter.

Has anyone explained some ways to eat it or has it become a "finger food"?

Greg:

Oh, that would be an easy faux paus to make...giving a nice ladies watch is common elsewhere I think. Lena is right as there seems to be plenty of superstition in the motherland. Also, you mentioned WU...I read in another forum that MoneyGram international money transfers are much less inexpensive than WU and I checked into it and discovered that Wal-Mart is an agent for them. I further checked and found on a sample city that you can save about 33% over WU. (Hey, take the savings a go buy another jar of Jif!) Is there any place in the country that does not have a Wal-Mart? You can check the company out at www.moneygram.com as it seems to be well established (I had never heard of it). Thanks.

Keith

Posted by: Jim_FL

Moneygram is run by American Express and from personal experience, they.....uuum.....to put it kindly.........suck!

When I was Superintendent for a construction company that traveled nationwide, they tried to "save a few bucks" using this service, and there was no end to problems trying to get the money out at the other end. Maybe they're a little better now, but maybe not. WU works EVERY time, exactly like it's supposed to, with no hassles to me or her. Personally, it's worth it to me for emergencies.

The rest of the time, she has an ATM card. I set up a seperate checking account and leave $100.00 in it(no more in case of theft), when she needs money and knows it (like when they stiffed her on her salary a few months back) I drop some extra in the account over here, and she pulls it out over there. transfer cost is $3.50

If you do this, make sure you know the woman WELL and you get the card with the VISA logo. I also explained to her that it would not be wise to make purchases with the card as it bears MY name. So she only uses it at ATM machines. She must travel to the city to use it, but she must do the same for WU. There are 13 WU locations and 28 ATMs where she can draw cash.

Just a thought for those in "serious" relationships.

Posted by: Keith

Jim:

Thanks for the "heads up" on MoneyGram...I'll take that into consideration should I ever need to use those services. This was the first negative comment about the company that I had heard. I did not see American Express associated with it anywhere but it could be a subsidiary held by AE. I was exploring around some as I have no plans to send any funds anywhere. Your setting up a separate checking account from which to draw money via an ATM card is a creative idea. The transfer fees are well worth it. Of course, I hear that ATMs are only in the major cities. So VISA is the only company with such services? Do you or anyone else know if there is some kind of master directory of ATMs? I've searched and haven't been able to find one yet. Great information...thanks.

Keith

Posted by: Jim_FL

hehehehe:

http://www.darlingtravel.com/Old/ATM.html

Posted by: OlenkaKyiv

Hi Group,
It is so nice be with you because I am able not only to share my experience, but get a lot of new things ;-) Now I am curious about Peanut butter and want to try it very much

I never knew that giving watches is bad sign. Frankly speaking I don�t believe superstitions very much, but sometimes I think it works

Lena I am agree with all points of your list. One addition � the Independence day in Ukraine is on 24th of July. Actually I would call it as great holiday. it is only another reason to have a day off and enjoy this day on the vegetable garden digging out potatoes or having fun on the central square watching fireworks

Now some details and links about gifts my fiancé brought to me:
1)coffee (ground coffee not instant) and tea � my fiancé ordered them here www.gevalia.com. lol�. it is fun but I just saw that it is product of Sweden, but it is tasteful especially artificially flavored ground coffee. They offer also pretty sets with mugs and several kinds of tea. It would be good gift for relatives.

2)a bottle of wine is really good for her father or grandfather.

3)for children � different toys and necessarily with some signs of US, for all knows that it was brought from America.

4)fun toys for adults. I have speaking sack what tells sentences of US presidents

It is first thing my friends want to see in my room :-)

5)link to cosmetic company � www.clinique.com
ok�. it is only some additions� from me

What you can bring from Ukraine:

1 for people who like to bring alcohol drinks I would offer Ukrainian gorilka (vodka) with pepper and honey. the bottle is sold with 3 glasses packed in nice souvenir box. I saw this box in shops outside of Ukraine so I guess it is really popular.

2. �Matreshka� is Russian souvenir so in case you want to buy true Ukrainian souvenir, you should buy �vyshyvanka� (embroidered T-shirt) or embroidered towel. It is expansive actually. Cheaper will be plates with Ukrainian topics � lovely couple staying in garden or something like this.

3. When my neighbor who immigrated to US visit his mom, he bought a bottle of sunflower-seed oil. As I know in US olive oil is used, so it is good chance for American to try something new :-) .. probably I told fun thing for you now

MoneyGram service is in Kiev, but we never tried it. I agree with Jim Fl that the best and cheapest transfer of money is with help of ATM card, of course without using it in shops. It is possible to transfer some amount through bank even without dollar account. It is cheaper than WU also, but I am not aware in details. And, yes, Jim, it is a way for those who are in serious relationships.
"Visa", "Master", "Plus" work in Kiev

Posted by: joseph

I have been told that sometimes when you send gifts or presents to Russian there are sometimes taxes involved which the recipient has to pay which can sometimes amount to as much as the value of the actual gift or present? Is this true?

And is there a particular best way to send gifts to make sure they are received properly and with a minimum of inconvenience to the receiver?

Thanks for any help any of you can be.

Joseph

Posted by: Emetsky

Money is the best gift for anyone. I gave my GF some diyenick and she got herself a new fur coat and a novy televisor for her family.

Posted by: Arnold

Hello to Everybody!

This is all very interesting, thanks for the great wealth of ideas and info!

I have a questin though, is it allowed to mail food products, and what do you declare as value?

And can all items you guys have listed be send thru the mail, or can certain things only be brought in person?

Best wishes, Arnold

Posted by: searcher

I heard food items couldn't be mailed but this was after I mailed them

She received them without any problems.

Posted by: sierratango

Hi Everybody,
I just found this place here ..and I am sooo happy I did. This is finally a place where all those topics are REALLY mentioned.Not just as on some other sites where it´s wishy-washy ..or worse. Especially in the case of ´The Gift Question´. Sometimes you read about things somewhere ..but then have to wonder if those are really up-to-date. After all, those who are looking for gifts for those first-time meetings (with their g/f, family and friends) this is VERY important. Who wants to do make a mistake like the (usually pretty well published) issue about uneven vs even numbers of flowers.. and their colors. Or about giving watches as presents. I guess I read another rule involves giving a knive as a gift (and it only being OK if the recipient gives back a symbolic coin (money) in return..making it more like it´s a sale..and not a gift). Obviously I am also looking into all this areas. For me the biggest problem seems that with some things it´s hard to judge how things will be with her and her family being from a big city. What I have in mind is that I do not want to give a gift that might (of course, unintentionally) give the impression of ´Oh, poor Russian family... here´s your big daddy who will help you !´ (well.. ít´s the best way to describe it I could come up with.. so please... don´t pick up any stones to throw at me) . The coffee issue was amongst those gifts. It also made me realize that I never really wondered how coffee is made in your average Russian family (and I guess I still don´t really know except that it´s DIFFERENT from the coffee makers we are used to. The only other way I know are those coffees that are made where you simply combine boiling water with the coffee.. though it´s NOT instant coffee.. which then really leaves some serious amount of coffee grounds in the pot and cup. So hints are welcome).
A similar problem/question would be with alcohol. It was already mentioned that if somebody has problems with alcohol then one should stay away from giving such a gift. Makes total sense. BUT.. especially when the relationship is new this is not really information that´s easily obtained (oh yeah.. how I can easily imagine me asking (NOT !) Oh, by the way, anyone of your family or friends got a drinking problem ?
I am sure I will keep checking into this for some more time (trip/meeting #1 to be at the end of March)...but I guess I should be able to come up with a good choice . ESPECIALLY thanks to you guys..and (Khashyar ? Are you there ? ..I did read your post ;-) ) GIRLS !

Posted by: rockingsailor

To me it was suggested that the General Foods International Coffees and any instant cappucinos were a big hit. I sent some of our typical coffees as well and all were very well received. I had some open space so I also put in this combination snack of popcorn and nuts called "Poppycock". I think that was received better than the coffees I sent! Inna informed me that such things there are impossible to buy.
Before this arrived, her parents just knew of my existance. Now her mother and father both wish to meet me and her mother wishes to engage long discussion of history with me. Now I need an interpreter when I go to visit!

It is hard to imagine the joy of someone who receives something that we very much take for granted.

Posted by: Michael Blue

I've been preparing to send a package to Olya, and she only asked for a few basic things...a handwritten letter, photos if I can spare them, and "whatever you decide to send would be wonderful". It really took a couple times asking to even get her to ask for those things, and I had in fact already offered them both.
Finally, I asked her a very specific question, and got a specific answer, although she knew why I was asking and seemed a little hesitant to answer...She likes Chanel #5, but quickly added that she has only smelled it in the store.

I find it both endearing and a little challenging that she is bashful about my sending her gifts. This thread has been very helpful, but I think I'm going to limit what I send to mostly personal items this first time, since she sounds both very excited to get a "parcel" from me, and hesitant to ask for anything specific.

Thanks!

Posted by: rockingsailor

Many stories have been circulated about the aversion of some customs officials in FSU unscrewing caps and not putting them back on thus when package contents arrive, they are a mess!

Pump spray bottles may be a good idea to prevent this from happening and any sealed containers (like coffee) are generally not bothered. Chocolates are a different story! They arrive half-eaten or not at all!
Also as you are probably aware, keep the value below $100. Anything over and they will have to pay duty on and they will do it, not wishing to insult you! Good Luck!

Posted by: Michael Blue

Excellent advice!!

I was considering what size of Chanel no.5 to get her, and they offer a "purse spray" size, so this sounds ideal.
I was also unaware of the fees based on value, I will be certain to keep it simple.

THANKS!

Posted by: rockingsailor

the credit goes to Charles and other members on a different thread. Their information was invaluable and I was lucky to get it! Also, it will have a much better chance of arriving intact if you go with registered mail from US post office and insure it. My very limited voice of experience!

I think you will be very pleasantly surprised when your package does arrive. I know I was! Again, coming from the senior members, actions do speak louder than words! Thanks guys (and ladies)!