That was a hilarious response Maoman!
how about some prime grade US beef.
i mean, what else are the texans famous for if not their beef. pack it in ice, and give it to your friends and family here.
ban, what ban?
how about some real good root/sarsapilla beer.
chewing tobacco. hmm. Kodiak. a couple tins of those will go over well with any crowd.
and the WEED. Kentucky Green.
some microbrew beers. ask tigerman for his recent trip to the south.
how about a texan hat? never seen one of those personally.
photobooks showing the natural beauties of Texas and the US (excluding West Dallas though, what a shitehole).
beauties, like Kim Smith. but i mean ‘beauty’ too. y’know canyons, deserts, mountains, el Paso, Alamo.
how about a texas instrument calculator from the 70s? interesting souvenirs.
As you’re flying, a lot of salsa, beer and the like can quickly add up to a lot of weight. You should find out from your airline how much you can bring before you need to pay extra for excess baggage.
You can buy some kind of salsa at 7-11 in Taiwan, though I don’t know that the salsa here really compares with good southwestern salsa. You can also buy tortilla chips at certain places, but they are muy expensivo in Taiwan, costing maybe NT$170 for a .75 pound bag of restaurant style Tostitos.
Cowboy hats and US/Texan souvenirs would be more weight efficient gifts. You could bring some good whiskey with you, but even that you can pick up here in Taiwan. How about some American cookies? Only Oreos and Chips Ahoy are available here. Taiwanese people seem to like wearing the most hilarious T-shirts, but you can pick up a Texas Longhorns jacket at the night market for only NT$350.
At any rate, the Taiwanese people I know only give money when they give a gift. They give money at weddings, Chinese New Years, Mother’s Day, and any other celebration.
As you’re flying, a lot of salsa, beer and the like can quickly add up to a lot of weight. You should find out from your airline how much you can bring before you need to pay extra for excess baggage.
You can buy some kind of salsa at 7-11 in Taiwan, though I don’t know that the salsa here really compares with good southwestern salsa. You can also buy tortilla chips at certain places, but they are muy expensivo in Taiwan, costing maybe NT$170 for a .75 pound bag of restaurant style Tostitos.
Cowboy hats and US/Texan souvenirs would be more weight efficient gifts. You could bring some good whiskey with you, but even that you can pick up here in Taiwan. How about some American cookies? Only Oreos and Chips Ahoy are available here. Taiwanese people seem to like wearing the most hilarious T-shirts, but you can pick up a Texas Longhorns jacket at a Taiwanese night market for only NT$350.
At any rate, the Taiwanese people I know only give money when they give a gift. They give money at weddings, Chinese New Years, Mother’s Day, and any other celebration.
I have a few Taiwanese people I need to give gifts to and I need some ideas and suggestions on what is appropriate. Here are the people I need to give to:
-
My husband’s secretary who has done amazing thing to help us get our household together, as well as arrange flights, etc. for guests.
-
Some Taiwanese friends (a couple in their 40’s) who have given us very, very nice gifts, as well as taken us on expensive trips around the island. They are pretty classy people. We always give them something when we see them, but are running out of ideas. We’re going to see them Sunday and I need to get something soon!
-
Next month I’m going with some friends to an aboriginal village and will stay in the village chief’s house. What is an appropriate gift to give to them?
Thanks for any thoughtful responses!
- My husband’s secretary who has done amazing thing to help us get our household together, as well as arrange flights, etc. for guests.
*A nice red envelope with some cash stashed inside is always welcome.
At least 2000 NT dollars. How much you want to give, you decide that by yourself.
- Some Taiwanese friends (a couple in their 40’s) who have given us very, very nice gifts, as well as taken us on expensive trips around the island. They are pretty classy people. We always give them something when we see them, but are running out of ideas. We’re going to see them Sunday and I need to get something soon!
*Treat them for a trip through your country.
- Next month I’m going with some friends to an aboriginal village and will stay in the village chief’s house. What is an appropriate gift to give to them?
*Something from your own country.
Something what makes them remember you.
A cultural object?
Thanks for any thoughtful responses!
Please do NOT give cash!!! This will be reflected and interpreted as how much their working value is!! Just get a purse, or a watch or even just a good bottle of wine or champane will be good. This is for the secretary part. (wrapped up, of course)
A fruit basket with champane inside. Make it look really pretty. It’s actually not just the value but how you want to present your gratefulness. Or, a bouquet with a beautiful vase will do. Anything that makes the home looks pretty. Or nice silverware would be also appreciated. (Aren’t you always happy to get new crystal classes or beautiful plates for some special occasions?) A nice chocolate cake will also do. (but need to look prettynad TASTES DELICIOUS!) Like I said, it’s the experience that make presents enjoyable.
As for the tribal chief, you can bring them a piece of folk art either painting or sculpture or a piece of clothing will be memoriable. Cowboy hat and a buckle? Why not 
Native American folkart will be highly appreciated, I’m sure.
This is just my opinion. But I am serious about the red-envelope thing. DON’T DO IT! Rather wait til the Chinese New Year and give her extra bonus if you like.
JT
P.S. Have you checked my site? wanantaipei.blogspot.com I need everyone’s opinions and feedbacks. What problems you have or suggestions just write me. Thanks!
Noooooooo! Watches and clocks remind people of their own mortality, and should never be given as gifts.
As for chocolates & champagne - make sure they like them first. Whenever I’ve drunk champagne with Taiwanese I’ve got the distinct impression that most of them were drinking it to be polite, but would much rather have been drinking lemonade. I also get the impression that most of them don’t understand Westerners (yeah, OK, my) obsession with chocolate.
[Sorry for being negative here jttaipei!]
Noooooooo! Watches and clocks remind people of their own mortality, and should never be given as gifts.[/quote]
Yep. Time pieces are a no-no. 
In some dialects giving a watch is pronounced the same way as putting someone in their grave. :silenced:
Noooooooo! Watches and clocks remind people of their own mortality, and should never be given as gifts.[/quote]
I recommend giving the person either an umbrella or a green hat. A hong bao filled with NT$4444 would also be a nice present.
Noooooooo! Watches and clocks remind people of their own mortality, and should never be given as gifts.
As for chocolates & champagne - make sure they like them first. Whenever I’ve drunk champagne with Taiwanese I’ve got the distinct impression that most of them were drinking it to be polite, but would much rather have been drinking lemonade. I also get the impression that most of them don’t understand Westerners (yeah, OK, my) obsession with chocolate.
[Sorry for being negative here jttaipei!][/quote]
Hey, David, no problem! 
I never knew about the watch taboo. I only know that you shouldn’t give clock. Because it’s a girl so I thought it something more personal. Seems like I should claim back the watch I gave my bro last Xmas haahaa… Thanks for your advice guys and girls!! And what’s the meaning of a green hat!!? an umbrella?!? based on what? I can’t figure out.
Just give whatever you like then! Maybe a movie ticket will do. Who knows! Maybe the secretary is a movie buff! 
Wan an!
Umbrella= breakup
Green hat = I’m cheeting on you
4 is a bad # so $4444 is very bad!
Red envelope should be 1200, 2000, 3600, or 5000, 8800 and 10,000. (then repeet)
Try to give things from your home country.
Secretary can be food, flowers, or “girl” stuff.
[quote=“Chicken”]Umbrella= breakup
Green hat = I’m cheeting on you
4 is a bad # so $4444 is very bad!
[/quote]
Thanks Chicken. Now I see where the HELL-O-kitty is all about… lol 
Gosh, I think I should get a rain coat and dump my unbrella… otherwise… LOL 
bring them to a nice restaurant for dinner and tell them how you appreciate what they have done. But knowing the difference of each one’s diet is very important. you don’t want to treat a vegetarian a big steak feast, do you?
:help: by the way, I need to give a guy a gift because he is leaving TW soon. any suggestion? less than 3000
MP3 player! I love em. Get a cute shiny one. 512 is big enough.
Hi,
New to this forum! So good to see a big forum on Taiwan. Moved to the states when I was 7, will be going back to Taiwan this January after a few years. I’d like to bring some gifts back to Taiwan for my newphews and neices but what should I bring from the states?
What do taiwanese teenage boys and girls like these? My sister says to bring them Abercrombie clothes, but I would think Taiwan has that stuff already and at a bigger discount?
I don’t wanna leave out some of my older aunts an uncles as well. Anything the older generation would like from the US other than Gucci or LV bags?
Would appreciate some ideas!
Thanks!
Bruce
Wii?
Although the ubiquitous, pirated AddledCrumbie crap should be cheaper than the real stuff, that’s not to say they wouldn’t appreciate the real stuff from abroad. According to my still-young-enough-to-know-what’s-hip Taiwanese wife, that plus Tommy, Nike, Roots, Gap and that kind of name-brand stuff is popular. She says even some of the parents would like Gap, Nike, Roots, and Tommy for the uncles. It may be ho-hum pedestrian garb, but it has fashionable status here for some bizarre reason.
Maybe Chanel, Dior or Estee Lauder stuff for the older ladies, such as hand or facial cream. A nice wallet, a nice knit wool sweater if you know their size, or a bottle of fine whiskey, brandy etc. (but only if you know they drink) for the men?
Personally, I think that abeanie or scarf of possum-merino blend wool from New Zealandis a nicer gift than Abercrombie-type stuff. It helps support the removal of the foreign-introduced, destructive possum from NZ’s forests, thereby protecting its endangered native wildlife, and it’s AMAZINGLY soft and comfortable, like the finest cashmere.
We have some threads on this already, too:
forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopi … 525#566525
I’ll try to merge a few.
bump
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