I’m going back to England next week and need to buy a gift for my 13 year old brother. I’d like to buy something ‘Taiwanese’ but it doesn’t have to be. I have no idea what kind of things 13 year old boys like to do (well, I do but i’m not sure how that could relate to a gift)
Any ideas?
If you have any ideas about his interests, start there of course – does he read comics, build models, like airplanes, race cars, or role playing games?
Something specifically Chinese or Taiwanese is tough, but you might try the government’s handicraft mart. They have inexpensive prints of Chinese tiger and dragon paintings, and he might think a dragon is cool. Some of the tee shirts there are kinda cool; he might like a tee with Chinese characters on it (which may be novel for him and his friends). Or perhaps he would think it’s fun to try to use chopsticks? Have a look around and that shop and you might get some more ideas.
It’s open 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. year-round with the exception of Double Tenth Day (October 10) and both Western and Chinese New Years. The store is located on 1 Hsuchou Road in a pea-green 3-story building, about 2 blocks north of the NW corner of the CKS Memorial; 2321-7233 or 2393-3655.
Cheers!
[quote=“Mugatu”]I’m going back to England next week and need to buy a gift for my 13 year old brother. I’d like to buy something ‘Taiwanese’ but it doesn’t have to be. I have no idea what kind of things 13 year old boys like to do (well, I do but I’m not sure how that could relate to a gift)
Any ideas?[/quote]
Get him some martial arts weapons. For a 13 year old boy, that would be cooler than chopsticks, I think. No offence, DB. 
Well, he likes computer games and stuff but I don’t really want to buy stuff like that that I could just buy anywhere.
I will check out that place you mentioned though (I’m assuming you mean Xu Zhou Jie (street)
[quote=“Mugatu”]I’m going back to England next week and need to buy a gift for my 13 year old brother. I’d like to buy something ‘Taiwanese’ but it doesn’t have to be. I have no idea what kind of things 13 year old boys like to do (well, I do but I’m not sure how that could relate to a gift)
Any ideas?[/quote]
get him a guitar or something… it’s always good to get a kid started on some kind of musical insturament. Tell him he could be a rock star or something…
Yeah, Maoman’s idea is good , but you might want to buy the foam-covered nunchaku rather than real ones; they’re for practice, and won’t hurt him if he hits himself in the head with them, which happens sometimes when you’re beginning. You might have trouble with airport security or customs if you bring real ones, btw… so get foam ones and put them in your checked, not carry-on luggage.
that’s not a bad idea. where would i get something like that?
i went to the handicraft centre - they had loads of good gift ideas but not really for kids. still - i got a nice set of erm “healthy balls” 
I recently bought my 11-year-old relative (boy) some small gifts. Here are the ones he liked:
Those stickers with his name on them, with a Japanese cartoon character on them. You order them at bookstores, about 100NT for 150.
Stamp pack from the post office.
Bilingual book of Chinese stories. (He was pretty interested in the Chinese characters and art.)
He put in a request for more stickers, and models of Asian cartoon superheroes.
He didn’t like the t-shirt or the Chinese drum I got, even though he is a drummer. Just didn’t measure up to his own drum-kit I guess.
Hope that gives you some ideas.
don’t forget the edibles like candies and chocolates.
what about stuff that you don’t really see elsewhere like tea eggs or those bags of dried up shirmp.
…
What do 13 year old boys like?
13 year old girls. Or 14, 15, and so on.