Host Family in Beijing

[xiaojiang216]

大家好!

再过八天我会去北京! 我兴奋得不得了! ...But... I don't know what to get my host family! I found a very pretty vase that was hand-painted in the town that I live in, and I thought that my host mother would like it... But I don't know what to get my host father, and a host sister or brother (if I have one)!

For my teacher(s), I bought a few pretty silver dogwood pins that would be worn perhaps at work?

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm really drawing a blank here. Thank you everyone, for your patience and your help!

非常感谢

[md1101]

get something thats very stereotypically american... like a gun or a hand grenade... haha sorry jk..

but for example from australia a boomerang or stuffed kangaroo or koala toy. or a glass sculpture of the opera house. i think they would like that sort of stuff. but obviously something american instead.

very nice of you by the way! i went to beijing and stayed with a host family for a week when i was back in school about 4 years ago but didnt bring anything! i felt like a dick when all my friends told me they brought something (it was a school trip)... anyway i sent something to them when i got back to australia.

[xiaojiang216]

Thanks for your help!

I've had people reccomend me to buy UCONN t-shirts. UCONN is a university in my state which has some of the top-notch basketball teams in the US. People also recommended me to buy shirts with the name of my town on it. However, I feel that giving these kinds of things is very silly. If I received this kind of gift, to be honest, I would not wear it!

So should I buy something pertinent to my country, or to my particular state? A model of the Statue of Liberty? More things that are hand-made in my area?

Thank you all again for your help.

[sarahkuang]

I am a Chinese live in North America. It is a headache when it comes to presents for hometown folks. After several years of observation, I found that quarters with states printed on and stamps represent American culture would be good gifts.

[md1101]

i would say they are unlikely to know much about your state.. so something like a statue of liberty sounds like a good idea. i wouldn't worry about it seeming 'cheesy' or anything like that im sure they would be happy with anything that showed that they looked after someone from america.

and if they host father smokes then bringing him some american cigarattes wouldn't be a bad idea as they often give cartons of cigarettes as presents in china.

[kudra]

Since you're in CT, you might stop by the Yale Coop and get some T-shirts or hats. Tell them it's the genuine article from the Univ. bookstore. I would imagine it'd be a huge cachet. 耶鲁大学 ye2lu3 da4xue2. Supposedly Yale has some kind of special historical relationship with China . I could be wrong, just a suggestion. There's always duty free Cognac.

[elina]

I like boomerang given by my relative from Australia last time. But with my poor technique, I can only throw it away, and it never flies back, what a pity!

Regarding T-shirt, I don’t think it’s a silly idea. Also that time, my relative gave us 3 nice and quality T-shirts with lovely koalas printed on them as a 家庭装，that means 3 similar T-shirts, respectively one for dad, one for mom, and the other for the young. And we love them. As mickdriscoll said, just change something American style instead.

[xiaojiang216]

Kudra,

Yeah, that's a good idea. My teacher is a Yale professor, so I could ask her about what to get. Elina, thank you as well! I feel better now, because when I bought the shirts, I bought them for the family. (Although I don't know whether their child is a boy or girl.) Is this still okay?

Thank you all!

[Shadowdh]

I like boomerang given by my relative from Australia last time. But with my poor technique, I can only throw it away, and it never flies back, what a pity!

This made me smile... do you throw it left or right handed Elina...?? They are supposed to be thrown right handed or they wont work... (you can get left handed ones though)

[md1101]

lol, elina i dont think anyone can get those things to come back

[adrianlondon]

When I was in Sydney, I bought a boomerang and the guy I bought it from showed me how to use it. When he threw it, it spun around, went miles away, came back, and it caught it without having to move.

After a while, I could get it to come back and land not too far away from me. Eventually, I could catch it!

As soon as I got back to London, I tried again and it wouldn't come back.

So, the conclusion? They only work in Australia :-)

[elina]

do you throw it left or right handed Elina...??

I throw it right handed, I assume it’s something wrong with the 角度/ angle when throwing. Anyway, I swear I can play 飞盘/ frisbee very well, though.

i dont think anyone can get those things to come back

Although I’m sure that I saw someone can let it come back when watching TV, still I’d like to believe you, because you made me feel glad: now I know it’s not my fault! And adrianlondon’ post even strengthen my believing!

[shdwsclan]

Hmm, the boomerrang must be somehow magnetically active for that hemisphere of the world.

Like a forked branch used to find water.

Maybe the boomerang has to be made from trees in that specific region to work properly...

Anyways, you can buy a boomerang anywhere.

Get them something rare.

My friend gave his japanese host family his old liscense plates from chicago bolted to a metal plaque. They couldnt stop talking about them.

[Qcash3]

Someone mentioned T-shirts with the name of your state, town, etc. on it. Those are a pretty good gift, it may not seem like much to you but your Chinese host family might really enjoy something so American. Avoid clocks and watches, and you should be ok. The exchange students that visit my school every year are given sweatshirts, hats, t-shirts with the school name, crest, and motto on them and they seem to like them alot. Just make sure your gift does not say Made In China on it!