Comments on: My family has welcomed a man from Japan to homestay with us in America. I need gift ideas for him & his family? http://www.skyhomestayaustralia.com/homestay-family/my-family-has-welcomed-a-man-from-japan-to-homestay-with-us-in-america-i-need-gift-ideas-for-him-his-family Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:04:59 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: SWeEteST G!RL http://www.skyhomestayaustralia.com/homestay-family/my-family-has-welcomed-a-man-from-japan-to-homestay-with-us-in-america-i-need-gift-ideas-for-him-his-family/comment-page-1#comment-848 SWeEteST G!RL Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:31:59 +0000 http://www.skyhomestayaustralia.com/homestay-family/my-family-has-welcomed-a-man-from-japan-to-homestay-with-us-in-america-i-need-gift-ideas-for-him-his-family#comment-848 hmm maybe a t shirt that says chicago something like that<br><b>References : </b><br> hmm maybe a t shirt that says chicago something like that
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]]> By: Massaru http://www.skyhomestayaustralia.com/homestay-family/my-family-has-welcomed-a-man-from-japan-to-homestay-with-us-in-america-i-need-gift-ideas-for-him-his-family/comment-page-1#comment-847 Massaru Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:07:59 +0000 http://www.skyhomestayaustralia.com/homestay-family/my-family-has-welcomed-a-man-from-japan-to-homestay-with-us-in-america-i-need-gift-ideas-for-him-his-family#comment-847 Just give him a baseball cap.<br><b>References : </b><br> Just give him a baseball cap.
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]]> By: Rabbityama http://www.skyhomestayaustralia.com/homestay-family/my-family-has-welcomed-a-man-from-japan-to-homestay-with-us-in-america-i-need-gift-ideas-for-him-his-family/comment-page-1#comment-846 Rabbityama Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:02:59 +0000 http://www.skyhomestayaustralia.com/homestay-family/my-family-has-welcomed-a-man-from-japan-to-homestay-with-us-in-america-i-need-gift-ideas-for-him-his-family#comment-846 The best gifts are home-made OR gifts specifically from your city, state, or country. If you or anyone in your family does anything like sewing, quilting, painting, etc. those gifts will be graciously received. If there are famous hand-made things in Chicago (I don't know if there are), even if they are not made by your family, they are still good gifts. As for gifts from your city/state, Chicago has a lot of sights, so in that regard, you are lucky. While he is living with you, do "Chicago-ish" things. For example, take him out to eat at your favorite restaurant that serves Chicago pizza and tell him that it's a famous Chicago food. People always love those sorts of things! Books about Chicago with lots of pictures are great souvenirs. Make sure the pictures are good and feature the destinations and famous things that you do with him. It will be a great memory for him, and he can use the book to show his family/friends in Japan exactly where he was and what it's like. Pictures are important, because his English may not be good enough to understand a really long, wordy history book. Even if HIS English is good, the English of his friends/family may not be good, so they will likely not be able to read the descriptions. That's why books with nice pictures are important. It may sound cheesy or stupid, but shirts and baseball caps that say "Chicago" or feature a famous Chicago icon or site (like the sports teams or the Sears tower) are also nice gifts, and you can buy him extra to take back to his wife. If the kids are indeed young children, candy is a gift that he can easily distribute to everyone. Root beer flavor is considered very American, and I've never seen it in Japan. You can also get ideas about good gifts by talking to him. You know he likes the Cubs, so that's a good start. Maybe find out other interests or what his wife likes. That way you can buy more personal gifts. One last thing, if you are taking pictures of him, your family, and the places you take him while he is with you, a GREAT gift is to make a memory album. You can either try to prepare it and present it to him before he leaves, or make sure you have his home address and send it to him with letters from your family members about how much you enjoyed spending time with him and hosting him. The other gifts are great, but this is the most personal sort of gift that ANYONE would feel touched to receive!<br><b>References : </b><br> The best gifts are home-made OR gifts specifically from your city, state, or country. If you or anyone in your family does anything like sewing, quilting, painting, etc. those gifts will be graciously received. If there are famous hand-made things in Chicago (I don’t know if there are), even if they are not made by your family, they are still good gifts.

As for gifts from your city/state, Chicago has a lot of sights, so in that regard, you are lucky. While he is living with you, do "Chicago-ish" things. For example, take him out to eat at your favorite restaurant that serves Chicago pizza and tell him that it’s a famous Chicago food. People always love those sorts of things!

Books about Chicago with lots of pictures are great souvenirs. Make sure the pictures are good and feature the destinations and famous things that you do with him. It will be a great memory for him, and he can use the book to show his family/friends in Japan exactly where he was and what it’s like. Pictures are important, because his English may not be good enough to understand a really long, wordy history book. Even if HIS English is good, the English of his friends/family may not be good, so they will likely not be able to read the descriptions. That’s why books with nice pictures are important.

It may sound cheesy or stupid, but shirts and baseball caps that say "Chicago" or feature a famous Chicago icon or site (like the sports teams or the Sears tower) are also nice gifts, and you can buy him extra to take back to his wife.

If the kids are indeed young children, candy is a gift that he can easily distribute to everyone. Root beer flavor is considered very American, and I’ve never seen it in Japan.

You can also get ideas about good gifts by talking to him. You know he likes the Cubs, so that’s a good start. Maybe find out other interests or what his wife likes. That way you can buy more personal gifts.

One last thing, if you are taking pictures of him, your family, and the places you take him while he is with you, a GREAT gift is to make a memory album. You can either try to prepare it and present it to him before he leaves, or make sure you have his home address and send it to him with letters from your family members about how much you enjoyed spending time with him and hosting him. The other gifts are great, but this is the most personal sort of gift that ANYONE would feel touched to receive!
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]]> By: treehugger_06 http://www.skyhomestayaustralia.com/homestay-family/my-family-has-welcomed-a-man-from-japan-to-homestay-with-us-in-america-i-need-gift-ideas-for-him-his-family/comment-page-1#comment-845 treehugger_06 Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:14:59 +0000 http://www.skyhomestayaustralia.com/homestay-family/my-family-has-welcomed-a-man-from-japan-to-homestay-with-us-in-america-i-need-gift-ideas-for-him-his-family#comment-845 Japanese people love things that are distinctly "American". American candy is good, but Japanese chocolate is very different than ours (you may have tasted some in the candy he brought). T-shirts that say Chicago, or something else would be great for his family! Also, you could offer to take him to go shopping for his family in some place that is reasonable. If you find that he likes any particular food stuff that is non-perishable (and not too heavy) buy him some of that when he leaves. Taking him to places like you've described is good, but maybe you could see if he'd be interested in going to the local park, mall, grocery store, etc., to take photos; he could share those with so many people. I don't know how long he is staying, but those are some ideas.<br><b>References : </b><br>personal experience - I lived in Japan for 6 years and all but grew up there Japanese people love things that are distinctly "American". American candy is good, but Japanese chocolate is very different than ours (you may have tasted some in the candy he brought). T-shirts that say Chicago, or something else would be great for his family! Also, you could offer to take him to go shopping for his family in some place that is reasonable. If you find that he likes any particular food stuff that is non-perishable (and not too heavy) buy him some of that when he leaves. Taking him to places like you’ve described is good, but maybe you could see if he’d be interested in going to the local park, mall, grocery store, etc., to take photos; he could share those with so many people.

I don’t know how long he is staying, but those are some ideas.
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personal experience – I lived in Japan for 6 years and all but grew up there

]]> By: c e http://www.skyhomestayaustralia.com/homestay-family/my-family-has-welcomed-a-man-from-japan-to-homestay-with-us-in-america-i-need-gift-ideas-for-him-his-family/comment-page-1#comment-844 c e Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:33:59 +0000 http://www.skyhomestayaustralia.com/homestay-family/my-family-has-welcomed-a-man-from-japan-to-homestay-with-us-in-america-i-need-gift-ideas-for-him-his-family#comment-844 a big bowl of rice HA.<br><b>References : </b><br> a big bowl of rice HA.
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]]> By: Voddy C http://www.skyhomestayaustralia.com/homestay-family/my-family-has-welcomed-a-man-from-japan-to-homestay-with-us-in-america-i-need-gift-ideas-for-him-his-family/comment-page-1#comment-843 Voddy C Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:53:59 +0000 http://www.skyhomestayaustralia.com/homestay-family/my-family-has-welcomed-a-man-from-japan-to-homestay-with-us-in-america-i-need-gift-ideas-for-him-his-family#comment-843 Oh sounds like an episode of Full House. Sounds like the biggest family of nerds ever.<br><b>References : </b><br> Oh sounds like an episode of Full House. Sounds like the biggest family of nerds ever.
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