Choosing the proper gift
By Kent Hill

圣诞将至, 选什么礼物送给至爱亲朋可是大有讲就, 弄不好就会表错情意陷于尴尬. 这里由本报美籍校对Kent为大家支上几招.

At this time of year, directly before Christmas, we are all in the spirited mood of shopping for gifts for our friends and loved ones. The question that rings high in our ears however is -"What gift should I choose?" Well the answer to that question lies in whom you are buying the gift for.

I'm plagued with that same question every year, which manifests itself in many different forms. What should I get for my parents? What should I buy for my girlfriend? What should I give to my best friend? And so on. Well there are a lot of factors to consider when pondering these questions.

When searching for the perfect gift for that special someone there are three basic questions that you should take into consideration: What does the person I am shopping for enjoy doing on their spare time? What necessity might they not have or what might make their life more convenient? What special thing can I give to them that they have never tried before or would never buy for themselves?

If the person you are shopping for is a loved one or good friend then it should be easy to find something that would suit or accommodate their hobby or past time. However, if the person you are shopping for is an acquaintance that you have little personal information of, then the main task will be to find out what they like to do on their spare time. For Christmas, of course, you want to maintain the element of surprise, so a good way to find out what they enjoy doing with their spare time is to ask one of their friends. If you don't know any of their friends then you'll have to do a bit more detective work by going to their job and asking their co-workers. If going to someone's workplace seems too much of a hassle, then maybe you'd better shop for something you can guess they might need or might make their life easier.

First off, let's start by underlining some convenient things that you definitely shouldn't get for someone. For all the guys out there, never give a washing machine, dishwasher or membership to the gym to your wife or girlfriend as a Christmas gift. Giving your significant other one of these gifts is like saying, "Merry Christmas, now go wash my clothes/dishes" or "Merry Christmas, you need to lose weight". Another thing you need to avoid is offering socks or underwear as a gift. This mistake takes place all too often in the west, resulting in resentment towards the giver for not choosing something more special as a gift.

Some reasonable gifts to make the life of someone close to you easier should be between the ranges of extremely practical to extravagant. A few examples of these presents could be a coffee maker, toaster-oven, recipe book, hair-straightener or even a gift pack of cosmetics or skin care. In this category as long as you stay away from household cleaning products and dental hygiene items you should be fine.

If you're looking for a rare treat for someone and you want to make it special, then your job is really easier than it would seem to be. For example, if the person you are shopping for likes sweets, then get them a fancy box of chocolates or assorted cookies. When a woman is going to be receiving your gift then you should consider purchasing some nice perfume or a gift certificate for a beauty salon. And finally, for your parents you could try booking a hotel for them just out of town for a romantic getaway. Really though, don't let yourself get too stressed out about what gifts to choose for the people you care for because no matter what they receive from you I'm sure they will be satisfied just by the fact that you care enough to get them something at all. After all, it's not the present but the thought that counts.

Joy of sharing



At this time of year as Christmas draws nearer, take the opportunity to spread the spirit of giving. Giving takes many forms. You can give your time, such as volunteers do. You can make monetary, clothing or other donations to organizations in which you believe. You can give of yourself when you provide a hug, a listening ear, or anything else someone may need. How can you practice giving at work, school and at home?

1. Think about ways that you and your family can make a positive difference in the lives of other people. Make sure to teach your children the values of giving so that they have a better chance of becoming giving, caring members of society.

2. Invite friends and family members who you don't normally stay in close touch with to your house for a turkey dinner. If you can afford it, why not spend a little extra money to throw a dinner party at your house to come closer to the important people in your life.

3. Many organizations are collecting new toys and donations to help needy children for the holidays. Seek out these organizations and make donations of your own. A good example of one of these organizations would be Red Cross or the HOPE foundation.

4. Try to think about the people who make your life easier and comfortable that you normally don't notice or appreciate. For example, the cleaning lady in your apartment building, or the security guard that keeps you safe at night. Preparing a small gift to show them that you are thankful for their hard work will certainly brighten their spirits this holiday season.

5. And remember to give plenty of love, which is the most important gift of all. Don't stop when Christmas is over though. All too often we take for granted how important to us the people we love are, and forget to express our love and gratitude to them.

I hope you find these ideas useful and I also hope that they have inspired you to spread the spirit of giving and love during this important season.