Pasalubong

[Dave H]

Pasalubong

Pasalubong, in general, is a "gift for a relation or friend brought by" a "traveler returning from a trip," and could also refer to "anything given as a gift to someone on the way home to a certain place." (Wikipedia.org)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasalubong

http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/Vocabulary%20Lessons/Beginning%20Vocab%20Lessons1/Objects/culture.htm

To start:

 Bear started with the never to be forgotten CHOCOLATE! Leathermen type multipurpose tools are great for dad and brothers. Also the ever popular bottle of good whisky or whiskey for adult males (Thank Ray for that - works like a charm for guys asking the father for his daughter's hand in marriage!).   Perfume for the ladies. For small kids, squirt guns, matchbox cars and small dolls are great. T-shirts are well appreciated (sports teams, designer names, names of attractions or cities in the US or abroad, etc.) Just make sure that they were NOT  "Made in the Philippines."  

Dave

[Heruamen]

hmmmmmmm good gift ideas what do you suggest for her good female friend mabye perfume

[Bear]

Wow!  I didn't know you could take liquor.  Did you bring it from home or by it at the airport?

The Bear Family

[Ray]

hmmmmmmm good gift ideas what do you suggest for her good female friend mabye perfume

I wouldn't bring perfume for her friends...too intimate. But they would love Bath & Body Works or Victoria's Secret lotions and creams. $10 max...

Yes Bear, you are allowed 2 liters of alcohol duty free. You are also allowed to use the duty free shops near the airport for a period of time after arrival (ask the customs officers or airline people), but remember that it ain't pasalubong if you buy it over there!

Make sure all meds are in original packaging and labeled with prescription info under your name.

I have come to the conclusion that Filipino children eat way too much sweet crap and their teeth are all rotting out. Now we send much less chocolate and candy and try to put more healthy stuff in the balikbayan boxes. But a little chocolate won’t kill them… 

Ray

[piglett]

i would think a small box of chocolates would be good for the girls sisters & close friends, just make sure you bring a bigger box for for your girl or she could get mad. I think it mite be a good idea if you find out if dad drinks before you bring him a 5th of jack.
I just sent my girl a box & this is what it contained.
1 local newspaper
1 tea New Hampshire shirt
1 pink flower made of wood (but it looked very real)
1 container of New Hampshire maple syrup
1 small wooden box made in India with little flowers painted on it
   probably be good to put jewelry in
2 cat toys & 1 packet of cat treats     (this should get me in good with kimkim her cat) 
a couple of packs of pumpkin seeds
pinays have never seen pumpkins & mine was very excited when i shared a picture of pumpkins with her on yahoo messanger.
I intend to plant a garden for her family once i go to see them in the province
they had a garden but the neighbors pigs got into it & ate everything.
so the plan is to hire a local to help me put up a good stout fence with gate
the area to be fenced in is about 50 meters square  +/-

piglett

 

[Bear]

Piglet, she calls pumpkin, squash (another of the culture/language/communication gotchas).  Their squash is awesome compared to what my mother raised me on.

The Bear Family

[piglett]

Bear
i sent her a picture of pumpkins & she has never seen them before.
both her & her sister liked the idea of trying to grow some in the PI.
i sent her a pack of jumbo pumpkin seeds & a pack that grows normal sized pumpkin seeds like you would use to make a jack-o-lantern out of.
pumpkins are a member of the squash family so i would guess that they would grow there, looks like i will find out once i get there.

piglett

[Ray]

I think it mite be a good idea if you find out if dad drinks before you bring him a 5th of jack.

It doesn't really matter. It will still be appretiated (unless maybe if they belong to some weird religious cult that strictly forbids the use of alcohol). I would say that the vast majority of Filipinos drink at least some.

Even if he doesn't imbibe, it's really nice to display that bottle of imported booze in a prominent place in the house, and to be able to offer important visitors a shot of the "good stuff".   
 

Ray

[Bear]

Odd she's never seen a Halloween pumpkin before4?  Oh, well.  Honey liked sunflower seed too and called them squash seeds?

Ray,  I guess that shows you how much I drink.  Most I've had in over 30 years is a few glasses of Arbor Mist Blackberry.  But I do agree with ya.

The Bear Family

[Dave H]

pumpkins are a member of the squash family so i would guess that they would grow there, looks like i will find out once i get there.

piglett

Hey piglett,

I will let you know how mine do. I have some white ones as well.

Dave

[Dave H]

Hey Ray,

Yep, I haven't met a Filipino who doesn't at least take a sip or two now and then...even lolo.   I don't hang out with the weird religious cult types...but some I know drink when they are not in church. 

Reputation is very important to Filipinos! Nothing quite like the pride in being able to offer an important guest a shot of fine imported booze! The guest will be both honored and impressed. Filipinos are very brand conscious in almost everything.

Dave

[Cbear]

Filipinos are very brand conscious in almost everything.

Dave

Ain't that the truth. Even the non materialistic girls want the name brands, they might only want one name brand outfit for special occasions but they will cherish it. I hope it doesn't translate to crazy spending when they get here.

[piglett]

Ain't that the truth. Even the non materialistic girls want the name brands, they might only want one name brand outfit for special occasions but they will cherish it. I hope it doesn't translate to crazy spending when they get here.

Well if she doesn't drive you may be in good shape,
only take her to walmart & never even drive by the mall
maybe she will start to think you don't know where it is then?

I don't know my girl is Very cheep so i don't know if she would want to spend
$80 on a pair of jeans or $50 on a name brand shirt
I too am cheep I go to walmart & buy $8 jeans & $6 shirts he he he.
Maybe that's why some malls are closing down? people just can't afford over priced clothes with the way the economy is rite now.
Maybe they couldn't afford them before that's why most mall shoppers use creditcards? But now they can't refinance their house for the 19th time to pay off their credit again so now they can only spend what is in their pocket?
i think in the long run these hard times may toughen up some Americans
we have gotten way too soft in this country

just my 2 cents
piglett

[Cbear]

I agree that the economy will change peoples spending habits, it sure has mine.

Piglett, you have a PM

[Heruamen]

I was telling my girl about your gift ideas but she said her father doesn't drink at all. She let me see and talk to her grandmother today and at 79 she is still beautiful i was amazed by that.

[Bear]

My ex never bought anything at Walmart.  But Honey doesn't like higher priced stores; she says they are not worth the price. 

To be its a trade-off because in my opinion the things at Walmart don't last and you buy more.  Still with 3 little cubs they grow so fast that you have to buy more anyway so "trade-off".

BTW,  We weren't6 hunger when we pasted Acoma we ate at the High Finance at the Tramway in Albuquerque but we did see it.  We're leaving in an hour for the south rim by train. The weather here is curious to say the least.  Din't get over 80 from San Antonio to the Arizona border and everything is GREEN?  Once we got to the Painted deseert the temp was back up to 99 but dropped again in Williams?  Must have been 55 this morning.  Do they know its the middle of the summer?

The Bear Family

[piglett]

Yea Bear
you do have to look some of the stuff over at walmart but i just can't see spending $80 for a stupid pair of pants.

good to hear your having a good time on your trip.

piglett