Does anybody ask you to buy theme present when you travel?
By eve301345
@eve301345 (658)
Philippines
September 14, 2009 10:57pm CST
Hello everyone,
I am just curious on how all of us get some gift for present to people we know when we travel.
I like buying gift for other people its just I don't like it when they ask me to buy things for theme because for me I like it when I do things from my heart not because somebody told me so.
Last month we return to Philippines and I have not spoken to this friend of mine for a long time and when I finally called her straight away she requested a present and it was the most expensive liqueur. I often buy her expensive perfume because she was my good friend but after she ask me to buy her liqueur it turns me off.
How about you do you like it when people ask you to buy present for theme or would you rather buy theme present because you wanted too. I am just curious because if y attitude is wrong then I will change it but if a lot agree with me then I think I am right.
2 people like this
16 responses
@janebeth (2032)
• Philippines
15 Sep 09
hi eve,
of course they are.. i think it's all of the people's attitude and way of being sweet to the traveler..
Filipinos are like that, we are all like that.
ask here, ask there, ask all the time..
my cousins and also my brothers always do that,
of course i will buy things for them..
i will never forget them for sure.. they are my inspiration.!! 
janebeth.
janebeth.1 person likes this
@agv0419 (3022)
• Philippines
15 Sep 09
It is in our culture to ask presents everytime our friends or relatives going to travel somewhere. Even if they not asking we still buy them presents.We called it here Pasalubong for showing how much we love our friends and relatives we always have something for them when we gets home. Wben my sisters when to Baguio we always ask for Pasalubong like strawberries or anything that she can buy in Baguio. Last two weeks my parents and sister are been to Iloilo again and the most awaited pasalubong that we looking forward to are piaya, bibingka Iloilo version, dried fish and bagoong. When they gots home they bought us many pasalubong and my mother always give present to our neighbor too.
@iskayz (5420)
• Philippines
16 Sep 09
Hi there eve! Nice seeing you again.
There are some people who has the habit of requesting the kind of present they like to receive and yes it usually happens when someone has traveled and came back.
I don't really mind if someone makes a request from me. It's a common habit and I expect it to happen especially if my friends knew I'd be traveling. Now if I can get what they like, the better for me cause that will really make them happy. But if the item is too expensive, then sorry for them hehe
but they would have to settle what I can give them.
In my opinion, it doesn't really matter whether you can grant them their request or not. It's the thought that counts that you still remembered them.
There are some people who has the habit of requesting the kind of present they like to receive and yes it usually happens when someone has traveled and came back.
I don't really mind if someone makes a request from me. It's a common habit and I expect it to happen especially if my friends knew I'd be traveling. Now if I can get what they like, the better for me cause that will really make them happy. But if the item is too expensive, then sorry for them hehe but they would have to settle what I can give them.
In my opinion, it doesn't really matter whether you can grant them their request or not. It's the thought that counts that you still remembered them.
@cripfemme (7698)
• United States
15 Sep 09
I always buy my mom a shop glass. She collects them. I think she has about 50 now. I try to buy my grandmother a puzzle. She has about 200 and they're all these really complicated ones that I could never put together in my life. My aunt usually gets earrings. Those are the three main people that collect that I buy stuff for.
1 person likes this
@uicbear (1900)
• United States
15 Sep 09
It's funny that you mention it, because just this past weekend my brother-in-law asked me to pick him up a t-shirt when I go on my upcoming trip in October. My sister told him before I could respond, "well, then, you better give her some money for it if you want it so bad...".
But, there are a couple people that I regularly buy souvenirs for, mainly because they always pick something up for me. But it can get so expensive nowadays, that no one actually asks for anything. I think we all realize that extra money on trips is more going for things like food and travel cost rather then t-shirts and mugs saying "you were here".
1 person likes this
@busybren (258)
• United States
16 Sep 09
I don't mind buying gifts for someone when I go places such as Mexico. I will do it once in a while or when I ask them if they want me to bring something back. THINGS THAT WE CAN NOT GET WHERE WE LIVE. If it's something you can find where you are, but it's just pricier, forget it. I do not like it when people ask me if I can do this for them. It bugs me a lot. I try to offer when I know I will be capable of doing this favor, but just like you, if they ask me or ask for a bunch of stuff. YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME. Turn off!
@gmatthews (154)
• United States
15 Sep 09
Well first of all I would have told her she would be lucky to get anything. Souvenirs are something that is optional...if you want to buy them than buy them, but if not then don't. The last time we went on vacation we did not have a lot of extra cash to buy souvenirs and we went to Las Vegas so I gave everybody all the free playing cards that we got at the casinos :)
1 person likes this
@nanayangel (7879)
• Philippines
15 Sep 09
Hi there Eve!Well, I always have people request for presents but I don't mind if they're really close friends or family. But I never promise them anything, I just tell them that I will if I have enough money. We can have straight-forward talks like that. I haven't been asked by someone who isn't close to me at all but if ever I was, I think I will also be turned off like you.
1 person likes this
@pooh08 (671)
• Vietnam
15 Sep 09
With me, I always hope a person go to abroad buy gift for me. Because the gift present that a person who bought gift for me, he/she is living with a peace, happy and healthy. If the bought gift person have happy, peace and healthy, he/she will remember the days he/she has had and remember everybody is living in the country he/she has gone. The gift also has another meaning. It's mean that person remember you or not, or you did somethings to another one can remember you or your activities.It's mean if you have a good activity for another person remember you when that person remind you.
1 person likes this
@seymiss (622)
•
15 Sep 09
Hi THere
They do asked me be it friends or family and to me it's a bother because then all my time would be spend worrying and looking for what they asked me to buy instead of looking for my stuff or enjoying my time.
So that's why now i usually refuse to buy anything for anyone.
cheers
1 person likes this
@sandymay16 (1617)
• Philippines
15 Sep 09
Yes, we call it pasalubong. I buy small items like souvenirs from the places I've been to and give to family and friends. But I have not been asked by anyone about buying them expensive items. And I have not alsoasked from anybody bringing me gifts from the places they have been to. It's rather bad. One should be thankful that others remember when going to other places and then bringing home gifts even simple ones.
At home we often joke about receiving such expensive items but we don't like to burden the traveler.
@dozhou (326)
• United States
16 Sep 09
It does not happen to me a lot. My wife sometimes ask me for one or two presents for her. Since it is not so often, it is easy for me to fulfill her requirement. If my friends ask me for some tiny stuff and it is very easy, I will also be happy to do that.
@prinzcy (32305)
• Malaysia
18 Sep 09
Whenever I am traveling, someone will response automatically, "Cool! Buy me something nice!" But they don't really mean it. It's more like a response. Still I will buy gifts for my family and close friends. The gifts will depend on my budget (you know how we spend during the vacation and gifts only bought on the last day) Usually key chains. I buy them the gifts because I want to not because they ask me to.
@OpinionatedLady (5965)
• United States
15 Sep 09
My kids and my sister always do. They never want anything big just something to say we where thinking about them. I usually send a post card to each which is cheap and makes them happy. Mind my kids are 10 and under and my sister is 25.
@happydan (12)
• China
15 Sep 09
Hi.
I've met this situation before.And just like you,I don't like it.
What I'm thinking is just like yours.But sometimes,we have to do this because they're our best friends.They think we're family.So they won't care too much.Because they're friends,they can required us to do so.Thinking about this,I'm not angry at all.
But if they require too much,I think you should tell them that you can't affort it,let them buy it themselves.
@alatecablebill (519)
• Philippines
15 Sep 09
yes. my family and friends ask me to buy presents for them too when i travel. i usually bring home food or shirts that have the place's name printed on them. the presents that i buy for them are not expensive because i don't think that's practical.
