Look out if you're on my gift list this year

---

My eye is attracted to odd things. (but don't tell my husband!) When I travel, I look for small, lightweight gifts for my family & friends. This year I traveled to Ecuador and China. It makes for a little confusion on Christmas morning, "did this scarf come from Quito or Changdu?" Even I get confused!

This is one of the hazards of international travel. I know there are people who shop all year round and store their stash until the holidays. But I forget. I'm pretty sure the funny-looking, wool hats came from South America, but the scarves are confusing. I shopped at the famous Otavalo market in Ecuador and picked up several scarves. That was June. I came home, put them in my closet and promptly forgot about them. In October, I jetted off to Changdu, China and did the same thing.

Now I have a plethora of scarves. It's easy to do the same thing with ethnic jewelry. Fortunately, the nuts and seeds used to create jewelry in Ecuador, don't grow in China. That's a helpful clue and one way to keep things separate. I bought a bunch of clay-bead bracelets in China. (an incredible bargain at $1 US each.) Each bead was hand-painted with a symbol that actually looks Chinese. That's another clue.

I wish I had bought a few more gifts. Even though I had to purchase a duffle bag in China to bring back all the goodies, some of it was personal gifts I received from people I met. People who like statues! Yes, I carried back little figurines and statues. The mother of one of the Chinese exchange students who attends my school, asked me to ferry gifts for her son to present to his US host family. Then she gave me an additional buddha statue! Then she had to take me shopping on the streets of Hong Kong, where I found a duffle bag for $15.

Here's a tip for all of you who think the presentation of gifts is as much fun, if not more, than the gift itself. I save all the airsick bags from my flights and bring them home to use them as gift bags. Let me clarify, that I save all the UNUSED airsick bags from my flights! The airlines are not going to like this, but I figure I pay for those bags! (and I'm happy to report that I have never had to use one for the purpose for which it was intended!)

You don't have to trave farl to find international gifts. Look at all the things I found locally:

* From Middle Eastern Market - turkish coffee pot, halvah and sesame candy
* From Latin market - guava jam, banana press (London Bridge Shopping Center, no web - just go!)
* Asian market - Nori leaves, mochi and candy

Whether you travel around the world for your holiday gifts or down the street, giving gifts with International connections can be fun, especially when presented in an Air China airsick bag.

My favorite gifts this year are the framed photos I'm giving to friends who traveled with me. It reminds me of the fun we had and I hope it reminds them too!

---

Photos

Convent in Quito, Ecuador
Nuns sell concoctions & remedies, but are not allowed to show their faces

Galapagos Island Coffee
Coffee beans make great gifts

Andes Textiles
Peruvians are experts at producing hand-made textiles

Floating Reed Islands
Aymara women sell hand-made items which supports their indigenous way of life.

Peruvian markets
Markets are located everywhere & offer many small items for keepsake giving

Hand-made Peruvian gifts
Indigenous women offer hand-made items just about everywhere