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What do you gift a couch host?
In a few days, I’ll be crashing on my friend’s couch for a week.
If it matters, I can only buy from retail stores within Hong Kong and hand carry on the subway. Every time I see them, they’re too quick on the bill, so taking them to eat is out of the question.
Obvious choices are alcohol or fruit basket. I’m terrible at picking gifts for people, as I’m always worried they’ll be as picky as I am on my purchases.
What are your go-tos for gifts in this situation?
Thouroughly scrub their kitchen? Cook them a really good meal? Fix their ceiling light that's been broken for ages?
I have a growing dislike of receiving stuff from people and increasingly appreciate offers of company, help, and other over-and-above acts of friendship.
I love this idea! I’ll need to be observant about what I can do. They’ve got a recently renovated place, so not much that’s old but I’m sure I can find something.
We recently had an uncle visit us and he offered to fix our faucet. He's great.
I always figure a good gift is always something you'd like to have but wouldn't want to buy for yourself. Nice socks fit nicely into this, for example. I wouldn't pay $20 for my own pair of socks, but I'll gladly receive it as a gift.
Go get a nice chocolate basket, or a nice alcohol. Something you know they'll like, but a fancy version they wouldn't buy for themselves.
Good point in addition to the help around the house mentioned by bbvnvlt, I think some fancy version of a consumable might be good. I might try socks as well, just gotta shop around first. I know I love getting fancy socks
Hong Kong has a ton of amazing specialty food, but the best places can often be pretty far out of the way or an annoying trip. If there's any type of food/dessert/baking/etc. you know your friend particularly likes, I'm sure bringing it back would be a great gift. For example, last time we were in Hong Kong, we went to one of the Lady M shops and brought back a few pieces of different types of cake for the people we were staying with.
You could probably even sneakily get them to tell you their favorite place/item if you ask for recommendations for bakeries or something similar. For example, ask them where they think makes the best daan taat (egg tarts).
that’s something great to do once I’m already there — sneakily bring something breakfast from their favourite place.
Maybe something they like but seldom get for themselves.
If I were that person, I would want a basket of baked goods. They can typically be frozen to eat later if they can’t eat them all now.