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meagen1970
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Joined: 18 Mar 2008
Posts: 29
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 Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 7:07 pm Post subject: Gifts for Family |
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In June, I'll be spending a few days with a family. I do not know them, they are friends of my Russian instructor and they have offered to host me out of kindness to her. I want to bring them gifts to greet/thank them: useful yet nice things. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Oh, I'm coming from the US- would there be any particular US related items they might like? |
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Ender
WayToRussified
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Posts: 498
Location: Urals
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| Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 7:26 pm Post subject: Re: Gifts for Family |
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| meagen1970 wrote: | In June, I'll be spending a few days with a family. I do not know them, they are friends of my Russian instructor and they have offered to host me out of kindness to her. I want to bring them gifts to greet/thank them: useful yet nice things. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Oh, I'm coming from the US- would there be any particular US related items they might like? |
If I had to receive an American guest I'd like to get something genuine American (made in America by the hands of Americans) no matter if it is useful or not. The only exception is music and symbols (or pictures of symbols) of state. |
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meagen1970
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Joined: 18 Mar 2008
Posts: 29
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| Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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| I was thinking a NYC messenger bag for the student in the family, a cool NYC tote for the mom, and a t-shirt for the dad. My instructor (who is Russian) suggested american chocolate, tho personally I think it'd be an insult to give anyone some nasty paraffin tasting Hershey bar. |
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Ender
WayToRussified
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Posts: 498
Location: Urals
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| Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 5:17 am Post subject: |
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| meagen1970 wrote: | | I was thinking a NYC messenger bag for the student in the family, a cool NYC tote for the mom, and a t-shirt for the dad. |
The gifts are okay.
| meagen1970 wrote: | | My instructor (who is Russian) suggested american chocolate, tho personally I think it'd be an insult to give anyone some nasty paraffin tasting Hershey bar. |
Was it spiteful suggestion? I think majority of Russians believe their chocolate is the best in the world. |
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krasatulya
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Joined: 29 May 2005
Posts: 590
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| Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 9:44 pm Post subject: |
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| meagen1970 wrote: | My instructor (who is Russian) suggested american chocolate, tho personally I think it'd be an insult to give anyone some nasty paraffin tasting Hershey bar.
[/quote="Ender"] Was it spiteful suggestion? I think majority of Russians believe their chocolate is the best in the world. |
My husband definitely things American chocolate is pretty bad. And while he thinks Russian chocolate is fabulous, I'm not that thrilled about it to be honest. The best chocolate I ever ate was in Belgium...hands down. |
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YellowMelon
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Joined: 28 Nov 2008
Posts: 67
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| Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 12:21 am Post subject: |
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| Is tea (in this case from Gotland, a Swedish island in the Baltic Sea) generally a good gift? It's for my Russian teacher... |
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jo-jo-7
Just Starting
Joined: 16 Mar 2010
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 12:37 am Post subject: |
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| krasatulya wrote: | | meagen1970 wrote: | My instructor (who is Russian) suggested american chocolate, tho personally I think it'd be an insult to give anyone some nasty paraffin tasting Hershey bar.
[/quote="Ender"] Was it spiteful suggestion? I think majority of Russians believe their chocolate is the best in the world. |
My husband definitely things American chocolate is pretty bad. And while he thinks Russian chocolate is fabulous, I'm not that thrilled about it to be honest. The best chocolate I ever ate was in Belgium...hands down. |
I have never tried Russian chocolate so I cannot compare, but I think the best chocolate in America is Dove, that is the only chocolate that is good here, it taste more like Swiss chocolate. Anyway, we do have a lot of imported chocolates, Godiva for one. I don't like Hershey much. It was better when I was a kid. Too many ingredient changes. If you have the opportunity, try Dove chocolates (Mars Inc.). I think you would like it. Very smooth and silky. |
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Ender
WayToRussified
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Posts: 498
Location: Urals
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| Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 5:15 am Post subject: |
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| krasatulya wrote: | | The best chocolate I ever ate was in Belgium...hands down. |
What is its name? |
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Ender
WayToRussified
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Posts: 498
Location: Urals
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| Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 5:28 am Post subject: |
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For some reasons most imported brands of chocolate are sweet or milk while locally produced chocolate mostly dark or bitter with high cocoa content up to 70%. I don't like milk chocolate at all, it is too sweet for me.
Once I ate a 95% chocolate, can't remember its brand. It was alsmost impossible to eat without a glass of wine or cognac.
Last edited by Ender on Fri May 15, 2009 6:29 am; edited 1 time in total |
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jo-jo-7
Just Starting
Joined: 16 Mar 2010
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 6:20 am Post subject: |
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| Ender wrote: | For some reasons most imported brands of chocolate are sweet or milk while locally produced chocolate mostly dark or bitter with high cocoa content up to 70%. I don't like milk chocolate at all, it is too sweet for me.
Once I ate a 95% chocolate, can't remember its brand. It was alsmost impossible to eat without a glass of a wine or cognac. |
Never thought about a glass of wine or cognac with chocolate. Must be good... |
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Ender
WayToRussified
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
Posts: 498
Location: Urals
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| Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 6:25 am Post subject: |
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| jo jo 7 wrote: | | Never thought about a glass of wine or cognac with chocolate. Must be good... |
Really? It is quite common practice in Russia. Sometimes it is called: "Lesser gentleman's set" - wine/cognac/champagne, fruits, chocolate and condoms.  |
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nikir
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Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 54
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| Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 12:01 pm Post subject: |
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Lindt dark chocolate, 85% cocoa (Swiss). A block with a nice brandy, select company and a good Cuban cigar. Mmmmm.
Failing that, Russian chocolate is better than the locally produced stuff these days. |
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jo-jo-7
Just Starting
Joined: 16 Mar 2010
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 1:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Ender wrote: | | jo jo 7 wrote: | | Never thought about a glass of wine or cognac with chocolate. Must be good... |
Really? It is quite common practice in Russia. Sometimes it is called: "Lesser gentleman's set" - wine/cognac/champagne, fruits, chocolate and condoms. |
Now, I have had strawberries with chocolate and white wine or with champagne. Very nice, but never with cognac or with what Nikir said, Brandy. It sounds like it would be good, though. The condom part just seems out of place, but I won't question it. 
Last edited by jo-jo-7 on Fri May 15, 2009 1:50 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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jo-jo-7
Just Starting
Joined: 16 Mar 2010
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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| nikir wrote: | Lindt dark chocolate, 85% cocoa (Swiss). A block with a nice brandy, select company and a good Cuban cigar. Mmmmm.
Failing that, Russian chocolate is better than the locally produced stuff these days. |
This is the chocolate I was trying to remember. This is everywhere in my town, in Wal-mart and local shops. Lindt chocolate is so popular here and it is good. I sometimes buy the orange chocolate Lindt. Yummy!
I would love to try Russian chocolate if I knew what to look for. |
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nikir
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Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 54
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| Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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| jo jo 7 wrote: |
I would love to try Russian chocolate if I knew what to look for. |
FFS!!! Can we nuke this poster who is as clueless at 3231 as she was at 1.
Enough is enough. |
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