People often ask me what gifts they should get me. I’m not into gifts, but I understand why people need to give gifts. I also understand why my friends and families have a hard time figuring out what to get for me because I’m a complicated person.
My idea of a good gift is an object that reflects both the giver and the recipient. I don’t understand people who request a specific product; why don’t they buy it themselves? So, the suggestions below are categories of products within which you can make a choice that reflects you.
Wine: At the moment, I’m very into “natural” wine. Because I’m still just exploring, I’d enjoy any bottle (red, pink, orange, white, French, Italian, Californian, etc.) as long as it’s “natural.”
Beer: I enjoy IPA of any kind/brand. Some come in large bottles and are expensive. I don’t buy them for myself, but it would be nice as a gift.
Shoes: Clothes in general are risky because they might not fit me, but shoes are relatively safe because there is only one dimension. And, it’s good to keep a variety for different occasions and weather conditions. Even if they look really strange (like with Muppet characters on them), I’ll wear them at some point. My size is 10.
Olive Oil: The price range is convenient, not too high and not too low, and it’s quite diverse, like wine. I’m not picky about olive oil. I enjoy them all, and sooner or later, I’ll use them all. So, you can’t really go wrong. I also love truffle oil.
Chocolate: It’s a popular gift item, so they come conveniently in gift boxes and packages. I enjoy them all too. I’m not picky.
Sake: Even though I’m Japanese, I’m not a connoisseur of sake; so don’t feel intimidated when selecting. I don’t really know what’s what either.
Gift Certificate: I can always use gift certificates from Amazon, but that is a bit too generic, almost like cash. So, you could get me a gift certificate to a restaurant you like.
Books: Don’t bother. I’m really specific about books. So much so that I probably read only about half of the books I myself buy. I start reading them, and I discard if they do not hold my attention after about a quarter of the way in.
Music: The same here. My musical taste is too specific and strange.
Electronics: Yes, I like technology, but I don’t like to have them if I don’t use them often enough. Again, I often buy stuff that I end up never using.
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