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Post by Anne on May 30, 2008 7:28:13 GMT -5
I need your help pleaaase  My eldest daughter is going to spend one month in Perth this summer . She will stay with an Australian family and attend the local high school through an immersion program (there are quite a few companies in France specialized into sending French kids to foreign countries in order to improve their language skills) . She already went twice to the USA with such companies, and on both occasions I was quite at a loss to find out nice presents for her host families . I ended up buying the obvious presents recommended by the company, such as a nice book with pics from our area for the parents and local t-shirts for the kids  . But the “What I brought back” thread kinda made me realize that I should really try and find more exciting presents (not that I wasn’t aware of it yet :  . So my question is : which presents would be considered as “typically French” in Australia ? or alternatively, which potential presents did you discover in France and enjoy that cannot be found in Australia ? A few problems : I don’t know anything about the family yet (may know quite late actually), but there are good chances that there is at least one high school kid in the family . I won’t go to Paris until my daughter leaves in July, so I cannot get any “typically-Paris” souvenir . As far as food is concerned, I have visited the Australian Ambassy website and I am quite at a loss : between forbidden food and food that has to be declared and can then be confiscated – or FUMIGATED  -, it would be easier for me if you could just tell me whether there is any French food that can safely be brought to Australia AND be enjoyed as part of a present ? |
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Post by mez on Jun 1, 2008 0:01:49 GMT -5
Well, for starters, I think it's great that your daughter is heading to Australia...It's just a shame she will be on the other side of the country! I'm sure some of us would have loved to take her out and about  I've only ever been to Perth once and that was for work. My impression is they are alot more relaxed than their East Coast counterparts. As for host presents...yes, it is difficult and as you have discovered our laws prevent the entry of many food items. I'll write a list below that may cover one or more memners of the family, and then when you find out a bit more about them, you can make a choice. - If you buy accessories for girls (like a scarf) we do have Esprit stores but we don't have H&M or Zara. You could get away with buying something in fashion and inexpensive...well at least at H&M - I like the idea of a picture book of the area - Most food is fine so long as it is packaged and not on the banned list. One thing your daugther MUST do is declare all food she has with her and have it ready to show at quarantine. They will let her through but they frown upon people not declaring it.- Chocloates are always good - even the ones found in supermarkets because they type of chocolate is different - Mustards are good. We do get several French mustards imported, but they tend to be the basic ones - none with different flavourings - Tea and coffee (or hot chocolate) are always great gifts especially when packaged nicely - TShirts are OK for a fun gift - For the household/Mum perhaps some tea towels or an oven mitt (or other kitchen knick-knack) that shows off your part of France - I'm not sure if there are any restrictions but perhaps she can bring a small bottle of French alcohol? - I have no idea what the restrictionswould be around this though...If she is under 18 she definitely cannot buy it but perhaps she can carry some in her luggage?? - French glossy magazines with lots of fashion pictures (Vogue etc). While we do get them here, they are few and far between and cost a fortune and not something many people buy. - if there are younger kids, maybe a childrens book written in French Hmm...that's all I can think of for now. I will go back and read the thread about 'what I brought back' to see if it triggers anything else in my mind. |
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Post by Anne on Jun 1, 2008 4:09:40 GMT -5
Thank you so much for all these suggestions Mez !
I had kind of ruled out tea or herbes de Provence because the embassy website mentions several "dried vegetation" things, like pot-pourri for example, that would have to be treated (fumigated ?) on arrival . But if they don't need treatment, then I think that herbes de Provence may be a nice thing too ?
Are your coffee or hot chocolate really different from French ones ?
The European football (soccer) cup is starting soon . Is soccer as un-popular in Australia as it is in the USA or would a French team shirt be a nice present for a boy ?
My daughter is 16, so I am not going to risk any trouble by importing alcohol .
The reason why she chose Perth rather than Sydney or other Eastern places is that this specific program takes the kids on a 3-4 days tour in the Kalbarri area at the end of their stay .
Let's just hope that Australian winter will be nice enough !
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Post by mez on Jun 1, 2008 6:14:01 GMT -5
Oh, don't worry Anne, she will love Perth...although she might come home laughing at what Aussies call winter. ;D Weather wise, I suppose the best thing is to bring layers because we do dress more warmly indoors than you may be used to - few homes have central heating. Dried vegetation, huh? I wish they would talk in plain English. Teas are definitely no problem at all - I always buy some. So long as things are properly (ie. commercially) packaged, they will get through. I like to buy tea and coffee more for the containers they come in than the difference in taste. I'm not really sure about herbs. I would imagine if they are dried then they would be no problem?? European chocolate (and even UK chocolate) tastes very different to what we have here...even Milka and plain old Cadburys has a different taste Oh, no...it's most definitely popular. It is called soccer by some but the purists definitely call it football. ;D I think this would make a wonderful gift. Here's the situation with Aussie quarantine - they are more likely to get upset if you don't declare something rather than what you are declaring. Personally, I always come home with tea, coffee, chocolate, sweets and alcohol. Some I pack in my check-in luggage and others I pack in my carry-on. It's the carry-on stuff I have ready to show if needed. Last year I can home with 5 litres of alcohol packed in my bag ( - homemade stuff the my Uncle insisted I take home) in addition to the 2.5 litres I bought at the duty free when I reached Sydney. When quarantine asked what I was declaring (because I had ticked there was something to declare), I explained it was tea, chocolate and alcohol....they just waved me through without checking, and this was even after my luggage went through a scanner a second time (because I was in the UK and they still check things for mad cow disease). Mez |
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Post by Anne on Jun 1, 2008 6:43:47 GMT -5
7.5 litres alcohol ! What one has to go through in order to please a dear old Uncle  ! Sorry for the "dried vegetation" thing . This is actually not a quote from the embassy website, this is just my own attempt at categorizing from their examples of the type of imports that require a treatment (and by re-reading their website, I discovered that irradiation can be used as well as fumigation ;D !) |
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grunblack
Full Member
Can't wait to get back...
Posts: 132
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Post by grunblack on Jun 6, 2008 21:49:45 GMT -5
I think something that you couldn't buy, such as some traditional french recipes of your own in a nice journal style book. It's light, easy to get through customs and is a really special gift that is truly french. I would love it, but then, I do love food. I think a gift like that shows real thought has gone into it and it's something that can be treasured by your daughter's host family.
I hope she has a wonderful trip.
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Post by Anne on Jun 7, 2008 3:43:22 GMT -5
Thanks Grunblack . Actually, she had planned to create her own receipes note-book before she leaves, because she has gone into a real cooking frenzy in the past few months - and she is surprisingly good at it too - and so she intends to cook for her host family anyway . I will tell her about your suggestion to translate her favourite receipes into a book for her family . One big question here : are you guys into the metric or imperial system ? Please don't say imperial ... EDIT : my daughter came back from her shopping morning with yet another two cookbooks (these ones on finger food , and we decided that your idea may actually make a great FAREWELL present, i.e. she would bring a nice-looking, unwritten note-book from France, and then she would translate and write while in Australia her receipes that the family really liked and offer the note-book to them upon leaving ... |
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Post by annettecinca on Jun 7, 2008 8:30:07 GMT -5
That is a very thoughtful idea, and should be really appreciated and treasured!  Anne, I do believe Australia uses the metric system. I remember our Australian exchange student years ago made a special point of purchasing a few sets of US measuring cups and spoons before going home so she didn't have to convert all the recipes she took home from our family. |
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Post by mez on Jun 7, 2008 8:43:59 GMT -5
That is a very thoughtful idea, and should be really appreciated and treasured! Anne, I do believe Australia uses the metric system. I remember our Australian exchange student years ago made a special point of purchasing a few sets of US measuring cups and spoons before going home so she didn't have to convert all the recipes she took home from our family. Great idea about the measuring spoons, Annette! I've added them to my to-buy list Yes, Anne, we most definitely use the metric system. |
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Post by Anne on Jul 8, 2008 0:11:11 GMT -5
Here is my souvenirs’ shopping report : Actually, we are very lucky because the Australian family actually made contact with us directly, two weeks ago . The family is REALLY nice, I have been swapping emails with the mom (a university professor of Indian origin) and so has Hélène with the 15 years old daughter . Girls seem to have same tastes on many aspects, I think that they will go on well together . However, Hélène was in shock at first when she discovered that the high school that she would attend with her host sister is girls-only and that she would have to wear a uniform ! (none of this ever exists in France anymore, except in a military school in Paris) . Anyway . Hélène asked the girl what she would fancy, and so we got her a cute Tshirt with some big caption in French on it and two CDs of French rock music (she has been studying French for a few years) . For the family as a whole, we got : - a jar of mirabelles jam (this is the local plumb, a VERY yummy small yellow one) - a tablet of milk chocolate stuffed with marc de champagne, into an old-fashion style chocolate tin box - a packet of milk and dark individually-wrapped chocolates, the style that we have with coffee . The reason why I bought those is that each chocolate wrapping bears a drawing of a famous Paris monument (that’s the only “Paris” thing that I could find here  ) - a Garnier Thiebaut tea towel with things written in French on it - a small book about our area . It’s in French, but there are many pictures on it - a box of assorted Roger&Gallet guests soaps (on Ladyjicky’s suggestion) Hélène will go to Strasbourg before her departure, so she will try and find assorted mustards jars at the local Lafayette Gourmet (small jars because we have only begun to pack her suitcase and it already seems to weight a ton) . She is fine-tuning her receipes to cook for the family (the mom told me that they are foodies !) and intends to write down their favourite ones in a nice book later on . Thanks everyone for your help ! BTW, as a souvenir FROM Australia, I have asked Hélène to bring me back a jar of Vegemite ... |
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Post by sistereurope on Jul 8, 2008 8:07:38 GMT -5
Anne, those gifts are lovely. I'm sure that your daughter's Australian family will enjoy them...I know that we would!
Please keep us posted on your daughter's Aussie adventures.
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Post by Anne on Jul 9, 2008 4:51:59 GMT -5
AAARGH ! No jam after all, and no mustards either ! We have finished packing Hélène's suitcase this morning, and then put it on a scale : almost 25 kgs ! I rushed to Qantas' website : maximum allowance is 20kgs . But then I read on their site that their codeshare flights with British Airways are 23kgs : since the kids have a connecting flight in London, I had a wild hope that the flight to Perth might be a code-share, so I called the exchange company who said that it is indeed (hope that the girl on the phone isn't mistaken ) Two kgs to save meant moving the gift soaps and some books to the carry-on bag, but the 550grs jam will stay home since it is considered as a liquid as per EU flying rules, so no carry-on . Sad thing is that chocolates will now be the only items of French food that she will offer . Since the same problem will arise on her trip back, I guess that I am not going to taste Vegemite anytime soon  ... |
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Post by mez on Jul 9, 2008 6:06:57 GMT -5
Since the same problem will arise on her trip back, I guess that I am not going to taste Vegemite anytime soon ... Vegemite is not a liquid, so no probs there. Having said that, you are pining after something that is definitely an acquired taste and most people gag at. ;D To save space, Hélène can buy portions of Vegemite or a tube of Vegemite. Better to ask her to bring you tim tams..  or Violet Crumbles...  and definitely Minties!  .. but be prepared for a trip to the dentist after all these. |
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Post by Happygoin on Jul 9, 2008 6:32:01 GMT -5
Anne, I'm sure today will be busy for you, but tell us what dishes your daughter is planning to cook for her host family. I wonder if she'll have any trouble finding familiar ingredients for them?
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Post by sunshine817 on Jul 9, 2008 6:33:07 GMT -5
Beware of the Vegemite...even though it's not a liquid!
Peanut butter is pretty regularly confiscated from hand luggage here -- it's considered a gel, inexplicably! I wouldn't be surprised if Vegemite (shudder) were classed into the same category.
In your checked/hold luggage, it should be fine, as should most commercially-prepared foods in sealed containers.
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Post by Anne on Jul 9, 2008 7:13:18 GMT -5
Thanks for the information I want to taste Vegemite since it's supposed to be Australian special, and also I was told that it tastes a bit like English' Marmite, which I quite like . If it has the same texture as Marmite or jam, then it must enter the official "liquids" category indeed . But if it is sold in tubes, then a small tube will weight much less than a jar in the checked luggage . I will sure report how I feel about Vegemite once I have tasted it ;D ! Mez, I have placed my order for tim tams, and the twins have placed theirs for Violet Crumbles (looks too much like Mars bars for my own taste) . Happy, she has collected soo many receipes ! Has been testing many new ones with us lately  (meaning that I have been off kitchen duties most days  ) . What she will cook will indeed depend on what ingredients she is able to find there, and also of the tastes of the family . She isn't very much into traditional French cuisine, she is more into "modern" one, slightly Mediterranean style that is very much in food magazines these days . |
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Post by annettecinca on Jul 9, 2008 9:31:37 GMT -5
Yum--Violet Crumble!!! I haven't had one of those in years!!! Our Australian exchange student who lived with us when I was 10 turned us on to them. There used to be a store nearby that sold them, but they're long gone. Anne, they aren't a thing like a Mars bar--they're light and crispy inside, not sticky and gooey.
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Post by mez on Jul 10, 2008 6:29:00 GMT -5
Anne, Annette is right Mars Bars and Violet Crumbles are nothing alike. VCs are chocolate coated honeycomb - delicious! As for Marmite being the same Vegemite - absolute blasphemy! They are nothing alike. |
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Post by sunshine817 on Jul 10, 2008 9:41:20 GMT -5
Is a Violet Crumble like an English Crunchie Bar? It looks and sounds that way -- Crunchie is my all-time favorite choccie in England -- I usually buy one before I've even managed to leave the airport.
And after being sent a packet of Tim-Tams by a colleague -- I have perfected the TimTam Slam! (messy and childish, yep -- delicious? You betcha!)
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Post by Megan on Jul 10, 2008 19:29:44 GMT -5
AAAH The TimTam slam !!! Love it Love it Love it.
Violet Crumbles are like Crunchies but they do taste slightly different ( to me they do anyway )
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. 
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-, it would be easier for me if you could just tell me whether there is any French food that can safely be brought to Australia AND be enjoyed as part of a present ?
!
Anne, I do believe Australia uses the metric system. I remember our Australian exchange student years ago made a special point of purchasing a few sets of US measuring cups and spoons before going home so she didn't have to convert all the recipes she took home from our family. 
)
...
(meaning that I have been off kitchen duties most days 
) . What she will cook will indeed depend on what ingredients she is able to find there, and also of the tastes of the family . She isn't very much into traditional French cuisine, she is more into "modern" one, slightly Mediterranean style that is very much in food magazines these days .
hahahha