Re: Giving Gifts

[flopnfly]

Everytime I go on vacation I have the same problem.  What do I take as gifts for the staff.
 
 I used to take toiletries, school supplies and OTC medicine.
 
 Somebody suggested taking clothes, but I've noticed that a lot of the staff are wearing brand name clothing, and some of them are better dressed than me.     :roll:
 
 Do you think they really appreciate these little things or do they just roll their eyes and move on to the next person?

[Bigjohn]

I am of the belief that the 'bare necessities of life' are available. I try to brighten someone's day.
  In addition to the NJT suitcase, I take baseballs, baseball bats, baseball gloves, soccer balls, kites, balloons, frisbees, fish hooks and line, Sp/Eng dictionaries and similar things. Kids vitamins, spark plugs points and condensor for a Lada, box of condoms, BBQ lighters, 3 1/2" floppy disks, tools and whatever I think of at the time.  
 I don't have a specific list, but garner items off other people's lists and if someone relays a request. My next trip I will also be taking a bicycle for personal use. (hope I don't forget to bring it home)
 My suggestion?: take whatever YOU feel comfortable with. It is YOUR vacation.
 Bigjohn.

[Sunny]

Originally posted by flopnfly:
 [QB]Somebody suggested taking clothes, but I've noticed that a lot of the staff are wearing brand name clothing, and some of them are better dressed than me

We wondered about this too on our first trip to Cuba.  We then found out that all those brand names clothes are supplied to them by the resorts to be worn only on the resort.  The animation team is given short sets, sneakers and socks and bathing suits to wear while they are working. If you look closely you will see that they all have the same shoes. They are also given a couple of outfits to wear around the resort in the evenings.  These outfits stay on the resort when they go home on their days off.  We also walked by a room at one resort and all the men were lined up getting haircuts before they started their shifts.  I would think that it is in the resort's best interest to have their staff well groomed and dressed so people visiting for a short time would not know how poor their staff really are.  We had befriended a girl at one resort and I asked her if she would like me to send her anything from Canada, thinking a T-shirt or something but her face lit up and she replied "I would love my very own pair of jeans".  That is how we found out that they are given clothes to wear at work.  Yes I did send her the jeans, it wasn't easy finding someone close to her size that had a pair of denim shorts that she could try on.  I received a letter from her telling me that they arrived a couple of days before her birthday and she was so happy.

[bellagio]

Having spent a couple of days of my January vacation wandering around the shops in Holguin and, in particular, Banes I can well understand why anything, no matter how small, is welcome.
 
 For example:
 
 Toothpaste is 1.45 CUC's and that's a days wages to them.

[Harlequin]

The gifts we gave did seem to be appreciated, there will always be people who will ask for them and expect you too give them, most people we met were not like this, everyday things we take for granted cost a weeks wages if they are available at all. Val has got some clothes for our next trip to Cuba some 3/4 length pants and some tops that she got for next to nothing at a closing down sale she paid £1 for most items these would probably cost around a months wages in Cuba