Help! I have lost my inspiration. Suggest ideas for cool presents for my friend's birthday.

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I am currently making up a box of small birthday gifts for my friend - what shall I include in it? I'm running out of ideas. It needs to be mailed overseas, so the contents must (preferably) not be too heavy or fragile.

He is 35, likes : John Lennon, playing guitar, yoga, Guinness, pizza, Brit humour, sports of all kinds, used to play rugby, has recently taken up snow skiing. He worries about things a bit too much sometimes, and his self-esteem can be a bit wobbly sometimes. He's very kind and affectionate. He likes kittens.

So far I have put in the birthday box : 1 x coffee mug printed with the Beatles Abbey Road album cover, 1 x CD of a comedy nature, some chocolate, a pack of playing cards printed with sports trivia, a re-chargeable hand warmer, a bag of Madagascan worry people.

What else should be included? Exciting birthday gift ideas required please, oh great ILE hivemind!

― C J (C J), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I have two weeks left before I have to send it.

― C J (C J), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

If he's an anglophile and you want light stuff to mail - how about some exotic, expensive tea leaves? Not that's what I got any other ILXors for Chrsitams or anything, oh no.

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 14:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Tea! Excellent suggestion! He'll love that. Thanks, Mark :)

― C J (C J), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Madagascan Worry People?

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Tea = package opened by customs and contents lost forever, in my friend's experience.

― beanz (beanz), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Her mate received a ripped cardboard box with a customs sticker on it.

― beanz (beanz), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Customs are Hot for Tea?

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:13 (twenty-one years ago)

http://members.rott.chello.nl/c.bastein/gwpMirjam.jpg

Don't send kittens.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh. I ws sort-of hoping that Customs would leave it alone, if I filled out a declaration form and stuck it on the outside saying what the contents were. Dammit.

Madagascan Worry People are little tiny dolls, about half the size of a matchstick, which live in a little woven fabric bag. Made by the Mayan people of Madagascar, they are. If you are worried about anything, you take the dolls out of the bag and tell them a worry each, then place them under your pillow before you go to sleep. In the night, the Worry People will take your worries away for you. Aww.

― C J (C J), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:16 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.firebox.com/pic/p415h.jpg

― lucifer, Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:19 (twenty-one years ago)

What about one of those mini hot water bottles wearing a jumper that you get from Cissy Mo and suchlike?

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Socks. With kittens on.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Maybe the form would work w/r/t tea. I have visions of a conveyor belt of international post with customs sniffer dogs frantically slavering over anything that smells vaguely herby, but maybe it was just bad luck after all.

― beanz (beanz), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually I've become a real convert to designer socks. This might mean I'm old and crap, but a nice qualtiy pair of socks is a treat.

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.ebgames.com/ebx_assets/product_images/243770.jpg http://www.ebgames.com/ebx_assets/product_images/243771.jpg
http://www.ebgames.com/ebx_assets/product_images/243773.jpg http://www.ebgames.com/ebx_assets/product_images/243772.jpg

Sometimes these come in different combinations. My wife bought me a John & Jeremy pack a couple of years ago.

― Curious George Rides a Republican (Rock Hardy), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Whoops.

http://www.ebgames.com/ebx_assets/product_images/243772.jpg

― Curious George Rides a Republican (Rock Hardy), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

A Great Dane puppy!

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:45 (twenty-one years ago)

recipe for guinness chocolate cake.

― nora (nora), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, there goes George again. Off with Jeremy.

Thanks for all the nice people.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Guinness chocolate cake sounds interesting.

― C J (C J), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 15:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Some photos of you and some other people he knows having a couple of birthday drinks in his honour. You should be holding a little sign saying 'happy birthday, whatever your name is'

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 17:19 (twenty-one years ago)

And you should be nude.

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 17:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I want to make his birthday happy, not make him feel nauseous.

― C J (C J), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 17:50 (twenty-one years ago)

CJ, aren't you going to send him the "Give Blood. Play Rugby" t-shirt?

― Michael White (Hereward), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 17:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I never knew the Maya lived in Madagascar! I assumed they were strictly limited to Central America.

― Michael White (Hereward), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay, so I meant Guatemalan, not Madagascan. I am so stupid in cold weather, my brain just freezes up.

He's already got the "Give Blood Play Rugby" shirt. I'm trying to get hold of a book of Gren rugby cartoons though (to no avail so far.

― C J (C J), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 18:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Hi CJ! I hear Guatagascar is supposed to beautiful this time of year. *sigh*

― Michael White (Hereward), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 18:19 (twenty-one years ago)

http://specialsections.absoluteelsewhere.net/JohnandHisTea/mad_tea_party.html

― Michael White (Hereward), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 18:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Michael, that's incredible! I'm sure I could do something with that ... I might even print off some of those pics, enlarge them, and use them as wrapping paper to wrap the tea in! Hurrah, you be genius (unlike idiot me avec frozen brain).

― C J (C J), Wednesday, 26 January 2005 18:43 (twenty-one years ago)

In the book that sex and the city is based on, big bought carrie a small thermometer to put on her gloves while they went skiing- and then she gave him a blowjob.

― Nellie (nellskies), Thursday, 27 January 2005 03:32 (twenty-one years ago)

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