Finding special gifts for special occasions

Finding special gifts for special occasions

Sudibyo M. Wiradji, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Like people in many cities, discerning Jakartans have
developed a habit of giving a gift to friends and family on
special occasions.

Gift-giving occasions popular with Jakartans include
birthdays, wedding anniversaries, Valentine's Day and days
related to religious events like Idul Fitri and Christmas.

Giving a gift to someone special seems to be a simple idea.
However, it may take time before you finally decide what kind of
gift you want to give, either to say thank-you or to celebrate a
special event in the life of someone close to you.

But it is important to select a gift that is not only
memorable but also tasteful. Even though gift-giving customs are
less varied in terms of occasion compared to Western countries,
Jakarta has many gift stores where you can find the finest
collections of gifts for all your gift-giving needs.

If you take the time to send a present, it would be best to
browse online stores such as TokoKado.com and Rajacraft.com to
make sure your gift buying experience is a pleasurable one.

TokoKado.com, for instance, provides a wide range of gifts
such as cakes, flowers, fruit, fragrances, crafts, electronics,
chocolate, bags, cell phones and compact discs.

The online store is equipped with order forms and selected
occasions such as I Love You, Happy Birthday, Thank You,
Congratulations, Happy Wedding, Happy Valentine,Happy
Idul Fitri, Merry Christmas and Happy Lunar Year. The order
forms allow you to select an item you want to buy and send a
message along with your gift.

However, the online store will deliver the item you have
selected only when you have transferred the payment.

For those of you who wish to give a unique and quality gift,
there is Rajacraft.com. This website features outstanding gifts
including delicately designed silver pendants and exclusively
designed box lamps. The box lamps are made of colorful glass that
can light up the recipient's room.

Like TokoKado.com, Rajacraft.com also provides an easy and
simple way to buy a gift by typing in the name of the gift you
have selected at an available craft finder. But to do the online
transaction, you are first required to register as a member.

However, if you want an off-line shopping experience, it would
be a good idea for you to visit a gift store in town. Among the
best places to buy traditional handicrafts are Pasaraya in Blok
M, South Jakarta, Sarinah Department Store on Jl. MH. Thamrin and
the numerous shops along Jl. Kemang Timur Raya.

If someone you care about enjoys Indonesia's ethnic
handicrafts, you can find varied options in these shops. In
Pasaraya, for instance, over 80,000 items from the different
provinces of Indonesia are on display, ranging from simple gifts
like key rings, decorated pens and ashtrays, to the delicately
carved Javanese leather puppets and Balinese masks and statues.

Other ethnic handicraft items include wooden puppets from West
Java, carved boxes from Jepara, Central Java, batik cloth, silver
products, sapphires and amber, plaited items from Tasikmalaya and
Lombok, ceramics, assorted home decor items and accessories.

If someone special has developed a love for textiles, then a
visit to Pasaraya or Sarinah Jaya is called for. There, you can
find double ikat weave from the island of Nusa Tenggara, silk
Bugis sarongs from South Sulawesi, gold-painted Balinese prada
fabrics, shimmering kain songket from Palembang, which features
silver and gold threads weft in woven cotton, and silk ikat and
tapis weavings from Lampung.

It is common to give a book as a present, especially for those
who enjoy reading. You can find high quality foreign and
Indonesian books in the Gramedia and Gunung Agung bookstores.
Gramedia outlets can be found in most malls in town, such as the
Pondok Indah Mall in South Jakarta, Plaza Senayan in South
Jakarta, and the Ciputra Mall in West Jakarta. But if you want to
visit the largest Gramedia outlet, you can find it in Blok M in
South Jakarta.

At the bookstores, you can also find a good selection of
stationery items, including pens.

Both online stores and shops in department stores have fixed
prices. Prices for a gift in an online store are varied,
depending on the item you wish to buy. It will cost you Rp
130,000 to get a Happy Birthday Cake from TokoKado.com and Rp
270,000 to send a bed of roses via the same website. But if you
want to deliver a standard basket of fruit through the website,
you have to spend Rp 550,000 (about US$65).

For only Rp 10,000 or Rp15,000, you can purchase a uniquely
decorated key ring or a pen decorated with wayang puppets in
Pasaraya. More complex carved items cost more, depending on the
size and the material used.

However, if you wish to give a handicraft item as a gift but
want a bargain, you can visit the Ancol art market in Ancol
Dreamland. You can find a huge variety of arts and crafts,
including include terra-cotta, ceramics, decorated lamps and
leather puppets.

With online and off-line gift stores available in town, there
is no shortage of shopping options. The problem now is what kind
of gift should you get to really delight that someone special.