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.