Care Package Ideas... - South Gate,CA

I see you're from California; is he not missing Mexican food? I find that whenever we travel to another country, by the time we get back we are dying for Mexican food. Granted, we live in Southern California, so we might be slightly more addicated than you (I don't know where South Gate is).

Anywho, I grew up with foreign exchange students and we had one that came from Norway whom we continue to keep in contact with. Whenever we ask her what she wants for a care package, she says Mexican food items, so we send some cans of beans, tortillas and salsa.

Maybe you could splurge and send him one of those soda stream appliances along with the flavorings to make their own Dr. Peppers and Dews? Gotta ship better than a 12 pack.

depends upon the size of his place. It's been decades (like 40 years) since I have lived in Taiwan. We were in base housing and I believe they have 220V not 110.

When we were living in Belgium, our families tried sending us soda - it did NOT ship well. If he is near a military base - have him ask military personnel to pick up soda from the commissary for him.

If you are going to ship soda, it's going to get shaken - no matter HOW you pack it. By the time it gets there - it might be flat.

Try it once and have him let it sit for at least 24 hours before he opens it. It will be expensive as it's not light.

Good luck!!

Soda stream is awesome (the soda maker) BUT you need to be careful. It contains a CO2 charger, which can explode. The only way I would send that is from a source that will direct ship to him as they will know how to package it and what the shipping laws are. I know you can't bring it on to a plane due to the pressure.

If that doesn't work, you can buy a bag of Dr. Pepper and Mt. Dew syrup (like the kind that you hook up to soda machines). It will just be liquid and your SS can just add it to bubbly water to flavor it.

Here is an example at Sam's Club: http://www.samsclub.com/sams/dr-pepper-syrup-concentrate-...

If you do send the soda, send it separately so if it bursts (which it might),
it won't get on everything. Personally, I think it will burst in transtit.

Little things I would send:
-Sharpie Pen
-Calendar to hang
-Framed photo of your family
-Chocolate
-2 warm, fuzzy bath towel (good kind)
-deck of playing cards
-Lined note pad (don't get a plain one, get a cool diff one)
-magnets for their fridge (just a couple)
-2 throw blankets for he & GF
-gum
-small plastic jar of gumdrops
-translator book
-phone cards he can use to phone home

Dr. Pepper jelly beans are awesome!

Dr Pepper lip balm is the BEST-get him and his GF some of that for sure.

I think the soda stream is a good idea and something you can have shipped to him from a website, I think. I also liked the pictures from home idea. I think the new "Magic" deck for 2013 would be a kind gesture, they release new ones each year as well as some dice and other accessories for it. We play it as a video game on the PS3 it is a fun game that uses strategy and smarts and is all based on your deck vs the competitions. Okay so geek moment over, I think you want to keep it small as homes are NOT like ours there and room/storage is not what we have. I would send their favorite cookies or chips or something. It is hard to know what someone else may miss.

how about Girl Scout cookies? 'Tis the season, right now!

Skype credit?

do NOT send soda.
it can explode in the mail.

These are some of the things we've sent to friends living out of the U.S.:

Favorite cereal - Captain Crunch Berries
Favorite coffee - Starbucks
Favorite candies - Jelly Belly beans
Favorite toiletries - Bath & Body Works soaps & lotions
Baking supplies - Reeses Peanut Butter Baking Jams
Regional items - Nebraska Omaha steaks, Knotts Berry Farm jams, salt water taffy
Homemade goodies - baked cookies or candies
Local newspapers, magazines, etc.

This is so sweet of you and how sad to have a loved one away but a nice learning experience for him nonetheless I am sure. My husband is an engineer on an oil tanker and I send him care packages to Alaska. I have in fact sent Dr. Pepper. This went via Fed Ex and it arrived in tact. I sent it is a box stuffed with loads of candy and fun items so it was heavily packed in...I am not certain but give it a shot. Might as well....

Best to you!