In the past,my relatives who have travelled to the Ukraine, have brought blue jeans and electronics. But I know that times have changed. I also know that some gifts, such as handmade linens and crystal glassware, are better priced for Ukrainians than in NA. What are the best gifts to bring to Ukrainian family members?

I think of
coffee, Belgian chocolates
electronic gadgets like a memory stick or an I Pod,
fashion, current but not expensive, as sold at BHS, small shops in Brixton, or charity shops

Ben Haines, London
[email protected]

omigod! Benhaines, I am not sure what a memory stick is, and I don't even have an Ipod! Think 40 to 50 donething relatives!

Please ask a grandchild to show you a memory stick. They are lovely: everything your Ukrainian relatives keep on their laptop or on disc to use at all packs into a shiny object two inches by one, and they take it to any internet cafe. But it is true that you should ask them before you buy, and that you may feel safer buying non-electronic goods.

Ben Haines, aged 69

The memory stick is a great suggestion (I am assuming, of course, that they have computers). But get a decent sized one--that is, one that holds roughly a Gigabyte. Some of the really cheap ones hold so little they're not worth bothering with. Memory sticks take up almost no space in your carryon or luggage.
Preload the memory stick with photos of your family and your hometown.
For men, maybe some of the cool small gadgets from your local home supply store...a SOG or similar, those bendy/twisty flashlights (very useful for fiddling around with the car), etc.
My sister-in-law is Armenian; I'll ask her what her mother likes to take back to Armenia after her visits to the U.S. Maybe some of those things will be similar to what you might want to take to the Ukraine.

I haven't been to Ukraine since 1997, and I assume things are quite different there now.

One thing I remember my host family really enjoying were simple crafts from my area in the Northeast- like handmade, shaped cutting boards (one shaped like a pineapple-after I explained the meaning of it, was esp. popular). Maple syrup, jams, etc... were also a hit. They enjoyed the matching set of placemats and napkins (w/napkin rings) too.

On my most recent trips to Russia, my friends requested popular US music CDS-they can get most anything there, but it is really hard to get a good quality (non pirated) CD. They kept playing different songs for me in the car- they were so impressed by the quality!
I'll keep thinking... when do you leave?

FYI, this is the kind of tool I meant:
http://www.sogknives.com/pwrlck.htm

(the web site for SOG opens with pix of some scary looking knives...)

Obviously anything like this would have to go in your checked luggage.