Are you an ex-pat who’s missing goodies from home? Always wanted knick-knacks from another country but haven’t managed to get there yet? Want to expand your horizons and meet people from around the world? Here’s your chance!

Here’s How to Play!

Leave a comment here if you’re interested.

DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR MAILING ADDRESS IN THE COMMENTS! This is for your protection!

Vivi or I will then email you to acknowledge your interest, and you can reply to that email with your mailing address* and three choices from the list below of what you’d like to receive:

• Food. This includes non-perishable items, candy, and anything else that could be shipped faraway without melting or spoiling.


• Trinkets. This is really up to interpretation, but idealy something small and touristy that says something about where you live.


• Reading material. This includes books and magazines. Please include your language preference.


• Surprise me! Anything goes, but should be within the price restriction below.


• Special Request. Self-explanatory, but should be within the price restriction below.

NOW, here’s where it gets interesting…

After the submission period is over, you will receive an email detailing your recipient’s address and wish list. You won’t, however, be told where your package is coming from. It’s like “Secret Santas” on an international scale!

Submissions will be accepted until February 10, 2005. You may make a request of the country you would like to receive a package from, but this will be determined by how many submissions are received and the final decision will be made by Vivi and me.

What we want to do is just be the contact people to get everyone more involved in the goodness of the blogging-expats and their readers’ cultures. It’s all for fun.

Here are our NON-BINDING guidelines…

• Packages should be sent in a timely manner with the intent of receipt no more than one month after being informed of the destination.


• We suggest not spending more than 20 dollars/euros (or the equivilent of your home currency), not including shipping. This general guideline is simply to keep it simple and affordable and relatively fair for participants. Please be advised that the 20 dollar/euro guideline is in no way a requirement but we think it’s a reasonable goal.


• Upon receipt of your package, it will be wonderful to see a post on your blog (if you have one) about your loot. You could even include a picture. Additionally, we ask that you contact either Vivi or me to inform us of your receipt. Yes, we’ll be keeping track


• And, as always, a “thank you” note is absolutely appropriate to send your gift giver so that they also know you received the good stuff!

If this experiment is successful, we hope there will be more Exchanges in the future! If you would like to make a suggestion, please use the contact form here or e-mail Vivi from her blog; all suggestions will be taken into consideration.

*We promise that no one except for Tracey and Vivi and your gift giver will ever see your mailing address as a result of your participation in the exchange.

1. Hey! Great idea, I’d like to participate. Hugs
   — Lisa    Jan 27, 10:39 AM    #
2. I’d like to participate, but am wondering when the deadline is? And because I’m remarkably stupid today…we’re both sending AND receiving something, right?
   — lizardek    Jan 27, 11:57 PM    #
3. Hey Tracey, if someone wants some goodies from the good ole US of A, you can put my name down on the list. Would love to help you ex-pats out. :)
   — rar    Jan 28, 03:13 AM    #
4. Okay so us non-expats CAN participate…got it…I would love to join in on all of this across the world love. So fun and creative are you and Vivi.
   — Rebecca    Jan 28, 11:08 AM    #
5. This is a cool idea.
   
   I would like to do it too but can’t right now (kind of broke). But I do want to remind people that if you are sending candy to USA there is a special form you need to fill out. Can’t remember where I saw the form but I remember reading about it on http://www.amerikanska.com .
   
   will post a link to your entry in my journals…...’k?
   — Nicole    Jan 30, 12:59 AM    #
6. forgot to add….if this takes off maybe doing this every other month or so…...?
   — Nicole    Jan 30, 01:01 AM    #
7. Cool idea. I’m game and can happily post things from Sweden in exchange for things from either the UK or USA.
   — Gale    Jan 30, 11:36 PM    #
8. Excellent Idea, anyone needs/wants anything from Spain? :)
   — natalia    Feb 1, 08:39 PM    #
9. This is such a fun idea! If anybody’s wanting anything from Texas, I’d be happy to oblige. I am also linking to this from my site, so maybe the two or three people who read me will join as well. Thanks so much for coordinating this for all of us!
   — Bun-Girl    Feb 2, 05:24 AM    #
10. I’m in!
    — katie toft    Feb 2, 12:59 PM    #
11. yay! this sounds like fun! im in california! let me know!!
    — hols    Feb 3, 07:57 AM    #
12. Sounds great!! I’m in California.
    — suki    Feb 6, 07:36 PM    #
13. Great idea. I’m in! (And I’m in England.)
    — Keris    Feb 8, 01:56 AM    #
14. Sounds fun! I’m in TX, USA.
    — rodney    Feb 8, 08:04 AM    #
15. I love the idea of this. I’m in Sweden.
    — Marie    Feb 8, 09:23 AM    #
16. Ooo, I want some Sour Skittles – sign me up! :o) (Oh, and I’m in Norway.)
    — Theresa    Feb 8, 11:06 AM    #
17. count me in!!
    — Bella Ozfemme    Feb 9, 11:33 PM    #

commenting closed for this article

what you see here © 2003 - 2007 Tracey Marshall