What goods to bring back to morocco from U.S.?

[Mithra 1,185]

Also, just because it's sold in Morocco doesn't mean average Moroccans necessarily buy it. I imagine it's a lot like Egypt. They sell Snickers, Herseys, Cadbury, etc. in Egypt. Your average Egyptian from the village or small town doesn't shop at big stores like Metro or Carrefour so they don't buy that stuff. So when they get it, it's a treat.

I also brought Little Debbie's cakes to my inlaws in Egypt. Huge hit! They especially loved the nutty bars and Swiss cake rolls.

OK, I'm feeling the need to point out that I didn't wrap the Little Debbie snacks in fancy paper and present the box as if it had gold in it. I just shelled out the $2.50 and put the 5 ounce package in my luggage because not every American food product is for sale in Morocco and my SO's family likes it. The same way my brother liked it when a friend of his from Brazil brought him flavors of Gatorade we don't have in the US, the same way I liked it when a friend brought back chocolate coated cookies from Japan we don't have here, the same way my family requested certain candies sold in my large American city and not in their town, and the same way my parents bring local candies and jellies from their part of America when they see me in mine. Had I never seen chocolate coated cookies before? No.... Was the Gatorade expected or demanded? No.... Was it insulting that my parents brought me locally jarred jelly? No.... Was it a big deal? No.... Was it as impressive as if they'd brought jewelry? No.... Was it appreciated just because it was kind of neat to see a touch of something local to other people but not to me? Yep!

[~PalmTreeGurl~ 154]

I brought trident gum and sugar free candy. They loved that! Also, bath and body works lotion and soaps for my sister in law. Great stuff!

[hala_amira 1]

WOW! I missed the rest of this thread for awhile! I did read it all~!!! I actually like when things go off topic WHY NOT!LOL

I do agree that bringing gifts back for famalies is expected with most MENA countries...and I agree that many Moroccans can be all about the gifts and maybe some are not!!!!...BUT I BET there is always someone usually the younger ones in the family who are all about the "gifts"!!

It sounds like the social classes in Morocco makes a difference in everyones gift giving "experience". I would say that I have experienced from both sides.

My husband actaully was trying to explain to me that sometimes Moroccans be it family or friends will enjoy getting a gift or small favors, and if you keep giving...they will contiue to ask for more...but than again maybe not everyone is like that.My husband and I will be staying in some hotels while we are there and with one of his sisters. His parents passed before he came to the U.S., so I know tradtionally in MOST MENA countires bringing money back to the PARENTS is essential...I know being Lebanese, that is what was always done for my grandmother even if she didn't need it. It was also done discreetly, just queitly handed THE $ to her by me from my dad. She didn't NEED it as my dad and his brothers paid for all her fianiances being more than just well off. If I had someone visitng her they would say that she was not materialistic and humble....nobody would know that the exchanged happened. I think as time goes on with relationships with your new MENA families, you will see the need or the want of maybe not your in-laws/moroccan family, but your spouse to express the need to give back to his family financially or with "gifts"....that is if the in-laws/family are just to "humble" and don't ask or say they don't want anything. Luckily, my husband is the only son out of 7 sisters that are all married "well" in Morcoccan standards if you know what i mean and one is here married....so no need to give money as a gift!!!! LOL. But I do see that what Squeaky was saying about her sister-in-laws fighting over things...My husbands best friend who is Morocccan and lives her in the U.S. has to send money and gifts back for his sisters who nevered married and now are in their 40s. I think he will never marry because he has to worry about them and/or there would be too much drama with the wife if he did!!!

AND one more last thing.....on the gifts luckily I work for a major cosmetics brand....I have bottles of Chanel,Dior, estee Lauder brand new.. and TONS of MAKEUP. I just wasn't sure if I could bring that many pieces of fragrance to morocco....how abot 15 bottles plus the makeup...is it o.k. too bring that much or do they think I am going to try to sell it?

I had fun with the thread....love that it went off topic about the different social classes and the opinions on Moroccans behaviors based on material things!!!! since I majored in sociology!

[Miss smarty pants 84]

My husband's brother and sister always take lots of things with them when they go back. They take enitre suitcases of gifts....everything from t-shirts to make up and perfume, candy, shoes, etc. That's great for them. However, I decided I am not going to start that habit for myself (or for my husband). I have no problem bringing a hostess gift back when I am staying with someone there....but no entire suitcases or days on days of stressful shopping and wasteful spending prior to the trip. When my husband gets here....he won't do it either. I just haven't told him yet.

[LaL 418]

My husband's brother and sister always take lots of things with them when they go back. They take enitre suitcases of gifts....everything from t-shirts to make up and perfume, candy, shoes, etc. That's great for them. However, I decided I am not going to start that habit for myself (or for my husband). I have no problem bringing a hostess gift back when I am staying with someone there....but no entire suitcases or days on days of stressful shopping and wasteful spending prior to the trip. When my husband gets here....he won't do it either. I just haven't told him yet.

good luck with that

Edited January 20, 2011 by LaL

[Jenn! 918]

When the gift-giving starts to feel excessive, I try to remind myself that we miss all of the birthdays and other holidays. If you add up the money that we've spent on gifts for my family over the years and on his, it's actually probably about the same. His just comes all at once rather than spread out.

[Miss smarty pants 84]

good luck with that

LOL. I'm sure one day reality will come crashing in....

[msheesha 548]

When the gift-giving starts to feel excessive, I try to remind myself that we miss all of the birthdays and other holidays. If you add up the money that we've spent on gifts for my family over the years and on his, it's actually probably about the same. His just comes all at once rather than spread out.

That's an excellent way of looking at it.

[Tahlisha 28]

Why can't you just buy something nice for who ever it is that you are buying for???? I treat my Moroccan family just like my american family.... If I see something I think someone will like or need then I buy it....

[dimanuni 1]

My husband and I just went back to Morocco in November and here's what we took:

- bought nice fleeces and timex watches (from jc penney, if you get coupons, you can easily get nice watches for about $25) for the adult brothers. I've learned to shop for fleeces and things throughout the year so I can get them cheaper

-for the ladies, my 18 year sister in law coveted my cloth vera bradley purse, it's like a small messenger bag. (reminding me not to ever take anything of my own over there that I want to keep!). I also brought a bunch of little soaps and sample shampoos, lotions, toothpastes, which went over like gangbusters (to my surprise). We also too hersheys kisses and little gift bags and gave more extended family (aunt's family, for example) a little gift bag of candy and samples.

- i got my MIL Sofft brand mules from TJ Max. She LOVED THEM. she started wearing them in the kitchen, everywhere, because they were more comfortable than her regular shoes or slippers. Women there always where slip on shoes, (whether they wear heels or not depends on the person, but in my hubby's home town, most of the streets are a mixture of rocks and dirt, so a slight wedge is the best bet).

- i also usually get those little ghiradelli chocolates that come in the foil bags. they have them at target for about $3. you can't buy too many of these. people will be so flattered if you bring them one when you eat at their house. and since each chocolate is individually wrapped, everyone in the family can have one piece and feel like they have something special because it's so prettily wrapped.

The biggest issue will be how much you can carry and how much you can get through customs. my husband and i split up everything so he was carrying male stuff and me womens.

GOOD LUCK and have fun!

[noon 0]

hey everyone i am here just to know about my visa what gonna happened cuse i send them a email and ask them i was refused on Feb 8th for our I 129F visa, I called USCIS here in the United States & they have not received my paperwork back from Morocco yet is has been 2 more then 2 months now. My question is where is my paperwork?

and the send it me back and the say Thank you for your email inquiry. Mr. Khalid Zaim’s visa has not been denied. His petition has been returned to the Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on March 14, 2011 for further review. In order to seek information on the status of the case, you should contact the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283. However you are advised to wait a few more weeks before contacting USCIS to allow them to receive and review the file.

please if someome know anthing about that or have the same problem to feed me thanks yu everyone

[kristen_maroc 126]

Interesting way to post on this thread and bring it back from awhile ago... Zaim, I would post this on the main MENA board as a separate topic.

And... this board never ceases to make me shake my head. Wow, this conversation got so de-railed!

I usually bring:

- Ibuprofen; it's a LOT cheaper in the US than it is in Morocco and a lot of my lady friends like it for cramps

- Stuff to make fun food (this is more myself than as a gift): Ranch dressing mix (just use danon imsus isntead of mayo), Crystal Light packets, Miso soup mix, etc.

- Nice, individual gifts for people I am close to. I brought coffee, sweets, and nice earrings for MIL, baby clothes and earrings for SIL, a brooch for GIL, and food for FIL. Ha.

- I try very hard NOT to let people give me lists, or if I do, I explain about the weight limit and ask them to contribute to an extra suitcase. It sounds terrible, but I had someone ask me for snow-boots and a snowsuit! Um... sorry!!!

- Lots of bath stuff, books about the US/North Carolina with lots of pictures (the 24/7 America book is AWESOME but heavy! Also make sure pics are reasonable, ask someone like fiance/husband if the person is okay receiving a book with sometimes scandalous pictures).

- I second (third?) the idea for nice perfume!

- I found that my Peace Corps friends (poor, rural) were happy with most anything that came from America. My Rabati friends wanted nice, quality things. I even got really nice sewing kits from the dollar store from my mom. "People will love them!" she said. I thought they seemed cheap and dumb, but people in the rural town where I lived fought over them!

- Nice scarves. I know this sounds crazy because there is such variety in the US, but the ones that are a little unique can make cool gifts.

- Current American style magazines... teenage girls and women in their early 20s have loved looking at them. Again, it may be too scandalous for a few families, but for the most part, I've had success.

- The newest gadgets. Expensive, but people love 'em. Who wouldn't?

- Art supplies for kids: stuff like modeling clay, oil pastels, paint sets, etc. For toddlers, those special pads of paper and no-mess markers are AWESOME: no clean-up. You an get things like clay and pastels in the cities, but I've noticed that a lot of families don't give them to their children. Cost, or culture maybe?

- Mexican food seasonings. Whenever I have made tacos with taco seasoning packets from the US, with homemade salsa, cheese, homemade guac, etc., people here have LOVED it. I think the flavor profile is similar enough to Moroccan seasonings that it's an easy transition. This works best somewhere you are allowed to cook, obviously.

Keep in mind, I'm talking mainly about poor rural Morocco and middle to upper-middle class city Morocco. I'm making no claim to this all being generally acceptable, just that it has worked for me.

Things that have not gone over well:

- Jelly Bellies! They are halal (no animal products), and really cool. I imagined in Peace Corps, that we would sit there and talk about each flavor, I could learn some vocabulary, etc. Nope! The family just sort of ate them by the handful, not paying attention to flavor even when I explained, and some of the flavor combos grossed them out. I think maybe in a city they would go over better, but not with this host family!

- Calendars! I didn't realize that very few people use American-style wall calendars. (Nobody I know of, actually). So... pictures were torn out and used in notebooks or hung on the wall, but that was about it.

- Tea. Ahem. I am a tea fiend, and I have brought chai, rooibos, flavored black teas, etc. It tends to go down like a bag of bricks, even when I prepare it for people first and add a lot of sugar. The only person I've met here who actually enjoys a (albeit super-sugary) cup of my-style tea is my fiance. Ha.