21 - 27 December 2000
Issue No.513
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 21 - 27 December 2000 Issue No.513 |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
A season for (for) giving
By Pascale Ghazaleh
When the holiday season rolls around again, invitations start pouring in -- to Iftars, Sohours, intimate little dinners, Christmas parties, day-after-Christmas gatherings, New Year's Eve gala soirées and New Year's Day brunches... And as any conscientious guest knows, the holiday season also means gifts. Here, we step onto dangerous terrain, of course -- for gifts include not only the Labrador puppy that Tante Khadiga's niece will just love, the extra rope of pearls for the grandmother who has everything and the antique crystal decanter for a favourite uncle; they also mean that little something, nothing really, oh no, really, you shouldn't have, that every hostess both dreads and adamantly expects.
Today's society-wise guest does not really need to bring anything along to a casual evening among intimate friends, nor to a big bash where no one will notice who brought what anyway. It is those tricky little neither-nor events -- the house-warming open day held by one's fiancé's best friend and his wife, say -- that call for some serious strategy. One wants to look good, after all, but not too good. No point in upstaging the friends-to-be in question by bringing along a full set of rosewood-handled cutlery, if you know they've just managed to complete their set of imitation Tupperware refrigerator boxes. And it just wouldn't do to alienate an old schoolmate who broke the bank to get us a house plant by springing for a first edition of The Waste Land.
This is where the good old bunch of flowers and box of chocolates formula used to come in handy. Today, however, such a trusty standby just won't cut it. A friend, banging kitchen cabinet doors closed in a desperate search for a vase, once sniffed: "Bringing a bouquet is such a... Western thing to do. No one does that here. Flowers are for weddings, and funerals." She eventually decided to put the unfortunate blossoms in the bathtub, where they wilted quietly for all of three hours before making a hasty exit via the escalier de service.
Well, there's just no pleasing some people. One arbiter of taste regularly recycles her presents, redistributing bottles of perfume, scarves and other all-purpose gifts in the direction of less fortunate friends and family members. She has yet to return a gift to its original donor, but hope springs eternal.
Lest one despair, however, and join the ranks of undesirable grinches and other abstainers from the eminently necessary exchange ceremony, several kind souls have come up with gifts that, while not necessarily guaranteed to please, will at least send the proper message to the recipient: a message that one has been thoughtful, but not embarrassingly considerate, and spent just the right amount.
The gifts that keep on giving: from top, Dina Iskander's Christmas-themed floral compositions (photo: Mohamed Mos'ad); candles by WIX (photo courtesy Khaled Hamza); a Basket Case of gourmet goodies (photo courtesy Delicious Retail)
One perennial option is the candle, scented or otherwise. Needless to say, not just any supermarket-shelf air freshener will do. You could consider, instead, WIX's gorgeous, fat candles (one, two or three wicks), in translucent white wax: simple orbs or swooping cylinders with calligraphy-like Islamicate designs carved out in relief, they will be sufficient decoration for any minimalist interior. There is one for just about any budget -- and, while it is surely more difficult to set them alight when one is already suffused with the glow of giving, recipients will have no such qualms.
If a candle seems too -- well, impersonal, there is always a Basket Case from Cilantro. These are thoughtful assemblages of gourmet tidbits, nestled cosily in a hamper or wooden chest, which one can tailor to the preferences of one's boss, neighbour or cousin's mother-in-law. For conservatives, the chocolates-and-a-candle theme is always an option; but there is also the tea-time basket, packed with teas and biscuits; for a gourmet theme, one can choose caviar, chutney, mustard and olives. The baskets offer a crucial advantage to those pressed for time: you can call, place an order, and the gift, sight unseen, will be delivered to its intended recipient. Points are racked up, no time is lost. "Some people call up and give me a list of names and addresses," says Basket Cases' Taya El-Zayadi. "Then they can relax, and their Christmas shopping is done." While originality is optional, in theory the sky -- well, the size of the basket -- is the limit.
The same may be said of Dina Iskander's imaginative bouquets, which can include tidbits like chocolates, marrons glacés or a bottle of champagne. Iskander has had slightly more eccentric requests, however: one client ordered a live turkey as part of the floral arrangement; another sent a puppy to her daughter in a carrier covered with cascades of blossoms.
Here, too, time -- and the desire to save it -- is of the essence. "Traffic being what it is nowadays, it is very convenient to just call and place your order," Iskander explains. One habitual customer thus admits that she has never seen the fruits of her own generosity: she calls, agrees on the basic theme and price range, and sits back, secure in the thought that the newly-weds/godparents/birthday child will be touched by her thoughtfulness. After all, these are not just flowers; one could describe them as super-bouquets. Iskander, who specialises in floral design for weddings -- on one such occasion, she had the church strung with garlands in hues that matched the bridesmaids' gowns ("a little over the top, but very striking," whispered a guest) -- is known for her fanciful themed compositions, such as the Ramadan tarboush filled with sweets and bristling with flowers.
There is really no excuse, then, for not offering the perfect gift. No imagination of your own? No need. And if anyone out there is wondering -- remember, you gave me socks last year.
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