Damian’s Websurf on Swiss presents
On a very hot and humid day in Melbourne, my wife mentioned: “It smells just like Christmas!” which reminded me that, not only is it still strange for me to celebrate Christmas in shorts and a T-shirt, but that I should start thinking about presents for my loved ones.
Christmas is still some time away but despite the fact that I have 11 months to prepare for it and get presents sorted, in my household gifts are purchased in the very last month of the year. This year I’m hoping to purchase some of the gifts online, therefore eliminating the mad rush in the shopping centre and getting convenient home delivery. So in this edition of Damian’s websurf I thought I should have a look at Swiss and Australian gifts available online.
Swiss Gifts
Online retailer Zazzle offers a great selection of vintage Swiss postcards and posters as well as fridge magnets on their homepage www.zazzle.com.au/switzerland+gifts while CafePress has a diverse range of T-Shirts and Jumpers, I personally like their gift ideas for aprons and bibs which you can find at http://shop.cafepress.com.au/switzerland
Oddly, some of the major Swiss brands don’t have online webstores that operate in Australia and Swatch is one such example. Don’t worry though as local retailers www.justwatches.com.au on the Gold Coast allow you to order the iconic Swiss plastic watch online. And while Lindt established its first chain of cafes in Australia, they don’t have an online shop. My recommendation is to try www.sweetas.net.au/lindt.html which gives you the opportunity to shop for most of the famous Swiss chocolate brands online.
In my mind, one of the most useful gifts to come out of Switzerland is the Swiss Army knife. The official online retailer for Victorinox knifes in Australia is www.myswissarmyknife.com.au/ and I should mention that Wenger also makes “Sackmesser”, as they are known back home, which I found to be available online by searching on www.myshopping.com.au
But did you know that according to the “International Gift Giving Etiquette” for Switzerland ‘knives, scissors, cutlery or other sharp objects of any kind are not appropriate gifts since they symbolise the severing of a friendship or other close bond’ www.1worldglobalgifts.com/switzerlandgiftgivingetiquette.htm.
Thankfully Victorinox nowadays also offers a fantastic array of high quality luggage which you can purchase online in Australia via http://theluggageprofessionals.com.au/brands-category/victorinox-luggage.html
Australian Gifts
Some of you might head back to our home country for Christmas and come up with the age-old question, which gifts to bring from Australia? While there are many shops selling cheap souvenirs I set myself the quest to gift something uniquely Australian, yet still practical.
I found clothing to be appropriate for my Swiss friends and as AFL and NRL only exist down under, a team T-Shirt will make them stand out from the crowd. You can either visit the official AFL store http://shop.afl.com.au or shop online from a more affordable retailer such as www.goodscore.com
If your family members are fluent in English then a good idea is to visit the ABC online shop http://shop.abc.net.au which features an entire category about Australian books, music and DVDs for adults as well as kids.
Australian Geographic has a rather unique range of gifts in their online store http://shop.australiangeographic.com.au such as high-quality calendars and books as well as some funny ideas like the Australian Ice Cube Tray.
My personal favourite is Zetta Florence, a chain of stationary stores which allow you to order online as well on http://zettaflorence.com.au By searching for ‘Melbourne’ you will be presented with a selection of calendars, notebooks and wrapping paper featuring some iconic shots of our city taken in the 1950s.
I’m certain that you have your own favourite online shopping destination that you use for gifts and if you have suggestions for the Swiss community in Australia please share your thoughts on our Facebook site www.facebook.com/swissclubvic
Damian Schaller is a regular contributor to the Edelweiss, the Swiss magazine for Australia published by the Swiss Club of Victoria in Melbourne www.swissclubvictoria.com. After 9 years in Australia he now lives with his wife and daugther in Switzerland.
