The Art of Giving Gifts by maryannah |  |
HAPPY VALLEY - Well the Christmas and the New Year are not so far away after
all. But what is the one word, almost most important thing about it? The problem
of finding a right one, can give you a headache, receiving that right one, can
make you floating from happiness even higher than the Faerieland is. So what
is the magic word? Gifts (actually that’s a plural of gift) . What is the first
thing you imagine? Hills of codestones, mountains of faeries and nice bags full
of paint bushes – all to you, darling? Or maybe hours of shopping, trying to
find the right one? Whichever type you are, this article could help you on the
topic of giving gifts. Also featured a small post scriptum about receiving
them.
Maybe you ask what is so important about those gifts? I don’t have to worry,
at least do anything, about what I’ll get for Xmas. Well there are many reasons
why. First If you don’t give your friends at least something, don’t expect to
receive a present from that from next time there’s some kind of a party. Second,
believe me, giving gifts makes you feel a lot better. That is totally true.
All the pure happiness of the recipient (only don’t expect them to be purely
happy when you give them a pile of dung for their birthday), the good feeling
that you did something good. Also some of us have this money-storing-symptom
(I can’t do nothing about it, honestly!) which causes the feeling of being greedy,
you start to think that you’re so bad, that other Neopians actually need your
money and you just let it lie somewhere in the deeps on National Neopian Bank
(of course some of us don’t even get the slightest clue of that feeling, but
I think they’re a minority). Well giving gifts cures that feeling for about
two days (different people have a slight different reaction). Finally, you can
become popular within your friends as The Gift Maker. Sounds tempting?
First thing is to look up the range of persons you are going to give presents
to. I mean I don’t think you want to be spending money on someone you once met
at the Neoboards, but haven’t talked to him/her for last four months.
Next, you should revise your financial possibilities. If you’re not a rich
person, try to start saving before each important date that enquires buying
presents. Play a lot of games like pyramids, scarab 21, Sakhmet solitaire, Zurroball,
Warf rescue team or anything else you are good at.
Now try to sort you friends to three ranks: rank: bestest friends, you would
never want to loose them rank: good friend rank: people you know and don’t want
to insult them by not giving any gifts When you have separated them this way,
you should be able to overlook your budget. You should plan about 4k for each
1. rank, 1k for each 2. rank and 500 per each 3. rank. Of course that is the
medium, but you can change it the way you want and your possibilities are. I
think you all have already understood that the 1. rank friend should get the
fanciest present and the 3. rank the cheapest.
Then make the event calendar. Put there all the important dates like Christmas,
Thanksgiving, Easter and New Year. You can also feature your own occasions like
the end of the school, the first snow etc. Don’t forget to put the birthdays
of your Neofriends and if you want to, their Neopets users anniversaries and
their pets birthdays. You can also include some Neopets special days like Chocolate
ball and Faerie Fest.
The most important part here is to be creative. Don’t just buy a codestone
or a Faerie. They’re good, but by giving them to your friends, you won’t earn
the name of The Gift Maker. Try finding a themed gift for an occasion. If it’s
Christmas, buy a Christmas petpet, if it’s Halloween a spooky one. You can also
give so called kits. I don’t mean bought from shops, I mean homemade. Lets say
your friend’s main pet is a Kau, get some Kau books, some Kau foods and battle
items and it’s ready: your own homemade Kau kit. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
Try different kits and packs, so that you’d never have to give the same present
to one person twice. Also listen to your friends a lot. If you listen to them
really carefully, you can spot their secret wishes. Though you can give them
on New Year and maybe birthday if you don’t have any themed thing in your mind.
Here I’ve got an example what you could give to one your friends (that is only
an example to help you understand what I mean) Valentines day: rank:
a valentines muffin/ valentines earrings rank: three red roses/bottle of love
rank: deluxe bouquet, chocolates Gadgadsbogen rank: minty shrimp/ juicy
melon (both gourmet) rank: carnapepper, teal juppie rank: zeenana cappuccino
Easter rank: a Usuki negg painting set rank: a buttered negg waffle rank:
some chocolate melted neggs UsukiCon rank: a yellow Warf Usuki set, a
Doglefox Usuki set rank: an Usuki pretty pearls set rank: an Usuki music box
Chocolate Ball rank: a milk chocolate nova rank: two or three recipient
pets’ species chocolates rank: a bar of chocolate Faerie festival rank:
two or three bottled faeries rank: one bottled Faerie rank: a water Faerie pen
Halloween rank: a Ghostkerchief rank: a Korbat Halloween rank: a devilled
steak, a spooky shake Thanksgiving rank: a heavenly roast turkey rank:
a turkey dinner rank: a turkey milkshake Borovan rank: a cup of hot borovan,
borovan brownies, a borovan pavlova rank: a cup of hot borovan, borovan brownies
rank: a cup of hot borovan Christmas: rank: a decorated tree, a holly
wreath/ Christmas petpet paintbrush rank: bumper prize stocking rank: a chocolate
tree, a chocolate star decoration You can also give themed gifts for species
days. Lets say your friend has a Kau. Then give the friend a nice kit of Kau
books, BD items or foods.
When you’ve sent the present it would also be good if you’d send a card explaining
the meaning of the gift, especially if you’ve sent a kit.
Now I wanna tell you something about receiving gifts also. You can ask, what’s
the difference anyway? But if you follow these guidelines, there is more chance
you will be on the present receivers list next time too. First, when you’ve
received a gift send a thank you Neogreeting, or a least a Neomail thanking
for the gift. Second, never-ever sell the things you have gotten as a present.
First that’s highly rude and second, the person who gave you that could get
offended (the only exception is if the person gave it told you that you can
sell it). Although you can display the items at a price of 200k in your shop
(then you should include the explanation too).
Lastly, when you’ve finished serving the others, grant yourself too. Say: “I
did a good job and now I deserve a gift too” and go get yourself a chocolate.
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