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There are a few miscellaneous details regarding colors that I need to
mention here. Women should avoid wearing red, white, blue, or black to a Chinese wedding. The first is reserved for the bride; the remaining are the colors of mourning.
When presenting gifts to your Japanese friends, neighbors or business
associates, use pastel colors (or red for a wedding) but not white. You can also skip the bows and ribbons. For most Asians, black is an inappropriate color for gift wrapping so resist the
urge to use the "Over the hill" wraps so popular for 40 and 50-year birthday celebrations. Allusions to death and dying are considered very inauspicious or in extremely bad taste. Never give
a clock to a Chinese for it has funeral connotations. Syrians consider brown their funeral color as it symbolizes falling leaves.
Gift giving is conducted privately so as not to appear as a bribe (except
at a banquet to a public official). In Arab communities, giftgiving is handled so as not to appear underhanded. Opening a gift in the presence of the giver is not considered polite and the
recipient should not be urged to do so.
What constitutes an appropriate gift for your Asian clients at the
closure of a home or a major purchase? For the Japanese and upper class Asian clients, signature gift items are always appreciated, although they should not be too personal. Desk sets,
leather goods, handmade wood accessories, fine European crystal (Lalique) or American china and silver (Lennox, Waterford, etc.), beautiful coffee table books make good corporate gifts for
men.
For women, I have found that elegant, American-made costume jewelry such as Trifari and Monet, scarves and small leather items are liked very much by wives of executives. You don't have to spend a bundle, but rather be original or creative. Sometimes finding something beautifully handcrafted, original, or unusual, (mainstream but not bizarre or weird) such as hand painted silk, can be appropriate.
A generous basket with sparkling wines or cider, fine chocolates,
beautiful fruit (kiwis, apples, oranges, etc.), and imported coffees make a gift that everyone in a family can enjoy. A big, wide red bow should be tied on the handle. As cheeses are not
universally liked, you may wish to leave them out of the basket. Just for the record, many Asian are lactose-intolerant.
Another gift well received is a house plant with its container hidden in
a wicker or brass pot (with its big red bow). Ficus trees, schefflera, Chinese evergreens, and other hardy, low-maintenance house plants can be good candidates. If someone you know is opening
a business, a dwarf kumquat, orange, or tangerine tree is in order, for the green leaves represent growth, the gold-colored fruit, prosperity.
Some Japanese do not like receiving a potted plant if they are hospital
patients, for the roots signify a long stay. For them, cut flowers which will quickly wilt and die means that they will recover and home just as quickly. The opposite is true for many Chinese
who view cut flowers as funeral (especially those yellow or white chrysanthemums) and would prefer potted plants instead.
The top alcoholic gifts are the best brandies and cognacs such as XO,
Hennessey, Courvasier, Martell, and scotches such as Chivas Regal, Crown Royal, Johnny Walker Black. These can be served to guests at family, business, and social occasions. Remember: don't
be stingy when choosing a gift. After all, if your client or customer has just made a million-dollar purchase, the least you can do to is to splurge on a respectable, generous token of appreciation for his business. These are the details that will be noted, remembered, and recounted to the others in his network.
Whether you are presenting a status or thoughtful gift, be certain that
it is not manufactured or produced in any Asian country. On the other hand, if you are taking executive wives shopping, you may be amazed to find them interested in the apparel made in their countries that appear in our retail stores. The highest quality knits and other clothing are made for export and the natives never see their counterparts in their own countries.
There are other influences that may impact the conduct of business.
Elders, parents, and other siblings, may be consulted. Many Chinese wont' make a move without consulting the almanac called the tung shu that is sold around the lunar new year. Others swear by the ancient Book of Changes, the I Ching,
astrologers, and fortune tellers. In India, astrologers are consulted for major decisions regarding business and marriage.
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