Souvenirs

Shopping in any foreign country holds such appeal that even (and especially!) the tchotchkes one gives and receives hold special personal value. When I was in high school, I started collecting the small "floaty" pens-- a cactus floating through a desert scene for a town in Texas, David or Venus floating up and down in Italy or a car floating under the Saint Louis Arch. The appeal of these pens is that they are cheap and portable, and have the benefit of reminding you where you (or your friend) was when purchased.
A former co-worker of mine traveled to India every couple of years, and before she would go, she would ask us to make a list, including spending limits, of things (jewelry, fabrics, etc) we would like her to bring back. For a total of $75, I received a custom made silver jewelry set and a hand embroidered wool shawl. My friend Rashmi has offered a similar service-- no doubt the shopping will be for her as fun as it is for us to receive!
Visitors to the U.S. often have lists of things that can be purchased here for cheaper than in their country, or perhaps not purchased at all. My friend Salma would come to Boston for usually a month at a time in the summer, and would stock up on Marshmallow Fluff, cranberry juice, Hamburger Helper and Gap clothes. Her shopping would be punctuated by frequent stops at Starbucks-- a surprisingly non-entity in her Mexican home. In return for accompanying her to the Hard Rock Cafe, she would bring me boxes of KinderEggs...a rare and expensive treat here.
I just helped G through a treasure hunt list for his aunt in Israel. The varied list included clothes, makeup and linens. An easy list save for the translation differences-- no fewer than 3 Bed, Bath and Beyond employees helped us convert the towels size from centimeters to inches.
I spoke to a friend last night who just got back from a year abroad. She buys a children's book (and asks her friends to do the same) from every country she visits, so her future children will have a world library.