would you like coins,pebbles,seashells,postcards...etc given to you by a stranger???

Joelle,Turkish ppl r simply wonderful at helping foreigners.Do you really think they need to be paternized with a gift,don´t you think a smile,genuine acknowledgments ,and true hand shake would be enough?And if you want to show your appreciation with a modest gift sweets will do,calendars,small stationary ....but Turks help without waiting for a gift)in return)

Yes.  I hadn´t thought of pebbles and seashells.  I guess I didn´t pay much attention, are pebbles and seashells different there?

I ask because every culture is different.  For example, I wouldn´t go up to a foreigner in the US and share my lunch with them.  We are taught in the US not to take food from strangers.

 Pavlov´s dogs????

No, I wouldn´t be too keen to give coins or postcards..  Firstly the coins, would be like tipping except that the receiver would not be able to spend it.  Unless the person you are giving to collects foreign coins.  Postcards are best received in the post.  Tea, well, Turkish people drink lots of cay.  Yes, they might like to try foreign tea.

When visiting friends, I like taking chocolates (mind, during the hot summer, the chocolate will melt) packets of biscuits, bags of sweets and mints, are often much appreciated.  The suggestion of picture playing cards is also very good.

People.why all this fuss about ???In my case..thanking for foreigners help is a decent hug,attention given,small talk ,etc...things go totally different with old friends and gifts are different..

of course most of ppl are helpful,handy,etc but does that mean they expect sth in return???sth material???sth they can show to others?...doubt..doubt...world is not such americanized.. can live without generous American gifts.....Turkish world,I mean

Hi Joelle,

I agree with Adana. Turkish people do not expect gifts in return for their hospitality or friendly offers. If you know someone really well, then certainly bring a small gift when visiting them.

Sweets of any sort always seem to be appreciated. Learning to say thank you in Turkish is a good start to show your appreciation. Learn more Turkish to engage in simple conversations and they will appreciate that you have made an effort to communicate with them. Mostly a smile and a sincere thank you will be enough.

It is really a sweet idea Joelle, but as the others have said, a smile and thank you would be enough.  Also, if you learn some Turkish, it would be greatly appreciated. 

If you really feel like giving small tokens, your idea of post cards would probably fine, but no coins.  I don´t like giving sweets as I don´t think they are very healthy....you know tooth decay and blood sugar problems.

Thank you so much for giving your perspective!  This is exactly the reason I ask... because I would not want to be offensive in a gift, I would just want to show my gratitude.

Also, I know I gift would not be expected from a stranger, but that goes both ways!  If someone shares with me a bit of their culture, I want to do the same for them... not because I have to but because I want to. 

First of all, I think it´s a GOOD IDEA to bring small gifts with you. I did so for many years and everybody in Turkey who I gave a small gift liked it very much. A lot of Turkish people help others all day long and never get anything back for it. This way you can show your appreciation.

What I always bring are a bunch of small, porcelein "wooden shoes". They are typical Dutch, I know a store where I can get a good deal on them, and they fit easily in my bag. They are about the size of a 4 dices.

Isn´t there something small that is typical for the area you live in? Believe me, people will like it. The coins might seem too much like money, so that can get a negative reaction (like you are trying to pay them).

By the way, I´m not talking about giving gifts to everybody you meet. I think some of your reactions to his idea are a bit overdrawn. For example, if you go to the same restaurant for a week, and these people give you free tea every time, help you figure out your way around town...things like that, they have really helped you! And you want to show that you appreciate that with a little something extra. What´s wrong with that?

My first time in Turkey I had some people who helped me so much, but I didn´t see them the year after that, so I was never able to really thank them extra much. That´s why I´m prepared since then