Gifts

In a remote relationship one must be inventive about methods to bridge the distance. Gifts can be good way to keep the other one close to oneself in a symbolic way in times where distance and busy schedules make communication difficult. I think that for me an Jinlin gifts have been important in this way, so I thought I'll  post a compilation of photos of some of the significant gifts in both directions. 

Jinlin had been expressing skeptical thoughts on the postal system of China, doubting that post would come through. So in fall 2011 I decided first just to test the success of delivery of mail before sending anything more valuable. Since she is talented artist, I decided to draw a picture and send that in a postal letter.

Drawing for Jinlin 

The letter arrived successfully to Jinlin (who was living at her mother at the time), increasing our trust in the Chinese postal system enough to start sending packages to both directions.

In my first packet I sent a compact camera for Jinlin. She had been having photography as a quite active hobby for some years in China, but her previous camera had got broken some time ago and she couldn't at the moment afford a new one. I wanted her to be able to continue photography both as an artistic hobby and as a way to send me pictures her everyday life.

Camera waiting to be packaged

Camera in package (address is her mothers in Xinxian)

Taking photos with the new camera

In addition to painting and drawing, Jinlin is good in handicraft and she got the wonderful idea of hand-crafting me a soft bunny doll, complete with cute trousers. This was her Christmas present for me in the end of the year 2011.

Jinlin showing the bunny doll in video chat before sending it to me

The postage slip from the package with the bunny doll

The bunny doll keeps me company in bed

Me with bunny

One button of the bunny's trousers come off, so I sew it back to place 

I sent a Christmas package to Jinlin as well. It has several items: Finnish Fazer chocolate, Lapland nature photography book and Dr Seuss' English learning books.

Jinlins Christmas presents ready to be packaged

Christmas package ready for post

During spring 2012 I wanted to send Jinlin something cuddly in the same way as the great bunny doll I had received. I am not good in handicraft but I wanted to do something with my own hands anyway so I decided on a simple pillow design with only limited amount of sewing.

Pillow sewing ready

Pillow ready to be sent, with my bunny doll

To accompany the pillow package I drew another picture with birds

Ever since my first trip to see Jinlin in China in summer 2012, gifts have been given face-to-face instead of postal mail. Several significant gifts have been given as welcome gift upon meeting each other after long time in separation:

Boxes of dozens of hand-written cards and envelopes where Jinlin had been
recording thoughts, poems and pictures of love.

Cute words with cute spelling mistakes proving authentic text :-)

Some cards had wonderful drawings by Jinlin

Jinlin is student of interior design, so on my trip to Shanghai in December 2012 I brought her as a gift several Finnish interior design magazines. We had good time looking at the pictures together

A small doll of a playing child given to me by Jinlin in Shanghai

Chocolate is always a good gift :-)

At Zhengzhou with T-shirt Jinlin gave me

Sometimes spontaneous and free gifts can have great emotional value. When waiting for bus on roadside in Yunnan,
Jinlin picked up some small flowers and crafted me a ring and wristband

I gave Jinlin a silver wrist jewel and silver hair pin in Yunnan

Writing souvenir messages to wooden plates in Lijiang

I gave Jinlin a piece of jade in Xishuanbanna

Jinlin gave me a jade wrist jewel

In Shanghai and later in Xinxiang I bought Jinlin a coat

In Xinxiang, Jinlin gave me a necklace that has a small clock inside

I gave Jinlin a ray-tracing work I have made 1995

Jinlin gave me a hand-knitted soft scarf. I value the fact that she has been able
to take time for that during her very busy first term in the university.