Advice Please: Chinese Essentials and Gift Risks

Hello all
My girlfriend and I are about to depart for NE China. We were wondering if anybody had some good tips on things that we might want to take with us (for example I read elsewhere that deodorant can be tough to source).

Also we think taking gifts for our recruiter, school director and maybe pupils would be a nice touch but we're worried about making a cultural faux-pas, perhaps by creating obligations or crossing some hierarchical boundary, I don't know. Has anyone had any experiences of this? We'd really appreciate your sharing if so.

Thanks and Happy New Year to Team Adam!

Niko

Hi Niko,
I am not sure how far you are from major metropolis like Beijing perhaps. But I agree with you "some" North American stuff could be tough to find. Regarding deodorants; stick type ones are not on sale here. I am desperate for my Old Spice stick and I can't find it even in Hong Kong. They have a few of those disgustingly sticky roll-on brands like Rexona and also some spray like AXE, Adidas (I threw it after one use coz my skin got swollen and felt like it was blistering), etc. As for gifts, anything not "Made in China" would be appreciated. The kids would love those little buttons with Canadian or American flags in them. If you are from Canada, you can request for a few (maybe 30 pieces) of those from your local MP. Also, my students when nuts when they saw my left-over Canadian coins. Even dimes can go a long way... If you have some National Geographic or Canadian Geographic magazines, please carry some. I know they're heavy but they are favourites for your students to browse and even be part of your "get-to-know" first sessions.

I found that all North American items for personal hygiene is available in all of the major shopping establishments.

Never had a problem with not finding anything.

Red envelopes are a big plus and fully welcomed commodity in China. Money is always accepted, especially USD currency.

Moutai is a cultural extravagance and is shared during a meal, along with a prime rich tea.

Thank you both for your responses, most kind! I'll try to report back for future reference.