[Vox]

Sometimes when people leave for a trip abroad, they will ask "Can I bring you back anything?" or "Is there anything you want?"
The proper answer to this (if you don't know them too well) is "No, just come back safely."

Now, call me dumb but I don't understand why that has to be the only answer. For sure, a few times I said "Yes! Bring me back something", I got nothing, so it was the same result....but, if they're offering, why can't we take them up on it...?

[Lore]

It's all a game. In most cases if a person is offering, they are doing so out of courtesy and don't expect you to say yes, or don't want you to say yes. Or at least that's what I've observed.

Some will actually adhere to your request, but in most instances they will act as if they never heard you... especially where money is involved.

[Taradiddle]

It's like when someone asks, "How are you?". You never answer it honestly, you just smile and say "Fine. You?" Sometimes I hate things like that. At what point is something that's "just because it's polite" not worth bothering with?

[Taki]

I usually respond to that with a "Sure, if you want to get me something." xD

Takla, I'm not a fan of those starter conversations. I like having friends who get right into the conversation without going through that.

[Uke]

One time a friend of my mom's went away and asked me what I wanted and I jokingly replied, "Bring me back a rock."

She brought me back a fancy rock that had a whole history about it. It was rather awesome.

[Taradiddle]

Oh, wow! Yeah, I don't really know anyone who goes anywhere, so there's never someone to bring me something back. My mom does have a friend in The Netherlands though, and once he sent us all Dutch related stuff.

[Duchess]

yes I would say get me something >O Because it's in my personality...actually.. I wouldn't even wait for them to ask. If I know someone is leaving to some place fancy and abroad... I say either one of two things, or both

1- TAKE ME WITH YOU ;A;
2- You had BETTER bring me back something >O

lol. It's just me ;P They know to expect it and not take it tooo seriously...even tho I'm mostly serious >>

[Vox]

lol@Duchess.

I understand about rhetorical or for appearance's sake only phrases like "How are you?" and "We should have dinner sometime." Even a wedding invitation can be just for politeness' sake. But, if I ever asked you "Do you want me to bring you something," I would either buy you a souvenir, or expect you to name the item and give me the cash to get it. Never would it be mere civility. Jamais!

But in the future, I'm going to laugh vaguely and say, "Only if you want to," and leave it like that. I guess.

[Aiko]

I wouldn't know
I always bring souvenirs back to my family and if I have promised anyone else :P

[Silverbleed]

Oh lol in my country they never ask. It's basically tradition they bring the people they love something. It doesn't really matter how expensive it was, it's the thought that matters.

[RedRum]

Originally Posted by Lore

It's all a game. In most cases if a person is offering, they are doing so out of courtesy and don't expect you to say yes, or don't want you to say yes. Or at least that's what I've observed.

Some will actually adhere to your request, but in most instances they will act as if they never heard you... especially where money is involved.

Everyone who has ever asked me always comes through. Usually it's my aunt or my bestie they are the two people in my life(and in the same city and state as I since my Uncle in Seattle to my Cali travels quite a bit) who travel the most, myself included. I haven't ever been much of anywhere...yet. ;)

In fact usually they don't even ask if I want something at all,My aunt will ask WHAT I want; T-shirt, key chain etc. I usually say t-shirt, a few times I have requested key chains however with my jansport purse backpack completely full, I don't have anything to use them for anymore. My bestie usually doesn't even ask at all, she just informs me that she'll bring me something and always does.

My bestie always brings me a key chain, currency from the country she visited and sometimes a t-shirt, in the case of Japan, she also brought me a pair of chopsticks and a miniature stuffed Yoshi I think from one of their biggest Anime stores. Usually it's a pretty good verity. As a result I am working up a pretty good foreign coin collection. She's brought me coins from Hawaii, London, Japan, and just recently Italy. She would have brought me Canadian coins too if that had not actually been a country I have visited before and thus already have some.

So never a disappointment here and I don't even have to say anything.
In the environment I grew up in, it's not really an option so much as courtesy. Especially the few times I get to travel because my bestie always goes all out for me so I kind of owe her on the rare occasion that I get a chance. I got her a Keychain from Seattle last summer when my family went there for my Uncle's wedding reception. It may not sound like all that much but it was her request, it's all she needed and we didn't get a whole bunch of shopping time.

[Reyoki]

I go on trips quite often, but I don't offer to buy things for people. Sometimes my friends will tell me to buy them something while I'm gone, and then I tell them "If you give me the money, I'll buy you something; $20 for something, $40 for something nice." Sometimes they give me money, so I buy them something, but if they don't I usually bring them some candy or something from the local shops wherever I went.

I don't ask for much when people offer to buy me things on their trips. I usually ask for a local soda, candy, snack, or something small like that. My cousin brought me this snack from a place in Texas called Buc-ees. They were called Buc-ee Nuggets, and they were like... oh mah gawd so good!!! They were like deep-fried pancake batter nuggets with this butter-honey-maple glaze over them. Those things made me SO HAPPY!!!

[johnny]

I have never heard of that being a standard reply to someone asking to bring back souvenirs from a trip.

If anyone asked me that, I would probably just say, "Whatever you want."

[Reyoki]

I usually ask what they want me to get them. My usual reason for travel is going to anime conventions, and souvenirs from those can get bookoo expensive really quickly; that's why I ask that they pony-up the money.

The last time I went off, one of my friends gave me $20 to get her something. I bought her a steampunk choker made of blue velvet with a brass flower with pearls and gears around it for a charm because she asked me for some jewelry. That one thing cost the entire $20.

[RedRum]

Originally Posted by Reyoki

My cousin brought me this snack from a place in Texas called Buc-ees. They were called Buc-ee Nuggets, and they were like... oh mah gawd so good!!! They were like deep-fried pancake batter nuggets with this butter-honey-maple glaze over them. Those things made me SO HAPPY!!!

Oh shit those DO sound awesome. I want me some of those!

Originally Posted by Reyoki

My usual reason for travel is going to anime conventions, and souvenirs from those can get bookoo expensive really quickly

Yeeah, it's true. We have fanime right in my city. Don't tell me I am lucky though I only go for my friends I am not all that into it except shopping. Most of the merchandise at Fanime is pretty pricey because it's authentic Japanese items and the only place in America you can get them.

Last year it soaked up all of about $75 I got back for my Japanese I and math books combined at the end of last Spring semester. Although dinner and $25 to spend the night in my friend's hotel room(which my bestie and I are never doing again), a lot of it also went to just THREE items in the shopping area. One of which was just a Japanese soda(which I promptly wished I could have traded for my bestie's Calpico when she let me take a sip, that stuff is delicious!). So really it was only two items.

So fanime IS expensive.
Sorry for the off topic.

[Hotaru Suzuki]

Only place I ever went was to the Netherlands. Of course when I left, I had no intention of returning. So I never asked any one if they wanted me to bring anything back. Needless to say, My return to America was not expected.