An Offering

Apparently my host family already expects a gift from me. We haven't even met, and they want me to give them something thoughtful, a memento from home. I see it as more of a peace offering. Here I am, going to live with and probably annoy you for the next four months. Here's a cheap gewgaw for all of your troubles. An even exchange if I've ever seen one.

So, for the past couple of weeks, my family and I have been brainstorming ideas for this offering of sorts. Below is a list of some of the things we though of and whey they are a bad ideas.
Sorting through all the knickknackery: Michigan edition.

• Better Made Potato Chips - A Detroit original, everyone here loves a good Better Made potato chip (this may or may not be correlated with Detroit's routine ranking on the fattest city in America list). The French, on the other hand, probably don't appreciate the finer sides of deep fried potato wafers. Also, the long tip would likely crush every single chip to a fine dust. Potato dust. NO.
• Vernor's Ginger Ale (with straws) - Another great Detroit product, Vernor's is objectively the best ginger ale in the world. With more ginger flavor than a ginger root, it's makes other "ale's" seem like club soda. Unfortunately, lugging any reasonable quantity of this tasty beverage could get pretty heavy and cumbersome. Vernor's*. NO.
• A bottle of Chateau Grand Traverse - Northern Michigan (northern lower Michigan that is, no body actually goes to the upper peninsula, its a myth) is a pretty awesome outdoor paradise. There are lots of trees and lakes, wild life like whoa (except for wolverines, that remains a mystery), and awe-inspiring landscapes. There are also a few wineries. Take some Michigan wine to the heart of the Loire valley? Wine. NO.
• Snuggie - This one doesn't have any ties to Michigan (that I know of), but it is a pretty good summary of America's best qualities. They could eat some potato chips and drink ginger ale and wine all without getting tangled up in a pesky blanket or leaving the couch! Slanket. NO.
• Sander's Hot Fudge - I've never met a Sander's hot fudge sundae I didn't like. This stuff is seriously good. I happen to be partial to the bittersweet version, but there are a milk , Swiss, and dark chocolate varieties as well. It makes me a little nervous giving the French a jar of chocolate fudge topping (what with their famous chocolatiers and proximity to Switzerland and Belgium), but I'm sure they will appreciate the gesture either way. Also, should they not like it, I'll eat it. Sanders. YES!
• Michigan Maple Syrup - I remember, fondly I might add, driving to grade school in the late winter/early spring and seeing empty milk cartons hanging from trees. Every year, I asked my dad to plant a sugar maple so we could collect sap and make our own syrup (not any maple tree will do, only sugar maples or black maples). Every year, he would say that it would be years before the tree matured to produce sap so I should probably forget it. I still don't have my maple tree which leaves a bitter taste in my mouth (not a pleasantly sweet one like that of delicious homemade maple syrup). Since I can't take homemade maple syrup, Michigan maple syrup is the next best choice. I don't know whether or not maple syrup is a big thing in France, so it seems like a good idea. Syrup, maple. YES!
  

So Sander's hot fudge and maple syrup it is. I guess I'll be the condiment kid. But I'm okay with that.

* Want to learn more about Vernor's Ginger Ale and its facinating history? Check out this book!