[Androgeos Exeunt]

All right, here are the details. In exactly thirteen days' time, one of my best friends - a girl - will be celebrating her seventeenth birthday, and I can't think of anything to give her. She's a junior college student and was one of the top three scorers in my secondary school during last year's Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education 'Ordinary' Level national examination, and she was also my Secondary 2, 3 and 4 classmate. Unfortunately, she doesn't read a lot, nor can she spare a lot of time playing games because she studies in a junior college, where the workload is far heavier than that of a polytechnic. She doesn't like cars very much either, nor does she fancy eating sweet stuff. Her mum is the chairwoman of one of the many resident committees in Singapore, which are something like district mayors.
At the moment, my mum says I should buy a polo shirt for her, which is fine, but I want other alternatives as well. My budget is S$20 to S$30 (about US$14 to US$21 or about £7.8 to £11.8 as per the Unviersal Currency Converter). Is there anything else that might be worth a look?

[Scuddie]

If she's a fun gal with a sense of humor, she'd probably appreciate a gag gift.  Not something insulting, of course, but pokes fun at whatever situation she is in, or comically makes fun of gift giving.  A bag of socks is a fairly common one in the States.  I've seen things like "My brother went to New York's finest gift shop and all he got was this lousy shirt" before.  Just get something that can remind her of you and your qualities.  Women like that kind of thing.  It can even be cheap enough to buy a 'real' gift as well...  or better yet, a companion gag gift.

Of course, if she's not one for laughs, I'd say stick with the polo shirt.

[NGTM-1R]

That's a pretty paltry budget. I'm not sure I can suggest anything that would make a decent gift and be cheap enough.

Then again, I'm not sure I could, or should, suggest anything at all. My recourse has always been to ask them what they'd like with females, except for those I know very well indeed; particularly with birthdays as opposed to random gift-giving.

[Rian]

Music? A CD, or a gift certificate if you don't know her taste? Perhaps a DVD of a favorite movie? These are good if you can pull them off, because they show that you know what she likes and you've put some thought into it. There's a risk of getting her something she already has, though.

A T-shirt with an interesting design, maybe, though such things are very susceptible to taste. I wouldn't recommend a slogan T-shirt unless you've seen her wearing them.

[Al Tarket]

how well do you know this girl?, it could go along way for us to suggest a few items for you.

if i was you would get her a nice pair or shoes, a nice birthday card, a kiss on the cheek or a good cuddle plus a good laugh that appeals to her sense of humor.

woman have different tastes and a pair of socks for a joke of the moment might not go down too well for her, if she is a more serious character it would probably insult her, a cheap pair of socks, and something that is so insignificant that shes not amused. i just hope if works out good for you androgeos.

[Mefustae]

Awww. I thought my suggestion was pretty good.

Anyway, we're not going to be able to tell you exactly what to get her. To do so, we'd need to know what your relationship with her is and what she's in to, which is far better served by you going to a local shopping center and having a good look around. It'll take one afternoon and it's a heck of a lot more satisfying to give someone a gift that came from your heart and not from some faceless goon on the net.

[Al Tarket]

Mefustae is quiet correct on the last point he written down... well except for the faceless goon bit .

[Androgeos Exeunt]

I'll be dropping by my local shopping center sometime this week, so I'll look around.

Thanks for the encouragement, Al.

[BloodEagle]

Wait.... Your asking for relationship advice from the people here, on a forum!? Have you lost your mind!?

[Nuclear1]

Exactly what I was thinking...

Only relationship advice you'll get from the internet is "stick it in her pooper"

[bash]

I bet there is not one forum dedicate to anything gaming or programming related on the net where you can't find this topic.

From my personal experience, chocolate cake is always good as a rescue plan. I know you said she doesn't like sweets, but trust me: that doesn't apply to chocolate

[Mars]

I baked a gluten free cake for my wheat-intolerant girlfriend, and she was very appreciative.

[Ashrak]

presents are far overrated, just take her out somewhere and enjoy your relaxing evening, far better then any object.

[Al Tarket]

your wrong about the chocolate being a girls best friend that the same with expensive gifts like diamonds. i have tried both with my wife a few times, both times she has broken half a bar of chocolate and given it to a friend and the other half she just puts in my mouth forcefully. and as for the diamond ring, she didn't remove it and said "oh wow", no she closed the box the ring was in and threw it at me, and then said "get our money back". 

[BloodEagle]

your wrong about the chocolate being a girls best friend that the same with expensive gifts like diamonds. i have tried both with my wife a few times, both times she has broken half a bar of chocolate and given it to a friend and the other half she just puts in my mouth forcefully. and as for the diamond ring, she didn't remove it and said "oh wow", no she closed the box the ring was in and threw it at me, and then said "get our money back". 

She sounds lovely.*

*I'm not being sarcastic, in case you took that the wrong way.

[Dark RevenantX]

All I can say is give her what she wouldn't or can't buy herself.

[redsniper]

All I can say is give her what she wouldn't or can't buy herself.

....

*snerk*

[MP-Ryan]

presents are far overrated, just take her out somewhere and enjoy your relaxing evening, far better then any object.

+1

Except for the incorrect 'then" where there should have been a "than."

Than is the comparison, people.  Then is temporal, used to describe a sequence of events.

[Bob-san]

Take her to a fast food joint as a cover, then take her somewhere nice & fancy.

[NGTM-1R]

presents are far overrated, just take her out somewhere and enjoy your relaxing evening, far better then any object.

She's not his girlfriend people, let's keep the dating advice to a minimum?