Sometimes the thought isn't what you'd expect

It is nice if someone brings you back a souvenir from their travels. It means that they gave at least some time during their leisure and fun to think of you, and spend a bit of their money to bring you back a small piece of their holiday. A sentiment that maybe doesn't have as much value these days when travel is much more accessible to the masses, but I think most people appreciate it.

It can get weird though when you start to wonder if much thought went into it. Some relatives of mine tend to travel alot, a slight perk of their income and career I guess. They have occassionally brought me back souvenirs and have opted for shirts for me, as its something that can be used. Its a gift that is practical.

Except for when they think you're hugely fat...

Now the general excuse is that in asian countries, the sizing is smaller, but I'm not a big person. Even in Australian sizes I'll generally wear between a small and a medium, even in the days when I used to frequent the gym, I pretty much was still medium.

So it confuses me when people bring back XL for their gift for me. They couldn't try it on themselves to gauge the sizing? Do I really look that big to them? Were they just diving in the tourist budget bin on their way to the airport on the last day?

The most recent time this happened was when I was brought this shirt from a Vietnam holiday. No matter how amusing a motif may be, when the shirt is two sizes too big, it loses the impact immediately.

Its a corny joke, and people might be embarassed to wear this in public, but just a couple of weeks ago though, I saw a guy at the train station wearing it and it looked fine; because it was the right size.