Perfect pick

Shopping…every girl's passion… Be it clothes, bags, shoes and of course my personal favourite, accessories, we all love it. When it comes to buying gifts, we think we are pro's. Guys consult us, we consult each other… at the end of the day in the gift-buying department, and we pretty much know it all… Or do we?

Have you ever been stuck not knowing what to buy? Of course right? Well I have been, and yes, it has always been when it comes to a guy. Honestly, whoever said that girls were hard to shop for, should be made to shop for a guy!

Whatever you call him – man, boyfriend, husband, father, son, brother, friend – buying a gift is just so hard to do. Why? I would say because they are hard to please and so picky…and my list could go on. But then again, the point here is to make someone else's life a bit easy, and with Christmas just around the corner, we need all the help we can get don't you think?

I was told by a well-informed male friend of mine, as he would like to be referred to, that buying gifts for guys doesn't have to be hard. Yeah right, you might think?

So how is it easy? Just stereo type them, and you are sorted. I just went through the net, thought about everyone I have met, worked with and got acquainted with and made a list of suggestions to help you out. Trust me, whatever the occasion is, once you've got this sorted, buying a gift won't be that hard.

I now introduce you to category one…

The Digital Guy
Surprisingly I know quite a few people in this category; this is the person who you go to with all your computer problems, the person who figured out why Grey's Anatomy was playing without sound (because you just didn't download the right player…who knew!). Basically, the guy who is into technology in a big way.

Now these guys are considered to be easy to buy gifts for. If you've got some money to spend, you've got lots of options. If you don't… well you've still got options. Be it a digital camera, computer accessory, phone, or phone accessory, anything that has a tech feel to it, he will love, at times even if it's just a little pouch for his camera. Remember, his gadgets are pretty important to him.

Media Guy
This is the guy who is into music, films, books, TV series… And that's what we would call him a 'media guy.' They have a DVD collection that could compete with a store, some of them want to be directors, writers, or simply have the whole collection of Stargate, Friends, Simpsons…take your pick.

What would make them happy? Well that's pretty obvious – anything that relates to what I mentioned. And thanks to pirating, here in Sri Lanka, that's not really an expensive gift at all. Give him some DVD's, CD's, books or whatever else along those lines, and he will be happy. The only problem that you might come across, being figuring out which titles he has got and the ones he hasn't. Sort that out, and it's just a walk in the park thereafter.

So who do we have next? Yes of course, the

Fashion Guy
These are the guys who are a bit concerned about what they wear. They take time picking their clothes, and actually try to make it work. Now these guys at times can be a tad bit hard to buy gifts for. But it's just a matter of going with the flow, or as they say, satisfying his fashion urge.

And what do we get them? Anything that is fashionable – from ties, watches and cuff links, to briefcases and shades. It's all there, but with just one hitch. You need to have his taste figured out; otherwise it might just end up being a waste of money. And we don't want that now do we?

And now I give you the ...

Adventure Guy
This is the guy who is into adventure sports, and every other activity that gets their adrenaline pumping. He is probably the more active person suggesting camping, white water rafting, and rock climbing as time passers or holidays.

You can just go wild with this one. You could get them an outdoor kit (if that's what they are called), Swiss Army Knife, Martial Art Classes…use your imagination.

Because whatever it is they will see it as a challenge… so you are pretty safe. And when it comes to the outdoors, the options are just unlimited.

Next on…we have the

Game Guy
He is the guy who sits in front of the TV for hours playing all sorts of video games. The guy who when deciding his furniture, is concerned of a good place for his PS2. This is the guy who given the option could live and breathe, video games…

What do you get them? Well, a ride back to civilisation might be a good idea, failing which just buy them video games. Loads of them, and that will be it. Just get them the gift, and you would be forgotten. They will just immerse into it. By the way, don't expect any thanks.

And last but not least, I have the last category…

Sporty Guy
A description for him? He is the one who lives and breathes sports, no matter what it is. He might have never played it, but he has to watch all the games, and he always has an opinion, most often how it could have been played better.

What to buy him? This one is just easy. Anything sports related is fine for him. Buy him an England Football sweater (if he is a fan that is), and he will be over the moon and you will be his favourite person.

Now that you think about it, buying a gift for a guy is not that hard is it? All you have to do is know them, and you would know what to get them. But as one guy puts it, "As long as it's not candles, scented that is, a soft toy or pot pourri, we are pretty cool with anything."

So the next time you go shopping, remember these tips and hopefully it will make your life easier. If you still fail, just do what I do – buy chocolates or food. Because that's one thing common with them…they all love all things edible.