View the Caymanian Compass printed spread here.

‘Twas a Friday in Cayman and all through Camana Bay, every creature was stirring at the end of the day. I had been given a challenge – to shop for eight people on my Christmas list on my own, as Michael Klein from the Caymanian Compass was aided by the Discovery Centre Concierge Service. The idea was that women are better at this whole shopping thing than men, so he was given the advantage of inside know-how. As I flexed my leg muscles ready to sprint around the compound, the pressure was on, but I was quietly confident. On your marks! Get set! SHOP!!!

For a friend

Despite the fact that I had no concierge, I had something better (in my opinion) – a strapping young man following me around with a video camera. Was it Christmas already?? Ho, ho, ho! Our first stop was Books & Books – even if you don’t know someone’s taste in novels, there is so much more here. Coffee table books, biographies, self-help... plus a plethora of other great gifts and stocking stuffers. Luckily I had exactly the present for my best friend the minute I walked in the door: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents Earth (The Book): A Visitor’s Guide to the Human Race. She is a huge fan of the Daily Show and its salt-and-pepper haired host. I ran to the cash register and it was in the bag. Ha! I bet Michael and his concierge were still going through china patterns.

For a sibling

Next on the list was a gift for my sister. She really likes jewellery, and ordinarily with my $50 limit I would have thought The Mansion would be WAY out of my price range. Well I was wrong. They have a huge variety of adornments to suit any budget, including a funky, earthy line of pieces that were exactly her style. Not only was I able to get her a ring, but I was also able to spring for a matching bracelet and still stay within the rules. I found it interesting that very few people seemed fazed by the fact that a man was following me everywhere, handycam in hand. I guess my reputation preceded me. “He lost a bet,” I blathered to anyone who was curious. Onward to the next store!

For a pet

Those familiar with the brilliant array of items at Bedside Manor (including enough decadent accoutrements to discourage anyone from leaving the sanctity of their boudoir for all but a fire) may still be surprised to know how many gifts they have for the four-legged occupants of the home. Imagining the concierge struggling somewhere with my competitor, possibly grabbing a glass of wine to get her through the experience, I was on the brink of purchasing gift number three. All of my moggies would appreciate the Fling-A-String cat toy, and hopefully it would keep their wee claws from shredding the furniture for a few weeks. You can’t put a price, but of course there was one, and yes, it was under $50 and then some. Maybe I’d get cat treats with the remainder.

For the under 10s

I have no children myself, but when I grew up here I lived in the water. We jogged to Sand Angels, one of the newest additions to Camana Bay, to pick up a fabulous swimsuit that any little girl would be happy to have. I would have been so much more stylish at that age had such choices been around in MY day. It was tough not to get distracted by the gorgeous adult clothes, swimsuits and jewellery, but my videographer was tapping his watch – time to go! Ooh! That gave me an idea.

For the co-worker

Off to Watch Me for a unisex gift perfect for a co-worker. After all, who at the office doesn’t need a timepiece? Don’t want to be late for work, and more importantly, you want to know exactly when 5pm rolls around! The salespeople were very helpful – adjustable straps all around to accommodate any wrist size and a mixture of styles and colours. Reasonable prices, watches that tick…this was a piece of cake! I began to realise I was very good at this. Bags bulging, I continued forth.

For your partner and an elderly relative

Poor Brian (my companion du jour) tried to keep up with my pace and inane banter as we entered the premises of NKY. I had to buy for a husband/boyfriend, neither of which I have, but luckily he was on hand to provide input. As we scoured hats and shirts aplenty he was drawn to a Lacoste shirt. I’d only known him for 30 minutes, but hey – it was under my $50 limit so why not? I got that for my boyfriend-of-the-future and in NKY Collections, I discovered a superb pashmina for my grandmother. Score!

For a teen

The final stop was for a teenager. Again, I have no children, but I was willing to bet that The Cabana, Lilly Pulitzer shop would have what I was looking for. Sure enough, I managed to get an umbrella (a girl can’t get her hair wet before prom) AND a matching mousepad in case she had to field dates on Facebook. Leslie packaged my gifts beautifully (thank goodness, because despite being female, my wrapping skills are rubbish.)

Brian and I hightailed it back to the Discovery Centre with 15 minutes to spare, and even though Michael greeted us in a casual manner, beverage in hand, I knew secretly he was envious of what we had accomplished. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

In conclusion, I learned that Camana Bay holds infinitely more gift possibilities than I had originally suspected. I also learned that I am fitter than I thought and that Brian is not interested in me beyond following me with a video camera. You win some, you lose some. Merry Christmas.