Are You A Good Guest?

According to an old Portuguese proverb, there are two kind of guests - those that give immense pleasure in their coming and those who give immense pleasure when they leave!!!... Which one are you? When staying with out-of-town friends, you generally: Spend all your time with your hosts Plan occasional outings all alone to give them private space Go out a lot-you welcome frequent respites from togetherness You'd love to help out in kitchen, but your hostess says she prefer handing that department alone. You: Stick around, hoping to prove that you really mean what you say Take her at her word, & relax in a hot bath with a book Find something useful to do - like taking the dog for a walk A special party has been arranged for you, & scheduled for 8:00 PM. You arrive at: 8:05 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM When it comes to leaving a party, you're generally: One of the first One of the last Somewhere in the middle At a party, if you don't know the other guests, you usually: Make a beeline for the host or hostess Latch onto someone who looks as lost as you Find a corner from where you can watch, undisturbed How often do you: Bring alone a gift for your host, hostess or their kids? Usually Sometimes Rarely Break dates? Usually Sometimes Rarely Eat more than you planned to at a party? Usually Sometimes Rarely Arrive late for a dinner party? Usually Sometimes Rarely Drop in unannounced? Usually Sometimes Rarely Make long distance calls on your host's phone? Usually Sometimes Rarely Monopolies your host or hostess during a party? Usually Sometimes Rarely Dominate a conversation? Usually Sometimes Rarely Leave personal possessions behind? Usually Sometimes Rarely Write a thank you card for being invited? Usually Sometimes Rarely Give in to the urge to have a quick look at your host/hostess personal diary? Usually Sometimes Rarely At friend's party, you manage to break an expensive vase. You: Offer to pay for it Search for a replacement Send some flowers with a sorry note You don't known the host/hostess is too well but would like to bring along something edible, but relatively 'safe'. You bring along: A wine or liqueur Fresh fruit Ice cream The couples you're spending the weekend with indulge in a shouting match. You: Remain neutral & try to act referee Try & diffuse the situation with a remark like "Sunil & I too have our best fights when friends are around" Disappear fast Even while visiting, we all have our tolerance levels. Where do you draw the line? (Choose as many or as few as you wish) Couples who fight in front of guests Rowdy, noisy children Excessive drinkers or smokers People who mind if you smoke or drink Too much noise before 9 AM or after 2 PM Sharing a bathroom Food that's in conflict with your diet, philosophies, allergies, etc Lack of food which you're accustomed to Nothing to be Too much bossing around Your host's obnoxious friends You're staying at a friend's beach house & you have another friend staying nearby. You: Ask your hostess if you could have the second friend come over Arrange to have the second friend invites both you & your host over to dinner Casually mention that you have another friend who lives nearby & take your cue from her response While staying over for the weekend, you find yourself strangely attracted to your hostess' boyfriend/girlfriend. You: Avoid him like crazy-he belongs to her/him Behave normally & hope to run into him someplace else Indulge in light flirtation - after all, you're only complementing your hostess' taste in men An old friend offers to put up while you're visiting her city. You decide to stay: One night Two nights Three nights or more Are the following statements true or false of your house guest style? You tend to observe certain bedroom rituals (e.g. reading before bed, or a glass of milk before sleeping) no matter where you are. True False Undecided You get up, go to bed, at around the same time as your hosts do. True False Undecided Your room is always kept scrupulously clean. True False Undecided At least once during your stay, you chip in for groceries or arrange to take your host out to dinner. True False Undecided You wouldn't leave home without taking along an interesting book or magazine. True False Undecided Playing weekend host is really not your cup of tea. True False Undecided You'd rather face Chinese torture than reveal that your hostess snores or that her husband made a pass at you. True False Undecided

© Deep Pradhan, 2018

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