How to be a Good Guest...........

I have been very fortunate that I had always been very well treated by my friends wherever I go throughout the world. Some of the people who welcome me to their home are people whom I have never met before in my life . They have always made my life interesting and when I am in some faraway land I always feel blessed to have such good people. If you have been following my blog you would remember some of the people who has taken good care of me.

Whenever I am at home I would not hesitate to take in some guest to my house. These people have also enriched my life in one way or another. Sometimes I have bad experience with lousy and selfish guest and I had to sleep in the dog house to escape from my wife's nagging!




From my experience, the Golden Rules when invited to stay with a family are:




1. Be considerate to your kind host. Do not expect the world from them. Most of the host has taken time off to be with you.


2. Do not mess up the house. In another words, clean your own shit!. Leaving coffee cups all over the place and leaving your fruit skins all over will annoy the host!


3. Pay for some of the meals when your host take you out for dinner at restaurants. Do not just sit there like a dumb fool. It is most annoying even your host can afford it.


4. I always try and fill up the host's refrigerator whenever possible. After all food and drinks in supermarkets are cheap when compared to eating out. These items always leaves a good impression of me to my host and they keep welcoming me to their homes.


5. If I buy any fruit or fruit for myself because of any special diet requirements I will make sure that I get some for my host's family. Just buying sufficient for myself is a big NO No!


6. If you have a sick or handicapped family member it is best not to bring the burden to your faraway host. It creates a lot of burden to them.


7. Try to google the local culture of the family that you are going to visit.For example it is taboo to leave your shoes on a table Or to wear your shoes inside any Asian house.


8. When you leave make sure you leave the room clean. Do not leave all your rubbish in the room and expect your host to clear it. Make sure the sheets are sent to the laundry to be clean. At least load all the dirty linen in the washing machine.


9. I have a habit of bringing a small present for my host esp to their wife or children. It works wonders. My Hash House Harrier T shirts are worn by my friends all over and they enjoy the dirty write ups on the shirt. Often on a visit a few years later I still see them wearing it. By not bringing any small gift it shows that you are unconcerned.


10. In area where I cannot bring the family out for a good meal before I depart, I will always buy some food and use their kitchen to cook some good Asian Cuisine(as my French Friends say) for us to eat. Of course I can bullshit my way through and I tend to behave like a celebrity chef as seen on TV .....very often teaching my host on my cooking!


11. After meals clear up your own mess. Leaving the plates around is bad. I would often help to clear up any mess that was made in cooking the food.


12. If the family that I visit loves pets esp dogs I will make sure that I respect their pets too. I had one guest who behind my back used a chair to hit my lovely poodle . Really "sakit hati"


13. Do not hoard the family TV with your favourite program . If this happens my wife will be very angry as she has her favourite serial soap operas that she does not want to miss.


14. Try to organise activities for yourself or ask the host for some recommended activities. By doing so you are giving the host a chance to relax .


15. Be prepared to spend some money because it is your holiday .



If you follow these golden rules I can assure you that your host would love you and you will get a second or third invitation to their homes. Flouting these Golden Rules means it will be difficult to get a second invitation!