For my time in London, I stayed with my saucy HP cousins, and their kitty cat, Muffin Pants. They are definitely top contenders for the Consummate Host 2007 Awards. Here´s what they did right:
1. Gave me a room and their spare key.
2. Did not comment on my comings and goings in the early hours of the morning.
3. Went away on holiday for a large part of my stay.
4. Lived their own lives, and let me live mine.
It´s simple really. All too often, when you´re staying with friends or family, both parties end up bending over backwards to accommodate each other, and end up with a compromise that leaves everyone feeling disgruntled. HP just continued about their daily lives, and assumed I´d look after myself.
Perfect, and no feelings of catholic guilt to haunt me. Sure the evenings when we all managed to be home at the same time were few and far between, but this made them even more special. It´s a rare gift indeed to give you guests the space they need... Perhaps it´s because HP are cat people?
Wednesday, 05 March 2008
How to be a perfect host
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3 comments:
I agree, they are perfect hosts. I like the idea of people not feeling obliged to make your visit worthwhile by arranging activities that they feel you might like, and then you end up feeling obliged to like whatever you have been pressganged into. It all results in stiff cheeks from all the fake smiling all round.
I had a perfect host many years ago when I visited a friend in Chi-town (my kinda town). Well, he knew me well enough to know that I wouldn't want to go traipsing around the city to see the tourist attractions. In fact, we just took buses and walked the city: the perfect way to get to know a place and Harold H's Fried Chicken - the best in teh world.
interesting points.
from the lady whom i remember for crushed spices, white wine and a game of scrabble, glamourous outfits, book collecting, and the statement, borrowed, "never leave home without wearing earrings, you dont know who you might meet".
My cousins were once such hosts when i left my passport in CT, thus could not join them to Lesotho, so i spent the weekend in their house with their kittens and MTV. also, a tag along visit with their freckled friend to the Drakensberg where i fell asleep on the mountainside.
My darling, I will host you for wine and scrabble anytime - when will you be in Africa again?
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