How To Be A Good Guest

How to Be a Good Guest? The kind of home guest who is always invited again.

As often as we play host or hostess, we are also guests at many occasions. It is easy when you are a guest to feel like you have little responsibility for the success of the party. But if you would like to be a guest who is always invited for the next party, here are tips on being a good guest to make you welcome at anybody’s table.

• Respond to your invitation as soon as you know (no later than the stated RSVP date), whether or not you can make her plans.
• Ask if you can contribute anything to the meal, like an appetizer, side dish or desert. Your hostess may be relieved to have someone take charge.
• Do not take anything without running it first by your hostess. She might make something similar or your dish may clash with her carefully planned menu.
• Similarly, if you bring a bottle of wine as a gift, do not expect it to be served with the meal. Your hostess may have selected the wines to complement her meal.
• Not a cook ? offer to take a table or buffet centerpiece. And don’t, if you are hostess has declined. She may already have her own ideas.
• If you have the time, offer to go a little earlier than the other guest to help with pre-party setup. If your offer is accepted, don’t be late. You hostess will be counting on you.
• Arrive at a dinner party on time. Some hostesses plan the timing of their meal very precisely, And you wouldn’t want ot holdup the meal and spoil the food for everyone else.
• when the meal is over, ask your hostess if you can help clear the table. If she says, “No, Thanks” Relax and leave things alone.
• But if you see your hostess frantically cleaning in the kitchen after the meal is over, Offer to help and show you are a caring good guest.
• Do your part to be friendly. Make conversations with other guest. You are part of the chemistry that will make the party a success.
• Don’t raise the conversation topic you know will cause dissension among that group of guest.
• Drink responsibly. Even though your hostess serves alcoholic beverages to compliment her meal, you need not to be a sloppy drunk.
• Refrain from chewing paan. The culture of eating paan originated with the Mughals. The tehzeeb, or correct etiquette, is to eat it as a digestive after meal and to spit the residue in a spit tool.

admin @ July 7, 2009