How to Be a Good Houseguest in a Foreign Country

Being a guest in another's home is a wonderful way to experience a foreign country. It may take special efforts to be a good house guest in an unfamiliar culture, but the payoff for friendship and enhanced cultural intimacy makes it worthwhile.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Foreign Language Phrase Books
• Local Guidebooks
• Two-way Foreign Language Dictionaries
• Herbal Teas

1. Research ahead of time appropriate gift-giving customs of the locality you'll be visiting. Consult with local guide books, general guide books, cultural readers, Web sites pertinent to the region, and other travelers.

2. Do some homework on appropriate behaviors between various categories of people such as men and women, adults and children, and seniors and juniors. Read and talk with other people, and make your own observations once you arrive.

3. Limit your stay to just a couple of days if you are spontaneously invited as a guest to someone's home. Your host may be culturally required to insist you stay longer, but this may inconvenience the host's life and family economy.

4. If you admire something within a person's home, they may feel obliged to give this to you as a gift in some cultures. Be very careful about the ways in which you communicate your appreciation for your accommodations, and never accept something used in a home as a gift.

5. Observe how people behave in their homes and use this as a model for your own behavior. Pay attention to when people bathe, how frequently and for how long; when people get up and go to sleep; what is considered appropriately modest dress in the home; whether or not shoes or hats are worn indoors.

6. Be aware that your stay may be a severe economic burden on your host family, so do what you can to mitigate this burden: Pay attention to foods the family purchases and buy these in the market; treat if your host offers to accompany you while you go sightseeing; eat as many meals as possible away from the home; limit your use of hot water and fuel; limit your stay.

7. Expect to pay for a meal if you invite someone to eat with you. The custom of splitting a check is considered insulting in many cultures.

8. Give your host numerous opportunities to accept your offers of gifts or to make purchases for the household. In some cultures it is customary to refuse a gift or payment several times before finally accepting it: Your host may actually be expecting a third or fourth offer.

9. Stock up on relatively expensive non-perishable items that your host family can appreciate after you have left; consider coffee, sugar, tea, spices, rice or other staples.

10. Take plenty of photos and send these to your host family along with a thank-you note once you have developed the film.

Tips & Warnings

• Participate in as many activities as possible where your host family would like you present, such as going to the market, visiting with local officials or neighbors, drinking tea at the local tea house, or hanging out on the porch. One of the reasons your host may be willing to take on the burden of a foreign guest is the fun, joy and prestige that come with sharing this experience with the whole neighborhood.
• Be careful about inviting your hosts or their friends to come and visit you in your home country unless you are truly prepared to host them with the generosity appropriate in their own culture.

[jiminflux]

on 2/13/2008 Isn't it the perfect opportunity to experience another culture in a family setting? Both you and the family get to help each other expand your understanding of your cultures. Thank you for this insightful article!