The Art of Visiting (Malaysian Open House Edition)

For the past two days, it has been a fun-filled days of stuffin' foods down my throat at the Hari Raya Open Houses. I'm saying it in a very good way because the foods are oh-so-glorious!! I had Chicken Satey, Ketupat & Beef Rendang, not forgetting the famous Sarawakian Dish -Manok Pansoh(Bamboo Chicken)! Yummy!!




As guest, I am always given the star treatment(the Malaysian standard) by my hosts and they always make sure that I've sampled if not tried all of the dishes cooked by them. How can you say no when the foods are yummylicious, buffet-style and F.O.C! :)  Ok. By saying so, I am not those infamous cheapskates who visit people's home and eat all they can until their belly are ballooning with the foods. I'm more like appreciating the food that I usually sample the foods by tasting them in small portion and make sure that I wasn't too full as I still need to visit the next house afterwards.

Being Malaysian, the hosts always make sure that the guest feel at home and sometimes they even say this to you: Please make yourself at home! Ok.Now...This is NOT your golden ticket to ransack the whole house or to sleep on the couch. There is a fine line (thin maybe) ... of how we should behave as the guests and how not to behave like one...

So Today I will draw up some simple if not easy ways on how we should behave (as guest) when visiting for Open House. Let's say I'm introducing you to The Art of Visiting (Malaysian Open House)

Art #1 Always Greet Your Host

Hello.I'm your Host!

Never sneak into people's home like a thief. Always make sure that your host is made aware of your presence simply by greeting them when you're about to enter the house. Even if you don't really know them, it wouldn't hurt to just say Hello. Malaysians are simple, just greet them by saying Selamat ......(you can put these words after the Selamat ....say...Hari Raya Aidilfitri....Krismas....Deepavali.....Tahun Baru Cina.......Hari Gawai....... Hari Kaamatan) Voila! Make yourself useful...well, atleast you say something or have the effort to make yourself welcomed...


Art # 2 Your Table Manners

 Eat all you can or all you can eat ?

Nowadays, Malaysians prefer to host by having Open House during festivities (like now Hari Raya Aidilfitri) where they can welcome tons if not hundreds of people at one time. It is a fact that most of the time, the foods are served in a buffet-style( it's a Cornucopia!!!), some even set up tents outside their home to accommodate the big number of guests. Now....I know the are plenty of foods and you might be an eager beaver to try all but make sure you don't finish them all by yourself. Take a deep breath, go slowly on the foods, sample them in moderation...Be considerate to others, you're not the only guest ok?! I would normally sample different types of foods (especially those you don't get to eat on normal days or something new)...talking about foods, as guest;Kindly Refrain Yourself from having the take-away of those foods or what is commonly known as TAPAU by us Malaysians. This is seriously a shameful habit. I am very much puzzled of how some people could have the gut to bring along food containers and hoarding the foods into their containers even when others are still queuing at the back. Well, I don't really mind if they are taking leftovers. Well, I encountered once many years back and I have to say; it is so selfish and rude of them to do such thing. Coincidentally, I read found an article which discussed similar issue during Open House (http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Community/2013/08/10/Shameful-Raya-tapauing-Community-body-slams-certain-open-house-guests-for-unashamedly-taking-away-f.aspx)

Art# 3 Know When to Leave

 

Now...How long is LONG?? I mean when one is visiting. I can say that you are considered staying too long during the visit when you noticed that most of the guests are leaving and you're not... 2nd, when you somehow feel hungry again.... Guests tend to overstay during an Open House. I am fine with an hour but not more than that (both as the guest and the host) Sometimes, as guest, you need to be considerate especially when the house is too small to accommodate 30 people at one time. Politely excuse yourself and say thank you to your host for their wonderful foods and hospitality.

There you go, 3 simple Arts of Visiting at any Malaysian Open House! Thank you for reading!!and yeah..you may also sit on the floor if you're inside the house. The Malaysian way!!

I'm so happy....

p/s: following are the NOT-TO-DO list when visiting:

#1 Dress Like You're Going to a Beach Party - This is Malaysia. Supposedly, we Malaysians are known to dress politely and just assume that we don't know what is nudity..(just don't push the envelope)...Don't wear semi-nude or similar to a retired stripper unless your host is a nudist and he is hosting a Nude-Open-House

#2 Intense Interview Questions- We Malaysians love to talk.We love to talk about the weather, about our neighbour,about our work...now..talking about work...Never ask about take home salary!Unless you are working with the Inland Revenue..then yeah, you are entitled to gather all the information about one's earning! Please don't ask..jusssttt..don't. You may want to ask things about the hometown or the hobbies..

#3 Watching TV and sleep on the couch - Remember that you are away from home. You are not in your own house. Don't watch TV and flip through all the channels like you would normally do at home; and lying on the couch. This is the time when you turn yourself into people's person; do mix around and chat with the hosts and guests alike.

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