#guest culture

[odinspattern]

My family has done many wrongs and are mostly terrible people.

But when we had friends that came in last minute or had guests at our house, we never left them upstairs while the rest ate dinner. (Unless it was the rare occasions where it was last minute and we had asked the parents, who said that they were picking up their kid in an hour and said that friend was to eat dinner at their own place.) But even then we let them sit with us if they wanted to, or if they were more comfortable playing as we ate dinner, that was fine.

Our family has never demanded to be paid for keeping guests over. Not for one day or several. Nor if we all went to a resturant. We would try to accomodate if said guest were allergic or didn’t eat something, even if it was last minute. I have had glutenfree friends over eating boiled potatoes and eggbutter while the rest of us ate fiskegrateng, because that was what we could do.

Granted. Due to my father’s alcoholism I started inviting people over less and less, so I am not saying that we were an utopia in a sea of rude assholes.

But yeah, if you were a guest, that was how we did it. And you know, it is one of the traditions I intend to keep even as I leave things behind. If you are at my house, I am offering you food. Or snacks.

[antiadvil]

Hey so I just watched PJ’s side channel video about how he and Sophie got stuck in traffic trying to deliver something to Dan and Phil. Great video, super funny. No one warned me that when PJ and Sophie realized they’d have to stay in London, Dan and Phil booked them a hotel?? There are at LEAST three bedrooms in their house what kind of rich person bullshit is that??

[readychilledwine]

Excuse me while I deep dive Tumblr, reddit, and the internet to figure out what to wear to my best friend's traditional Hindu Mehndi Ceremony, Sangeet, wedding, and reception.

This may turn into me reblogging this multiple drooling over the beauty of Sarees and Lengha. Be prepared. 🫠

[zandiks-legacy]

It's so funny to me that there is a wave of new people getting into Star Trek TOS rn because like

Me too

But I only got into it because I saw a singular episode on a cruise this year and went "Holy shit this is everything to me" and I don't think that's universal

[petrovna-zamo]

The Bald & The Beautiful Live in Los Angeles!

[blue-eyed-giant]

to my italian followers or followers who know italian culture well: is it rude to accept offers immediately? whenever i offer people my food or drink they refuse without thinking

[xenodile]

Hinoa calling the Hunter anata-sama

Chichae calling the Hunter anata-sama

[margridarnauds]

Something that bothers me about a lot of academic analyses of Midsommar is when they stress Josh and Mark as examples of the dynamic of exploitation and manipulation being mutual when...I agree, it is, but simply saying that implies a greater deal of equality than there is?

[blackswaneuroparedux]

However grand our sacramental downsittings and updressings may be, they remain only and precisely sacraments: real presences, under particular signs, of the happier order that faith can discover under any and all signs. They're a bit like the church. As long as we see them as an earnest of the kingdom, they're all right; when we put on airs and act as if they were the kingdom itself, they look just silly.

- Robert Farrar Capon 

So I get asked about how to do a more formal dinner party by my followers. I don’t know what impression I’ve given to make people think that I am an expert but I shall endeavour to present some thoughts around my own beliefs and experiences. I’m sure there are some things I have left out or have temporarily escaped my mind, so do please bear with me.

It is sadly the case that the age of the formal dinner might be over for some but for others they bravely soldier on flying the flag for civilised discourse over dinner.

Yet the reality remains that for many, eating at home with friends or family, or even a volatile mix of the two, is still hugely popular and important. Even if one is throwing a casual dinner party with a laidback “I’m just doing a bit of food” nonchalance, it still needs to be navigated with careful sensitivity. 

My rough guide to a good dinner party:

Don’t become a victim of vaunting ambition. Assess your culinary skills and budget before tailoring your social dinner occasion to fit your capabilities. Under no circumstances attempt a maiden voyage. It might seem like a good idea to try a new recipe for your guests, but there are few things sadder than realising that the pork was supposed to have been butterflied by a butcher or rest for four hours...45 minutes before guests arrive.

Send invitations if you can. The more formal the dinner the better you should send an invitation. Make clear (on the invitation preferably) on the time of arrival so that guests are punctual. Except if you’re hosting a dinner party in France then expect French guests to arrive 15 minutes late. While in many countries this may be considered rude, in France this is a golden rule. It’s an unspoken agreement between the host and the guest because the host might be a little late preparing everything and the guest won’t want to embarrass the host by arriving early. Strangely this rule only applies to dinner parties and not for dinners at restaurants. Hmmm.

Make the nature of the dinner event absolutely clear to your guests. They will feel understandably annoyed if they turn up to a formal dinner in jeans and sneakers.

Make sure your drinks cabinet is well stocked. Don’t ever rely on your guests to bring anything. Make sure you choose a different wine to go with each course you are serving. But don’t get too hung up on the food and wine pairing - one can always ask the wine merchant who is both helpful and is dying to show off his knowledge.

Work out your timings. Don’t let drinks go on too long and ensure that food is ready when you call everyone to the table. 

Always have a seating plan. Even if it’s an informal one in your head, explain to your guests where you would like them to sit. Chemistry between guests is everything. Choose wisely.

Don’t apologise for the food being served. You made it. You own it. 

Remember that your primary role is to be the host/hostess. Attend to your guests at all times and don’t allow yourself to be drawn into an intimate tête à tête with someone. It’s rude to give one guest all the attention at the expense of others feeling a little adrift in their seat.

Play the diplomat at dinner. Lively conversation will no doubt wander to the realm of politics, and whether it’s divisive or just plain dull, a good hostess can re-route a boring or inelegant conversation deftly and effortlessly. The best way to steer the conversation if it strays too deeply into politics, religion, or someone’s burgeoning sex life is to politely interject and offer, “Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if I could get everyone’s opinion on X,” and people will be happy to oblige. You invite people into a topic that’s about you and it’s a clear note to the offenders to change course. Important to note also it is perhaps the only time you ever make yourself the subject of the conversation. The role of the hostess is to move the conversation along effortlessly without becoming the centre of attention.

Deploy subtle hints by asking if anyone would like: cups of coffee, offers of taxi service or spare beds, if the evening is going on too long.

Don’t let the guests do dishes - unless they're related to you or they're psychotically compulsive. If they are neither, you might be calling their bluff on an empty offer, and then you've made your guest use your ratty sponge, which is not a very gracious experience.

Most of all, breathe and relax. It will all go swimmingly. Just enjoy yourself.

Bon appétit!

[charaznablescanontoyota]

"hey, wait," shigeo says from somewhere up in the theater rafters. "you guys remember lunchbox? you think lunchbox is from this car?"

"who?" roxas asks.

al squints upwards, and just narrowly sidesteps a glob of paint as it falls from the brush shigeo's using to letter signs. "i dunno, isn't it kind of insensitive to imply all puppets come from the same car?"

"yeah, but he had the same deal where his bottom half was, like, either you couldn't see it or it was hard to look at," shigeo says.

"who are you even talking about?" roxas's voice drifts up from the empty orchestra pit, a little more impatient than before.

"a 'turtle' we met," trish says. she's down there with him, hammering together a ramp for - well, al's not sure exactly what. some kind of stunt. roxas seemed excited about the prospect of a ramp. "in the arts and crafts car. he was a 'puppet', too."

audrey clears her throat from the wings. "muppets."

"what?" roxas asks.

"they're muppets. the ones in this car." audrey steps out onto the stage in a costume dress that's still clearly half-fitted - al can see pins in the hem and sleeves - and crosses her arms over her chest, surveying the faces around her for any sign of recognition. "come on, you guys don't know the muppets? i mean, i knew al wouldn't, but -"

"oh, is that like the 'cookie monster'?" trish asks from the pit.

audrey pinches the bridge of her nose. "guys. seriously? you don't know kermit the frog?"

"i think i've seen him on a bag of chips," shigeo muses.

al turns to audrey, scenery painting all but forgotten. "is shadow a muppet?"

"no, he's a hedgehog," she says immediately, then pauses. "well. maybe he would be if he was here, actually. i don't know how this car works."

there's a long silence. it's hard to tell how many of them are imagining shadow as a foul-tempered puppet flopping around the stage, and how many of them are just wishing shadow was here with them.

"who do you think controls them?" shigeo asks, eventually. "is it like a psychic energy thing, or...?"

"it could be a singular person," trish agrees. "some kind of -"

"- 'master of puppets'," audrey finishes for her, entirely deadpan. "yeah. okay. wakka fucking wakka."

"ONE HOUR TO SHOWTIME," a voice hollers from backstage. the teens all jump to attention and scramble back to their jobs, or at least to trying to look busy. there's no telling what the penalty will be if they don't get this right; even if it's just spending the night in the theater and trying again tomorrow, that's still a waste of time.

"the little blue one said he's getting shot out of a cannon," al says quietly, to no one in particular. "do you think they feel pain?"

"why is that your next question?" shigeo yells down.

"it's ambiguous," audrey says. "most of them don't have, like. bones. i don't think. unless it's funny for them to have bones."

al laughs, a little hysterically. it's been a long day. "that's insane."

"when is it funny for them to have bones?" shigeo asks, alarmed.

"if they die, i imagine," trish says, like this makes perfect sense to her, over the sound of hammering from the pit.

"well - i mean, okay, there's a whole. they do a whole retelling of treasure island, and..." audrey looks around again, checking expressions. "none of you know what that is, either. okay. hey, i swear to god this is an award-winning show where i'm from."

"do you think they have food here?" roxas asks. "i'm hungry."

audrey sighs in a way that says she knows the answer, but the rest of them aren't going to like it.

[twixnmix]

Billy Squier, Andy Warhol and Cornelia Guest at the opening of Limelight nightclub in New York City on November 9, 1983.

[oysterie]

most obnoxious content online is europeans visiting america and going into grocery stores and picking up a sheet cake or bag of sugar or like premade pasta dishes and commenting on how much americans eat and "how could anyone actually eat all this" like okay if your going to keep believing that im going to keep believing europeans have no friends and dont hang out with their families.

[haveyoureadthisfanfic]

Summary: Giyuu never would have expected that he would become friends with Uzui Tengen, but life has a way of taking him by surprise. - Five times Giyuu didn't exactly mean to spend the night at Tengen's house, and one time it was completely on purpose.

Author: @maddolphin777

Note from submitter: ft Tomioka Giyuu not realizing Tengen and his three wives are flirting with him

[softichill]

I've been watching videos I used to adore when I was like 8-10 and of course most of them are mlp (special interest until 4th grade), but there's one particular one where the youtuber in question mentions "cringe OCs" in comparison to "realistic OCs"

My brother in Celestia you are an mlp youtuber. You are considered cringe no matter what your ponysona looks like

[popculturebaby]

Robin Williams and Billy Crystal in Friends, 1997 🤍

[yumaisbored]

Mr. Spider just did not understand the concept of British hospitality, and that is the real problem here.