1. Remember that hospitality is something really precious. We should treat our guests well and they should feel good at our home.
Before they come, ask them what they would like to do. They must have some ideas and plans. There are two types of guests. Either they don’t know what to do and see and they expect you will organize something. Then you must ask them about their interests, likes and dislikes and be inventive enough to make a nice plan.
2. It’s understandable that you might have your own plans for the “guests time”, but try to minimize them. If you planned for exmaple to take some driving lessons, try to put it off. If you can, try to share your life with your guest. If you meet friends, take your guest with you. Both your guest and your friends can be happy about it! Find such activities which both you and your guest like.
3.If you have something really important: for example an exam which you can’t postpone, simply be frank. Say: “I’m really sorry, but today I need to study and prepare myself for the exam tomorrow. I’m sorry, I couldn’t put it off”. And plan something your guest can do on his/her own. “You wanted to go to Zachęta. You have to take 111 bus… look, it’s here on the map”. Don’t ever simply leave your guest alone, not suggesting anything. It’s impolite.
4.Before or when your guest comes, ask him/her about any special needs. Is she a vegetarian? Is he allergic to something? What does she like to eat? Avoid a situation in which you prepare spaghetti bolognaise and she says “I’m sorry. I can’t eat it. I’m vegetarian”. Of course a great idea is to eat in a restaurant, if you can, because then everybody can choose what they want, but cooking some Polish food (even if it is ready from the shop) will also be great. Make them taste products which are very Polish – even when they find them disgusting, it’s a new experience at least.
5. It’s polite to invite. For lunch in a bistro, coffee, ice cream. It usually happens that your guest says next time “Today I’m paying”. Or you can go Dutch. Well, don’t choose places you can’t afford. If your guest doesn’t want to pay for anything… well, probably you should say you don’t have enough money to pay for everything. To avoid difficult situations it’s always better to say at the very beginning that, for example: Tickets are fifty zloty each. If she doesn’t return you money for anything, talk to your parents.
6.Be sensitive and emphatic. If you think it’s difficult to be a host, remember it isn’t easy to be a guest, either! Good luck!
Improve your vocabulary!
hospitality – gościność
precious – cenny
understandable – zrozumiały
minimize – zminimalizować
avoid – unikać
emphatic – empatyczny
host – gospodarz
guest – gość