Parting gifts and Legacies

The Chinese has a saying that ‘good in meeting, bad in staying together’. Staying in Bangkok for more that 7 months now, and I had experience 3 guests staying in my place for a few nights. Each provided me with a unique experience and left some unique legacies. While I’m not going to describe in detail each but I do like to raise a question about parting gifts.

Is it necessary to leave with a parting gift? I’ll have to say that it’s up to say that it’s up to the individual and basically how close one is with the host. While I do welcome gift but porn VCDs are definitely uncalled for. In actual fact, it wasn’t a gift at all but a last minute decision of not bringing it back (to avoid the risk of going through the custom).

But what I do find amusing is the legacy each of my guests had. While the first one really treated my home as a hotel, and had me worried about his whereabouts daily. Once you live in my home, I took it as my responsibility to ensure your wellbeing. And of course, his own used towel, the ciggy, the small-small stuff. While this guest is being the least demanding, but had me worried the most.

The second guest is perhaps the one that I felt most guilty of for not providing a comfortable place. With my snoring, the not-working air-cond, the coming back very late in the night…what an embarrassment. His legacy? Not much except for the wet bathroom and of course the high water bill at the end of the month.

The third guest, my only guilt is not able to take time off over the weekdays to accompany him. [Note: to potential guest, I can spare my weekends but not my weekdays, so do plan well!] Perhaps his most unique legacy is the way he likes to splash talcum powder all over himself. Reminds me of my brother, which I kept complaining about his habit of splashing talcum in my room but not his room. Similarly, this guest would leave lots of white dots/ powders all over the carpeted floor.

Please do not take this wrongly. I’m not complaining at all but to let you guys know that this is what makes us human and this is what makes our friendship stronger. Not being shy to show our true self to one another, that’s how a long lasting friendship should be. Thank you for accepting me and thank you for being a friend.