Things People Do....

[Morticia]

The most infuriating is when I have guests as they just enter my home blandly ask me where is my accent from. In 13 years it is only the guests from the south part of North America that ask. I understand (not really - what difference does it make - it is just a curiosity) one may be intrigued, but there are a nice ways to ask rather than "Where are you from?". I swear next time I head that I will say - Tuktoyaktuk..

Guilty. I do ask people where they got their accent. Lots of guests ask me the same. But, yeah, they're all from here.
I don't sound like a local.

 

[Lee2014]

The most infuriating is when I have guests as they just enter my home blandly ask me where is my accent from. In 13 years it is only the guests from the south part of North America that ask. I understand (not really - what difference does it make - it is just a curiosity) one may be intrigued, but there are a nice ways to ask rather than "Where are you from?". I swear next time I head that I will say - Tuktoyaktuk..

I answer that I'm from New England and Indian blood, I have the original accent!

 

[Northern Dreamer]

I must be delusional...Is it unrealistic to think that a person could just be genuinely interested in the people that are staying at their Inn and just make conversation to show that interest? I mean, there are a lot of times that I actually feel like the guests really want to be here and like the conversation and the group ends up talking about a lot of topics!. It actually can be done without anyone feeling like they are being probed or interrogated. To be stand-off-ish or to avoid certain topics, or not engage in conversation and show genuine interest (and take a risk to ask questions of interest) seems kind of snobbish and rude.
We just had a couple stay a whole week. My hubby was gone most every morning and so it was just the three of us for breakfast. The first couple mornings, we chatted some while I served them, but I let them have their space. But after the tow days into their stay, they asked me to join them at the table. They wanted to know about all the places to visit and even found some things that we didn't know about. I may never see them again, but we had great conversations the next 5 days and we all hugged goodbye when they checked out.
We engage at the level that seems comfortable for the guests, even the ones that just stay a day or two. I choose to live like an open book and be receptive to all who stay rather than be so caught up in what is off limits. It's all about being hospitable and making folks feel welcome...and being interested in them as a person, not judging them about life choices...
Just tryin' to be real...

 

[Arks]

I never ask people about their family, their job, their accent, or anything more than "let me know if you need anything."
But a) I'm a man and b) I really, really, don't care.
I guess it's for the best that I never meet most of my guests!! And they seem to like being left alone. The perfect marriage.

 

[Highlands John]

I never ask people about their family, their job, their accent, or anything more than "let me know if you need anything."
But a) I'm a man and b) I really, really, don't care.
I guess it's for the best that I never meet most of my guests!! And they seem to like being left alone. The perfect marriage..

But a) I'm a man and b) I really, really, don't care.

But you have to pretend like you do care............Surely?

 

[Arks]

I never ask people about their family, their job, their accent, or anything more than "let me know if you need anything."
But a) I'm a man and b) I really, really, don't care.
I guess it's for the best that I never meet most of my guests!! And they seem to like being left alone. The perfect marriage..

But a) I'm a man and b) I really, really, don't care.

But you have to pretend like you do care............Surely?
.

But you have to pretend like you do care............Surely?

Oh, I'm honestly friendly and chat with the guests. I'm just not interested in their personal life, so I don't ask about that. I stick to the weather, always a popular topic, and let the guests lead the conversation where they will.

 

[JimBoone]

I must be delusional...Is it unrealistic to think that a person could just be genuinely interested in the people that are staying at their Inn and just make conversation to show that interest? I mean, there are a lot of times that I actually feel like the guests really want to be here and like the conversation and the group ends up talking about a lot of topics!. It actually can be done without anyone feeling like they are being probed or interrogated. To be stand-off-ish or to avoid certain topics, or not engage in conversation and show genuine interest (and take a risk to ask questions of interest) seems kind of snobbish and rude.
We just had a couple stay a whole week. My hubby was gone most every morning and so it was just the three of us for breakfast. The first couple mornings, we chatted some while I served them, but I let them have their space. But after the tow days into their stay, they asked me to join them at the table. They wanted to know about all the places to visit and even found some things that we didn't know about. I may never see them again, but we had great conversations the next 5 days and we all hugged goodbye when they checked out.
We engage at the level that seems comfortable for the guests, even the ones that just stay a day or two. I choose to live like an open book and be receptive to all who stay rather than be so caught up in what is off limits. It's all about being hospitable and making folks feel welcome...and being interested in them as a person, not judging them about life choices...
Just tryin' to be real....

I choose to live like an open book and be receptive to all who stay. It's all about being hospitable and making folks feel welcome...and being interested in them as a person, not judging them about life choices...

We don't serve food so I guess most of my conversations are during the hello/goodbye times, but I share your thoughts. I'm generally glad to share my information and listen to whatever they choose to share, hopefully they depart feeling as if they stayed with friends.

 

[notAgrandma]

The most infuriating is when I have guests as they just enter my home blandly ask me where is my accent from. In 13 years it is only the guests from the south part of North America that ask. I understand (not really - what difference does it make - it is just a curiosity) one may be intrigued, but there are a nice ways to ask rather than "Where are you from?". I swear next time I head that I will say - Tuktoyaktuk..

I've lived all over the US & have a mottled accent that most guests can't place. You could always use my husband's answer, "Nunya". Nunya? "Yes, Nunya business."

 

[Anon Inn]

I must be delusional...Is it unrealistic to think that a person could just be genuinely interested in the people that are staying at their Inn and just make conversation to show that interest? I mean, there are a lot of times that I actually feel like the guests really want to be here and like the conversation and the group ends up talking about a lot of topics!. It actually can be done without anyone feeling like they are being probed or interrogated. To be stand-off-ish or to avoid certain topics, or not engage in conversation and show genuine interest (and take a risk to ask questions of interest) seems kind of snobbish and rude.
We just had a couple stay a whole week. My hubby was gone most every morning and so it was just the three of us for breakfast. The first couple mornings, we chatted some while I served them, but I let them have their space. But after the tow days into their stay, they asked me to join them at the table. They wanted to know about all the places to visit and even found some things that we didn't know about. I may never see them again, but we had great conversations the next 5 days and we all hugged goodbye when they checked out.
We engage at the level that seems comfortable for the guests, even the ones that just stay a day or two. I choose to live like an open book and be receptive to all who stay rather than be so caught up in what is off limits. It's all about being hospitable and making folks feel welcome...and being interested in them as a person, not judging them about life choices...
Just tryin' to be real....

We engage at the level that seems comfortable for the guests

Perfect

 

[gillumhouse]

The most infuriating is when I have guests as they just enter my home blandly ask me where is my accent from. In 13 years it is only the guests from the south part of North America that ask. I understand (not really - what difference does it make - it is just a curiosity) one may be intrigued, but there are a nice ways to ask rather than "Where are you from?". I swear next time I head that I will say - Tuktoyaktuk..

Guilty. I do ask people where they got their accent. Lots of guests ask me the same. But, yeah, they're all from here.
I don't sound like a local.
.

Himself was always hearing - Ya ain't from here are ya. (He was from Chicago)

 

[Highlands John]

The most infuriating is when I have guests as they just enter my home blandly ask me where is my accent from. In 13 years it is only the guests from the south part of North America that ask. I understand (not really - what difference does it make - it is just a curiosity) one may be intrigued, but there are a nice ways to ask rather than "Where are you from?". I swear next time I head that I will say - Tuktoyaktuk..

Guilty. I do ask people where they got their accent. Lots of guests ask me the same. But, yeah, they're all from here.
I don't sound like a local.
.

Himself was always hearing - Ya ain't from here are ya. (He was from Chicago)
.

Himself was always hearing - Ya ain't from here are ya. (He was from Chicago)

I get that a lot too. Have to explain how a lad from Lu'on (yes, we have a habbit of dropping our T's) ended up in the Highlands Of Scotland.

 

[Arks]

The most infuriating is when I have guests as they just enter my home blandly ask me where is my accent from. In 13 years it is only the guests from the south part of North America that ask. I understand (not really - what difference does it make - it is just a curiosity) one may be intrigued, but there are a nice ways to ask rather than "Where are you from?". I swear next time I head that I will say - Tuktoyaktuk..

Guilty. I do ask people where they got their accent. Lots of guests ask me the same. But, yeah, they're all from here.
I don't sound like a local.
.

Himself was always hearing - Ya ain't from here are ya. (He was from Chicago)
.

Himself was always hearing - Ya ain't from here are ya. (He was from Chicago)

I get that a lot too. Have to explain how a lad from Lu'on (yes, we have a habbit of dropping our T's) ended up in the Highlands Of Scotland.
.

I get that a lot too. Have to explain how a lad from Lu'on (yes, we have a habbit of dropping our T's) ended up in the Highlands Of Scotland.

So by now you can probably understand the Scots pretty well. Last time I was in Scotland, out in the countryside, I really had to listen carefully, and sometimes ask them to repeat, to understand what they were saying.
I've never had a problem understanding the Irish, or even the second-language English of people in Spain or France. But the Scots, I'm not sure they are even speaking English a lot of the time, and I suspect they're probably doing it on purpose!

 

[Highlands John]

The most infuriating is when I have guests as they just enter my home blandly ask me where is my accent from. In 13 years it is only the guests from the south part of North America that ask. I understand (not really - what difference does it make - it is just a curiosity) one may be intrigued, but there are a nice ways to ask rather than "Where are you from?". I swear next time I head that I will say - Tuktoyaktuk..

Guilty. I do ask people where they got their accent. Lots of guests ask me the same. But, yeah, they're all from here.
I don't sound like a local.
.

Himself was always hearing - Ya ain't from here are ya. (He was from Chicago)
.

Himself was always hearing - Ya ain't from here are ya. (He was from Chicago)

I get that a lot too. Have to explain how a lad from Lu'on (yes, we have a habbit of dropping our T's) ended up in the Highlands Of Scotland.
.

I get that a lot too. Have to explain how a lad from Lu'on (yes, we have a habbit of dropping our T's) ended up in the Highlands Of Scotland.

So by now you can probably understand the Scots pretty well. Last time I was in Scotland, out in the countryside, I really had to listen carefully, and sometimes ask them to repeat, to understand what they were saying.
I've never had a problem understanding the Irish, or even the second-language English of people in Spain or France. But the Scots, I'm not sure they are even speaking English a lot of the time, and I suspect they're probably doing it on purpose!
.

I don't have a problem with people round here, Invernessians or Highlanders, Glaswegian is much more difficult.

 

[GoodScout]

The most infuriating is when I have guests as they just enter my home blandly ask me where is my accent from. In 13 years it is only the guests from the south part of North America that ask. I understand (not really - what difference does it make - it is just a curiosity) one may be intrigued, but there are a nice ways to ask rather than "Where are you from?". I swear next time I head that I will say - Tuktoyaktuk..

Guilty. I do ask people where they got their accent. Lots of guests ask me the same. But, yeah, they're all from here.
I don't sound like a local.
.

Himself was always hearing - Ya ain't from here are ya. (He was from Chicago)
.

Himself was always hearing - Ya ain't from here are ya. (He was from Chicago)

Imagine the looks this hillbilly from Tennessee gets from guests to his northern Vermont B&B.