Flexible guest, accommodating host

Last summer, my parents came to visit me in Switzerland for the first time since I'd moved here. And it was the first time that I really, truly realized that I was a little more Swiss than American, while my parents, after living in the U.S. for more than 30 years, were a bit more American. I clearly remember the point where this was the most obvious and it actually resurfaced again when I was getting ready to invite my best friends into my home in October. 

“In the U.S., it is polite to be a flexible guest, to take it easy and ensure that your host doesn’t have to go out of their way for you at all.”

In the U.S., it is polite to be a flexible guest, to take it easy and ensure that your host doesn't have to go out of their way for you at all. You tell them you'll arrive when they want you there, you eat when they cook, you're as quite as a mouse when you go potty at night and it sometimes takes a while before you really "make yourself at home." As a host, you value flexible guests because they are easy-peasy to take care of and in the end everyone is happy. 

In Switzerland, a flexible guest is a tad annoying - not because they are annoying people, but because it's so important to be a FABULOUS host that when they're flexible, it means you can't do what you're supposed to do - make the beds, buy enough food for a small army, make sure transportation is set. Being a good host is so important here, and making sure every wish and whimsy of the guest is fulfilled is what you live for when you're hosting.... which means that when you're dealing with a "flexible" guest, you don't know what to control. 

“Being a good host is so important in Switzerland, and making sure every wish and whimsy of the guest is fulfilled is what you live for when you’re hosting”

I've often talked about how important it is to me to maintain my Americanism while I develop my Swissness - so as I planned my first weekend with my friends in Geneva, I needed to take a deep breathe and chillllllll. After shooting over 7 kajillion questions in the chat, I immediately apologized and decided to just go with the flow.

To me, being a cultural venn diagram is as fascinating as it is challenging - pushing myself to fit in while being acutely aware of the changes I'm making to adapt makes me feel like I'm my own little cultural science project. And what better challenge than being the ultimate host. They really should make that into a casting show...