She Would Show Up Unannounced
By hereandthere
@hereandthere (45651)
Philippines
August 25, 2016 10:47pm CST
I heard that a cousin who lives abroad would just show up at her mother's door, catching my aunt and the rest of her family by surprise.
I thought maybe she's just being practical since the house they grew up in was near the airport. She can rest for a few days, bond with her mother, unload all her pasalubong (homecoming gifts), and attend to any personal errands, before proceeding to her own house further south.
Some get embarrassed and stressed by this. They want to be informed ahead of time so they can clean the house and prepare a room just for the special visitor, usually the one with the aircon (A/C unit) for their comfort.
They would also buy certain foods and beverages, cook certain dishes, and make sure someone is always available to assist and accompany them, in and out of the house.
Personally, I would rather come home announced, too. And if someone came unexpectedly, I would probably even ask them to help me clean, cook and grocery-shop so we are both satisfied. Hahaha!
Have you ever been the unannounced visitor, or the unprepared host?
20 people like this
22 responses
@AutumnSnow (4584)
•
26 Aug 16
yes it's happened to me a few times while the visit turned out to be really nice I do like to be informed so that I can have things they like and stuff like that.
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
26 Aug 16
if i'm informed ahead of time, i would prepare, but only what i can. if they need something special, i might ask them to help me.
1 person likes this
@kaka135 (14916)
• Malaysia
26 Aug 16
I would not visit others unannounced, but it'd be nice if I do that to my parents. I do not think they mind and feel embarrassed for not preparing the house for me too. I wouldn't mind if my husband or children give me such surprise, but not others. 
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
26 Aug 16
if i'm near the area, i would probably text first so they can decide if i can drop by or rather meet halfway, like a mall or an eatery.
i think most parents appreciate visits, announced or not, so they can see their grandkids.
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
5 Sep 16
Well, that happened to us when my hubby's aunt suddenly came home from the US to stay for good at home .
She doesn't have any "pasalubongs" or gifts just her small suitcase . But until now , she's one by one through the assistance of my hubby , opening those more than 50 boxes as hubby told me ( i thought they're just 30 plus) , and giving away new blouses , pants and dresses with tags still on them to each one of us at the house .
Those boxes were sent over more than 10 years and have accumulated to more than 50 . Now she got , 3 more to open .
Those boxes were sent over more than 10 years and have accumulated to more than 50 . Now she got , 3 more to open . 1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
6 Sep 16
@hereandthere Mostly are clothes . Some are stuff for the house . Lots of flashlights and books about health too . No food because she knows they can rot inside the box when stored a long time .
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
5 Sep 16
i'm imagining a warehouse with 50 boxes!
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
5 Sep 16
@SIMPLYD are they all clothes? or are there stuff for the house, too? no food, i hope!
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
27 Aug 16
the assurance that there's one place where you're always welcome, a family member or a very close friend
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
27 Aug 16
but why the unhappy emoticon? or were those happy tears?
@thelme55 (76476)
• Germany
26 Aug 16
I always planned to come home unannounce but something came in between that I had to tell my relatives. The last time was when my father was brought to the hospital 2 days before I came and it was me who told my cousin (who give care to my father), to bring my father to the hospital or else I would not see him alive. I am still here.
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
27 Aug 16
yes, your visit this time is different. i hope your father is better now.
but with your previous visits, you never tell them? they don't pick you up?
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
27 Aug 16
@thelme55 oh, i see. you wanted to surprise them this year. that's okay. you still came at the right time because your father needed you. you can surprise them next time. hehe.
1 person likes this
@thelme55 (76476)
• Germany
27 Aug 16
@hereandthere my father is okay now. I always told my father and siblings when I come home. This time I wanted to come unannounced but I was not able to because I told them that I was coming. I told them so my father would not worry about the expenses of the hospital. He didn't want to go because of the cost although it was already emergency.
1 person likes this
@lealuvy2j (1986)
• Philippines
28 Aug 16
This usually happens in our home during the Christmas season. I would have godchildren show up and ask for their Christmas gifts. I don't mind as long as they do not only remember me for the gifts. 
1 person likes this
@lealuvy2j (1986)
• Philippines
28 Aug 16
@hereandthere I have around five godchildren. I try to budget for them as much as possible. 300 pesos is the minimum budget that I give each of them
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
28 Aug 16
how many godchildren do you have now? do you have a set amount for each child?
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
3 Sep 16
My parents have always preferred to have announced visitors . . . so I am that way too. My mom always had a clean house and extra food handy anyway, so it actually it didn't matter - but my parents always like to be prepared "mentally" to have a guest.
My husband on the otherhand . . . he used to say "Let's go to so and so's house" and I hated making these surprise visits - I didn't think it was proper. Some didn't seem to mind, but others you can tell they were not prepared for guests (my husband didn't really "get" that at the time).
But now that we have our own place/family, we really don't like surprise visits. Our house is often a mess 
. And many times we already have plans to go somewhere, so we have to tell them they cannot stay at that moment - sorry!
This morning, my mom did call me to tell me my dad was coming right over to plant a tree in our yard. Now??? I just barely woke up 
. So my dad at least gave us a half hour - and then he came over. We literally had no guest food, so I had my daughter quickly whip up some vanilla muffins . . . and then pack it up so he could bring some to my mom when he left. You know - we gotta serve something to the guests - and we can't let family leave without having them bring home something. Is that an Asian thing?
. And many times we already have plans to go somewhere, so we have to tell them they cannot stay at that moment - sorry!
This morning, my mom did call me to tell me my dad was coming right over to plant a tree in our yard. Now??? I just barely woke up . So my dad at least gave us a half hour - and then he came over. We literally had no guest food, so I had my daughter quickly whip up some vanilla muffins . . . and then pack it up so he could bring some to my mom when he left. You know - we gotta serve something to the guests - and we can't let family leave without having them bring home something. Is that an Asian thing? 1 person likes this
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
4 Sep 16
@hereandthere My parents never come over just to visit (they are only 10 minutes away). They only come if there is a reason . . . like yesterday - my dad had been wanting to plant this tree that he's kept for us in his yard for a long time. When my mom called, she had no intentions of coming because she wanted to go grocery shopping. She said my dad would come on his own. I already knew this meant he would just "do his thing" and then leave. After he was done, we served him iced water and my daughter's muffins - he just sat on our porch to eat quickly - and then he went home. He's not one to sit there to chit chat - he's always anxious to get back home.
They wouldn't come over if I said we were busy that day. My dad is the type who is brutally honest and might comment to us . . . but with others he might keep it to himself and later have a full discussion with my mom about it at home .
.1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
4 Sep 16
would it be unlike your dad to say, oh, don't worry about that, and come over anyway? is he the type who comments on what he sees?
1 person likes this
@PurnaSharma (2557)
• Guwahati, India
27 Aug 16
If i would informed a or two hours ago,I wouldn't prepare or arrange anything special...whatever there would be at home.Most probably, i would welcome them with that.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
28 Aug 16
it would depend on how busy i am that day and if i have the budget for it
1 person likes this
@epiffanie (11326)
• Australia
30 Aug 16
I never visit anyone unannounced ..but it's not because I want them to fuss about my arrival .. It's because I don't want to embarrass them ..
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
30 Aug 16
i always find something i like in someone's house and tell them so, especially if it's something clever.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
1 Sep 16
@epiffanie exactly! i get a little annoyed when they apologize about this or that, so i would joke that i came to see them, not to critique their house! hahaha!
1 person likes this
@epiffanie (11326)
• Australia
31 Aug 16
@hereandthere I always love looking at photos people hang on their walls .. But of course, what they have or not have inside their house, is not important.. after all it's the company of people we value more ..right?..
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
27 Aug 16
maybe they dont want a fuss made, so would rather show up, you do that though cannot complain when the house isnt super clean and you end up having to forage for foods
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
27 Aug 16
exactly! you totally understood the scenario! 
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
27 Aug 16
@hereandthere some might think it rude, some might think they were being polite, guess it's all in the feelings of those she shows up at! grams I used to just appear at lol
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
27 Aug 16
you wanted to surprise them but they surprised you instead? how?
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
27 Aug 16
that's nice. i bet they gave you fruits to take home.
speaking of humba, is banana blossom salty? when my sister and my niece cooked it, it was salty both times.
@cahaya1983 (11121)
• Malaysia
26 Aug 16
I don't think I've ever been an unannounced visitor because I know what it feels like to be an unprepared host! I go crazy if I can't at least prepare something nice for the guests. But it's also about the appropriate time to visit.
I go crazy if I can't at least prepare something nice for the guests. But it's also about the appropriate time to visit.1 person likes this
@acelawrites (19273)
• Philippines
30 Aug 16
I always wanted to be notified, so there will be less stress on my part; to be prepared.
