khayr…aamna…u can freeze kababs n kofty etc. type things …usually ppl fitting in ‘uncle category’ don’t like the sound of everything frozen …i dunno your life style …may be you are a lot busier than me …but if i were you …i’ll prepare n freeze some goodies like marinated meat…seekh kabab …shami kabab n koftay etc. …but cook the main course fresh …
n funguy log…perhaps you have guests regularly …we WISH we could have some gusts staying with us …it happened just once in soooo many years !
if 'the uncle' demands something fresh everyday, give him a tote bag right after breakfast and ask him to bring you fresh meats and vegetables from the nearest sabzi mandi (farmers market). He will get the message.
Does he drink shrink? Subha naashtay may hee Jack Daniels serve karo. Saara din tun rahaingay.
wow- lots of advice! I don't mean to be hospitable, the reason I started this thread is so that I dont' unintentionally offend them - I am a very hospitable person, I will feed you well if you come to my home, and do everything I can to take care of you.
But, I am not Pakistani, and it seems like I always do something to offend. This is this particular uncle's first visit, and I want to leave a very good impression, as he will be mostly with me, and is very close to my in-laws.
Some things freeze better than others, which is why I was asking. I have 4 kids of my own, and am the unofficial "neighborhood mom" so there are kids in and out all the time, most of them gora. All of my kids play sports, so right now we have softball, baseball, and soccer going on, not to mention Quran class and a bevy of activities to get everyone ready for school.
I want Uncle to be as involved as he would like, and I want him to have a good time - this is strictly a social visit - just to see us. (unfortunately it's a really bad time at work for my husband, and he can only take about 5 days vacation).
They are coming to your small town, with nothing to do, no public transport and a busy household for SIX weeks? Why, for crying out loud? Why?
Anyway, your best bet is to find some other mutual relatives in a more desirable city, and send this uncle to them. It is in their own best interest to use their time in more enjoyable and productive place.
Worst come to worse, maintain a semblem of normalcy in your routine and drop them to nearest bus/train stations during weekdays when they want to explore the nearest big cities. Depending on how much of a tourist tendency they have, they may just enjoy exploring the big city on their own. For weekends, the whole group can go out and enjoy some outing and spend quality time together.
^ Just to see my darling husband :) I thought that maybe I could take uncle to the city to see some sights and eat some yummy desi khanna once a week, and again on weekends with the husband, but don't want to offend uncle by taking him on my own with the kids (my son is 12).
I don't think taking him sight seeing & lunch will offend him. Unless he is very conservative and in that case you can't really drive him around anywhere.
I reckon that after a while theyll start a routine of their own..
for example
give them breakfast and if they been around the town for a few days they may think of things to do...and hopefully go and do it ie ..go for a walk, go to the library, Asian community centre or something
after lunch they may have a nap and then watch tv till your husband gets back.
Think of things to do as a group on the days your husband is at home and on week days carry with your household chores etc and if they suggest something they want or want to do try to accommodate....unless you really cant and then say its not poss today but well try to do it at a later date.
You cannopt be expected to keep them amused all the time and I dont really think they'll expect you to.
Excuse me, who said anything about leaving guests at home to do laundry! My washer and dryer are in my own home.
My mother was an excellent hostess, and my father was always a considerate host. We were also taught to be considerate and helpful guests, which seems to be a trait lacking in certain cultures, if you catch my drift.
And if I don't do the laundry, who will - I have 4 kids and a husband. I can't sit with uncle every single hour of the day, unfortunately, which is what my in-laws wanted when they visited. I understand that I am supposed to wait on everyone hand and foot, while sitting with them and visitng with them every second that they are in the main family rooms. Unfotunately, I still have a household to run, and no servants to run it!
My moms very very very hospitable. Typical desi, she’ll do EVERYTHING for you. Me, I’m generous and welcoming but to an extent. Like my dad wlil just invite someone over w/o even discussing it wihtmy mother and that pisses me off. She doesn’t complain though, she just goes and cooks a salan and some rotis, whereas she would go to other ppls house, and they barely even served her chai! wtf. I really don’t care to be “better” anymore, I’m not going to go the extra mile for anyone who doesn’t deserve it. Fk it.
