COVID-19 | Missing guests, especially the quirky ones

[Yadira22]

Hello All, 

Hope you are well. 

Given how COVID-19 hit and certain restrictions and adjustments needed to make etc, some may have decided to stop hosting, at least we did. Out last guest was in March 2020 and we miss them. 

For the purpose of bringing some happiness I would like to start this thread- my funniest, quirkiest, silliest or whatever guest.

I'll begin- he was an early 20s solo traveller who came as to hand out a questionnaire for his MBA. As a student, he decided to take the longest route possible into London (24 hr bus ride). He came for the weekend and overslept, upon waking up he shouted "I need to talk with YADIRA" (I had just fallen asleep after working about 60-70 hours that week), as he needed to hand out a questionnaire for his university and had not had food but no idea of what to do. I told him where to order from based on time and preference and for the next day I basically felt so bad for him that I literally went on a mini outing with him to hand these over to local businesses (target audience), even online and success.  I left for dinner with someone and he came back the next day in the morning of his check out to inform me that he had the best night- basically met one of  my neighbors downstairs and went out binge drinking with him and his friends (my nieghbors are really friendly and cool). As his parting gift, he informed me that he found a "short cut" to the station and my brain went into override "how is this possible, I have lived here for 20 odd years..." His shortcut was going around the entire block, instead of through it (turning a 5 min walk into a 20 min one) as we have mentioned but he insisted as "google told him". I started to explain the shortcut and he cut me off, grabed his bag and set off in a 5km walk, which we hoped to do in less than 40 mins with a 30lb bag and whilst getting lunch... Somehow he made it but I have no idea how. 

We now refer to this route as the short cut...

Anyway- hope this made you smile. 

Yadira 🙂 

[Sarah977]

@Yadira22  My last guest was in March, as well, and yes, I miss hosting. Not sure if I'd call any of my guests particularly quirky, but my very first guest was a riot- when she arrived, one of the first things she said was "You didn't have any reviews!" I explained that was because I just listed and she was my lucky first guest. She was a super vivacious gal, full of life and positive energy- a single mom with a 15 year old son at home. I invited her along to a beach day my gal pals and I had planned- she turned out to be the life of the party- she kept chugging piña coladas, could outdrink everyone, and kept us all entertained. Everyone told me how much they enjoyed me bringing her along.

Another guest asked me what my cat's name was. I told him it didn't have a name because I was in denial that I had a cat- it was a stray that had insisted that it lived here and I'd been chasing it off, but had recently resigned myself to it (you may have correctly surmised that I'm not a cat person). Anyway, I went off to town one day and when I got home, my guest was sitting at the outdoor table reading and said offhandedly, "I named the cat". I said "Oh, really? And what did you name her?" "Cerce", after the nasty queen in Game of Thrones. Which is a perfect name for her, because she bites.

[Huma0]

@Sarah977 

Cerce. I love it.

As you may know, I AM a cat person and my three moggies (including the stray that decided to move in) are called Pinot, Grigio and Merlot, but that probably says more about me than them 🙂

[Huma0]

@Yadira22 

I've had so many great guests, often very interesting people, that it's hard to pick one. Also, unfortunately some of the quirkier ones were the problem ones.

I do remember one lady though who, although she drove me slightly nuts and broke my shower cubicle, was a sweet person. She was only staying for a week but brought three enormous, heavy suitcases with her. As she was on a budget, she decided against a taxi from the airport and took two Underground trains/walked instead.

I couldn't fathom how on earth she managed it, especially as she was tiny little thing and not very strong. I mean, she couldn't even walk with all three of them, let alone carry them.

She explained that no less than ten different people had helped her along the way, from the guy who assisted with her cabin case on the plane to the girl who walked her to my house. Now, being a frequent flyer and also remembering the days when I was a stylist's assistant and had to lug a huge suitcase all over London, I know that it's actually not that common for people to help you with your luggage on the tube. It happens, but only occasionally. She just told me it was karma.

Her husband was the cook of the household, so he would video call to instruct her. The first time, I left her to it in the kitchen. When I got back, she had just finished. Frying an egg. It took 20 minutes for him to teach her to fry an egg!

Anyway, she left with even more luggage than she arrived with, having done some shopping while she was here. I asked her how she was getting to the airport. She said by tube. "How are you going to manage your cases on the tube? There's no lift at the station. You would have to take them down one by one, but you are not allowed to leave luggage unattended. It could cause a security alert." "Someone will help me", she replied. "What if they don't?" I asked. "I will pray," was her answer.

"Okay, so how are you going to GET to the tube station?" I had another guest arriving and it was already two hours past check out, so I really didn't have time to take her there. In fact, I was stripping her bed during this conversation because she just wouldn't leave and I was really running out of time and starting to panic.

 I finally persuaded her to book an Uber to Green Park station, which would only cost a few pounds and where there was a lift and a direct tube to Heathrow. I left her to it and continued to clean but, when I came back, she was on the phone to her husband trying to get him to book the Uber from Thailand!! So, I gave her some numbers for nearby taxi firms but she couldn't actually dial a phone number. I dialled for her. Turns out she didn't know how to order a cab either so, eventually, I just took her phone and booked the taxi myself.

I honestly have no idea how this lady functioned day to day (when she broke the shower, she just told me, "I spoke to my husband and he said to tell you not to worry because it will sort itself out") but I'm assuming she just always had someone to help her. She was a very friendly, affectionate person so maybe it was karma after all!

[Sarah977]

@Huma0 It's kind of amazing that such a helpless person would even travel on her own. What if she couldn't get through to her husband to walk her through everything?

I had some housesitters once who managed to break the shower head off the wall. I don't understand how people do such things- I've never broken a shower head off the wall in my life, nor has anyone else I know.

[Huma0]

@Sarah977 

I'm not sure how old this lady was, but I'm guessing late 30s or early 40s. How on earth had she managed all that time?!! She was not daunted about travelling alone because she believed that someone, including complete strangers on the street, would always help her. Perhaps she was right. I ended up bending over backwards for her, even though she was often infuriating, because she was just so...well... sweet and good natured, I guess.

Unfortunately, I get so many guests breaking things in the house and many of these fall into the shower head/I don't get it category, like the guest who destroyed my very expensive, super strong front door lock. Even the locksmith was astonished.

It seems that people will break things in an Airbnb that they would not break at home because they are unfamiliar with their surroundings. Lady Karma was not the first person to yank that shower glass out of its fittings, but she also broke the fittings themselves, so I could not re-affix it nor have I found anyone who will fix it for me (it's a nightmare trying to find tradespeople to do small jobs in London) so I have had to put up a shower curtain on my lovely walk in shower 😞

So, I guess perhaps this guest was not the right one to post about here in @Yadira22 's nice, positive thread but, because she mentioned 'quirky', Lady Karma sprung to mind.

[Yadira22]

@Huma0 she sounds like a character. Quirky, is not necessarily bad, its more so unique in my eyes. Thank you for sharing. 🙂

[Helen427]

lol @Huma0  that's a common place Asian trait to have soooo many suitcases!

Meet a few of them over the course of my life and yes they are usually always tiny people one wonders where the strength comes from.

That said when I was under 50kg I used to lug heavy loads in a hotel environment job.

Re shower heads 

@Yadira22 @Helen350 @Huma0 @Sarah977  

 It's not uncommon for some people to assume showerheads have a hose that comes out of the wall so they pull on the head which can result in damage to them.

I find it best to explain that the head doesn't pull out, or have a hose that pulls out of the wall to guests on their initial house tour so it prevents the issue arising.

Have taken a tumble in a shower & accidentally pushed the glass out of the frame which was easy to fix - sometimes the materials around them weakens with age or are not well constructed.

Thankfully I grew up with people in the building trade so learnt how things are put together..and  I've been known as a child to pull sewing machines apart and put them back together again - inquisitiveness !!

[Helen350]

My quirkiest guest stayed 3 years ago I think... Pre-trip messaging warned me that she would be coming in at 1am after her work as a 'professional singer' at a private function, & was that OK? I said Yes.  She then turned up at 3pm, & JUST caught me as I was taking the dog out! She was miffed that I wasn't expecting her, & long story short, she hadn't made her TWO arrivals clear. -A VERY bubbly, bouncy, vivacious lady, but all on her terms...I wasn't sure how to take her....... Full of stories that had me not convinced.... I just smiled & awaited the critical review... it was a bit! 

Some time later she turned up on telly, as a contestant in the x-factor, where she was cringe-makingly dreadful; one of the clips they show for a giggle,  & balance..... I shall refrain from posting the youtube clip!!! 🙂

[Sally221]

Okay, not our quirkiest guests but they neatly encompass several things I dearly miss:  We have historically been mad fans of our local basketball team The Golden State Warriors through many a disappointing season & then magic happened and they became championship material & still decent& lovable "Yay!". A  quartet from Shanghai booked  our space & as it happens, the young men were also fans who were coming for the divisional playoffs. They loved it that we had the game calendar on our refrigerator with the wins/losses ticked off, they planned on taking transit to the game but "where are your Warrior shirts?" They planned on buying some at the venue but part of the experience is wearing your gear on the train so I set them up with last years playoff shirts & in high spirits. meanwhile, the young ladies spent the day napping & trying on each others clothing an adorable cultural universal. while we watched the game upstairs..  The lads returned  in triumph as the Dubs  had won & gave us their game day shirts. As they were leaving the girls sang us a lovely song about the "Hua Lin" flowers that grow in my garden- they are famously a harbinger of Spring  & made into tea in the countryside near Shanghai.

So, remembering sweet young guests from China, basketball & the beloved old arena that had less luxury boxes & more cheap seats for die hard fans..

[Yadira22]

Sports is a universal language- love it @Sally221 ! ❤️

My dad LOVES Barcelona FC (he helps me hosts as I have a tendency to overpat my schedule with several projects I run), he is obsessed with Messi and about 5 times (over the last 3.5 years)I have met several guests whose first couple of sentences are,... "Where's Milton (my dad), I love Barca too!". LOL. 

I have had days when I have been preparing to go out (pre COVID-19) and have heard cheering from the living room and it turns out to be my dad and a guest, sharing a couple of beers and watching the football (soccer) match. 

Honestly, I say he is our "USP" (he is super friendly, can speak with anyone and literally about anything), I think he misses the guests more than I do, hopefully next year... stay safe 🙂

[Sally221]

I FINALLY can load pix! XO ladies!