One of the downsides of living overseas...

[Lastcenturymum]

People find you on facebook. Being a nice person, you think, hmm, longtime since we ran playgroup together and our kids were friends, oh well, nice to see what they have been up to...

Then....you get 'the message'...'we are planning a RTW trip...including your country in the months of'...:eek::eek:

I don't mind catching up for a meal with acquaintances from the past, in fact it's nice to see Aussies..but slightly strange people, with strangers partners..

Off to write a rather vague reply...:rolleyes:

(to be fair she didn't ask about accommodation, just a 'catch up' but you reckon they are wanting something when you don't normally communicate!!)

[Mummaholic]

LOL just happened to my mum. They told her the DAY before they left and stayed for 3 weeks!

[Lastcenturymum]

Crumbs! They won't be doing that with us. Suddenly I can't see that spare bedroom:D Nope, just looked and it's a blank wall :laughing:

[confusd]

maybe they need a tour guide :laughing:

i dont get it from stranger i get it from rellies, they ring and say we are on the way going to stay with you for a week. Then i have to do the worlds quickest house clean :laughing:

[MummaFug]

:laughing: This happened to me last week...

Thing is - I didnt even like the girl in school - She didnt like me much either .... why does she now think that I want to be her buddy and have her stay with me???


Drives me crazy...

[SalTheGal]

I remember when I travelled Europe, and my mum was trying to hook me up with all these long lost relos that I had never even heard of before....I mean sorry, but I don't know these people from a bar of soap- why would I want to lump on their doorstep to say hello just cause apparently we are related?!?!?!

Yep I hear ya- I just don't see the point in 'hooking up' with people who are OS jsut cause you happen to be in the same country- when you wouldn't catch up with them if you lived down the street.....

So glad they didn't hit you for accomodation...although it could still be coming!!!

[jag5000]

I get this all the time from people I knew when we lived in Perth!! grr! ... if you are my FRIEND, then that's cool (with notice and if it's convenient etc).. but if I met you twice and you just happen to be coming for a holiday to melbourne... book a bluddy hotel! :p

[Mum2Bug]

I get this all the time from people I knew when we lived in Perth!! grr! ... if you are my FRIEND, then that's cool (with notice and if it's convenient etc).. but if I met you twice and you just happen to be coming for a holiday to melbourne... book a bluddy hotel! :p

Will keep that in mind:D

[jag5000]

you don't count :D i have a bed for you anytime! .. I said.. anyone who isn't a friend! you are def. my friend birthday girl :hugs:

[Coffee]

I hear you. Happened to me a couple times.

Now, when ever someone's planning a trip to Australia, they send me a mail or contact me on facebook and ask for a catch up.

I had my cousin contacting me, at the end of 07 beginning of 08, as they were coming here and were looking for a convenient place to crash for the first few days.

Although I don't really know her, I know her sister better than her, seeing that it's family, you can't say no..

They came, stayed with us and left after about 3 days. Which was fine but I haven't heard from them since. :rolleyes:

[MJ410]

Oh thats just rude!

[Yummy Mummy of 5]

We get this all the time from DH family from the mainland they think our home is a hotel :hair:

[Mum 2 One]

I've had this lots before... At first I welcomed them with open arms but the joy wore off very quickly with nurmerous (ungrateful) guests... Now I just reply with it will be nice to catch up over dinner and please let me know if you would like any accomodation, rental car or tour company recommendations :p

Works a treat and it is really actually nice then when they come and you can catch up (for a short period!) :o

[Lastcenturymum]

LOL Mum 2 one, that is what I did with this girl, haven't heard back yet :rolleyes:

Coffee, that is so rude.

I have an American friend who has the control freak SIL just arrived with her 14 year old daughter and asked (after she invited her) if her daughter could bring a friend!:eek:

Apparently she stands in the kitchen watching her cook and says 'why do you do that like that, I do it this way' and tries to take over! Yikes!

I've told her I'm just an sms away if she needs an escape. Also this relo never had any cash the last time she came, so I pointed out where the ATM is at the airport and suggested they make it their first stop :laughing:

[bgbgbb]

I had this with Aussie friends coming to Ireland and then Irish friends coming to me when I moved back to Aus.

I think you need to be upfront and say "Would love to see you. Unfortunately, we're a bit tight for room, but come for lunch so we can catch up".

The other option is meet them out of your house.

I find with some cultures you need to say it as it is because they dont necessarily get your underlying meaning when you imply something.

[JosieJo]

I love it when that happens, great opportunity to catch up with people, and I don't find it hard at all to say that we don't have much room, and can stay for one night maximum. Chances are, they just want a local tour guide, and a chance to see you, not necessarily to use for accommodation!
In fact, if I know people in a place I am going, I always ask to see if they'd like a catch up - and believe me, the last thing I want is to stay with them especially if I don't know them well.
If and when they stay, cross that bridge. And to be quite frank, if you don't want to do coffee, lunch or dinner with them, then delete them from your Facebook. You needn't ever see them again.

[Moops]

LOL I get that all the time, people just seem to come out of the woodwork once they've discovered I live in London! My excuse is that Luca's room is the spare room and my train station doesn't have a lift so no I can't meet you at Buckingham Palace lol.

Whereabouts are you LCM? Or shall I stalk you on Facebook? :laughing:

[Lastcenturymum]

Why, you planning a trip Moops? :D There is a clue, you just have to know where to look for it!!:detective:

Well to update, we did hear from them and I'm reading out the email to DH and he's standing there repeating 'we aren't here then, we aren't here then....' :laughing:

I replied to her email (which she obviously got off fb) and didn't lie and saw we wouldn't be around, I just didn't answer her questions about floor space and a spare room, just gave her the name of some cheaper B&B's and told her what I thought of the company they planned on touring with....and then deleted her from fb!!

Oh Moops, my hubby is coming to your town tomorrow - just for the day! We plan a visit at the end of October for a long weekend

[Moops]

Lol I did see the clue but thought you might have just gone there on holidays - nice! How long have you been there?

Good work with your 'friend'!

[Hector]

An old college buddy of mine just did the "we don't have much room at our place" thing to me during my recent trip to NZ. I figured it was mostly due to the fact that I had a child and she has none and was freaking out. It didn't matter anyway as I had no intention of staying at hers - it'd been too long since I'd seen her and I thought it would be weird. Plus I HATE using other ppl's bathrooms...

But if it's my bathroom then come on over - I love having ppl from o/seas come visit. But I guess I'm thinking of ppl I actually like - not random stalkers from FB (actually can't get Facebook in China so there's no chances of being stalked for my spare room lol)

[ThomasMum]

People find you on facebook

Thankfully we dont have any FB account so we are safe :laughing:

We dont mind to have people staying over. Having said that we are very selective abt who can or can not lol, and only for overnight staying.

Besides we only stay at the hotel whenever we go to some place overseas/interstate so our friends kinda get the picture that we like our privacy hehe...