Buying and moving into a new house is always an exhilarating, if not exhausting experience.
In fact, it is also an occasion worth celebrating, if I may say the least.
Hence, we see all those housewarming parties thrown by eager hosts and proud owners of new houses.
This is particularly popular around the world; perhaps especially so in the Asian region or may I say, my own country Malaysia. I am sure they have it in Western countries or anywhere else around the world; as after all, it is a time to share their joys and happiness with their relatives and friends.
It is a preference and an enjoyable moment for those who are keen on it.
As for me, I am kinda different on this issue; call me eccentric or whatever, but I am never too keen on housewarming or even throwing one myself should there even be a need in the future.
I don't think I owe it to anyone to explain why should I not throw a housewarming party if I ever move or buy a new place because again, this is entirely my personal preference and decision to make.
It is not being selfish or being secretive, again as some would unfairly put it, but honestly, I just find it a whole trouble to organize and to have people from everywhere trampling and touching every single thing all over the house. It is blood curdling to have kids jumping around on that new sofa and their parents would never have the good sense to stop them and you have to have that fake smile plastered on your face even deep down inside, you feel like dissecting that kid and wonder what's gotten into his body to have that amount of spring to unload onto your poor sofa.
At the same time, serving food means you will be having your guests walking around your house with food in their hands, or worse, on their fingers.
Imagine when they pay a visit to your bedroom, there goes without saying what you will lying upon to slumber that night, to the scent of fried chicken or beehoon sticking on your pillow or blanket.
Besides that, you would have to go through all those hassle of organizing and arranging for the caterer or if you are your own caterer, prepare the food and drinks and the whole house which you have just spend an unimaginable time for your living into a museum for one night.
It is horrendous when the guests leave, leaving you with gifts and loads of rubbish for you to pick up until the wee hours of the morning while they are probably discussing about how bad your taste is in selecting that curtain for the main hall or how distasteful it is to have a red lounge chair right in the middle of the study, while at the same time commenting on how bad your cooking is.
Face it, we are all natural critics, whether we like it or not. Even when we do have compliments for others, the criticsms always outweigh the compliments for whatever reason.
Another reason I do not quite welcome the idea of housewarming is a very simple concept and perhaps, this is the most important reason of all, is that I view my home as a very personal and divine space to be enjoyed by myself.
I think this is a very simple and uncalled for reason.
In the Western countries, it is even considered rude to invite yourself to another's home. I think the same way too, and I hate how some people often self-invite themselves, "Hey, I wanna go to your house this week" where you are left with no choice but to say yes while you secretly think how much work you need to do to clean up the house.
Even when the house is not entirely messy, you will be like, I will need to spare a few hours to entertain these people and shift my whole schedule for that day.
That is how people are, they do not care whether you like it or not or they do not even have the fine courtesy or common sense to realize that the host did not mention nor offer an invitation to their house and they are so bursting of curiosity that they had to just break the bubble and decide to self-invite themselves.
I think it is rude to go to someone else's house without an invitation.
Home is our solitary space and represents our inner self; hence it is a place to be treated with respect and not just some fun fair or museum where you can walk straight into.
It is like an intrusion into someone's privacy and sadly, not a lot of people understand that.
That being said, I am not against people throwing open houses and housewarming parties, as I have said, that is entirely their own choice and preferences and if they open up for an invitation, it means they want you to go.
However, for those who did not invite or say anything even when they have just moved into a new place/house, please, please, be polite and resist the urge, no matter how curious you are, to invite yourselves to others' houses as it is really rude and annoying to have company where not needed.
It just takes a little bit of common sense and courtesy to figure this out
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