Monday, April 14, 2014

How to make enemies in a new town

Okay, so this is a tongue-in-cheek follow on from my previous post about how to make friends when you move to a new town, especially in 'the country'. Here are some quick ways to stuff it up:

Gossip. Especially in a small rural community, I am amazed that anyone would think it is okay to tell tales about others.

Rip people off. Not paying your suppliers in business, always asking favours but offering nothing in return, not showing up for appointments. In large cities you can get away with this behaviour to a greater extent (sadly) because the pool of potential customers, friends and employers is larger. Word of mouth is king.

Stay at home. Obviously.

Complain about everything. People won't offer you things or invite you places, if you're only going to be miserable about it.

Judge the local cider competition. I have found out the hard way that this is possibly one of the best ways to make enemies! Local competitions take one-upmanship to a whole new level in a rural community. Whether it's a trivia quiz, sailing, baking, art or cider making, it's very serious business indeed, let me tell you. And if you are one of the judges, then the end result is all your fault. It's a quick way to endear yourself to those who win and be forever complained about by those who don't.

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