A live chicken

Just like Americans, islanders vary when it comes to their experience with other cultures and understanding the differences between places in the world.

During a class on "hospitality and hosting" recently, we were talking about what it means to be a good host in local culture and what it means to be a good guest. I asked what a good host should do, and they were a little quiet, so I primed the discussion with some questions...

Should the host say hello?
YES!!!

Should the host give their guest something to drink?
YES!!! Of course!

Should the host wash the guest's feet?
NO!!! (with looks of confusion-- who in their right mind would do that?)

We discussed some more of what it meant to host well, then moved on to being a good guest.

Should the guest bring a gift?
Maybe... sometimes? If there's a new baby, you should bring a gift.

What sort of gift should you bring?
"A live chicken!" said Sia, as the classroom burst into laughter. Sia was surprised by their reaction.

"A live chicken?" Another student giggled and said, "but what would you do with it? That's a lot of work!"

Sia, "In Madagascar, a chicken is a good gift! It's very generous to bring a chicken!"

Her classmates continued to laugh over it and then gave more suggestions of gifts to bring: fruit, candy, baked goods, something to drink, baby clothes (if visiting a newborn), etc.

So lest you think that you're the only one surprised by things in other cultures, my students get shocked on occasion too.