Répondez S'il Vous Plaît

September 2011

While RSVPs have been standard in most invitations for years, guests do still have some trouble actually sending in replies to certain occasions. While it is never really necessary to give an official excuse or offer reasons as to why an invitation cannot be accepted, it is a must to let the celebrators know whether or not you will attend. Keep these tips in mind when sending in your replies or regrets —show some courtesy by helping the people celebrating keep their event as tight and well-coordinated as possible.

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Be prompt.

RSVPs are included in invitations in order to help streamline preparations—finding out the headcount and planning seating positions are important in many occasions, and an actual list of people who will and will not make it is needed to move forward. Make sure to send in your RSVP a few days after receiving your invitation, especially if you are sent a physical invitation. Phoning in too late will defeat the purpose of RSVPs and will not be much help for the event planners. If you were only verbally invited however, it is possible to send in your regrets a little later.

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Follow instructions.

If an invitation was mailed to you and no RSVP card was included, you are expected to mail a note back to the return address of the sender. If telephone numbers and contact persons are specified however, you may get in touch with them by phone or even by email.

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Keep it simple.

The only thing an RSVP requires is your confirmation of attendance—there’s no need to come up with a list of excuses or tell the person why you can’t make it. Keep it short, be polite and express your regret at not being able to attend without going into a rant.

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Accommodate changes.

If you must change your regrets to a “yes,” then do the event planners right by calling in to tell them you can make it. If you are sending in your RSVP straight to a friend or personal acquaintance, you may tell them about your change in plans and why your schedule suddenly frees you up to attend—in any case, your presence will certainly be welcomed and your calling in advance will be appreciated.

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The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph

100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Up in the Air

August 2011

As you gear up to prepare for that family vacation while the kids are on break, or as you embark on a short-term business trip abroad, it is important to keep in mind the civility and etiquette that air travel requires. Being in such an enclosed space commands the kind of behavior that will help make a rough (or even smooth) trip comfortable for everyone on board.

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Keep to your space.

If you are on an aisle seat, don’t let your elbows or feet cross over to the actual aisle. Not only does it interfere with the space needed for flight attendants to cross or people to walk through on their way to the toilets, it also gives the person sitting across you more breathing space. If you are working on your table and have materials spread out, make sure they don’t spill over to the floor and on to the next person’s space.

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Say “Excuse me.”

If you’re on your way to the toilet and need to squeeze your way through your row just to get out, it’s perfectly okay to excuse yourself. If the person on the aisle seat is asleep, you may tap him lightly on the arm or gently nudge him. If you find that a person constantly has to move out of the row and you are on the aisle, you could politely offer to trade seats—be understanding, the person could have a medical condition that requires him to be on the go all the time.

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Don’t snoop.

Because you are sitting in such close quarters, it may be tempting to look over at the book your seatmate is reading or steal a glance at his laptop screen. Keep yourself from being nosy and try to stick to your own business.

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Stay quiet.

Whether you’re striking a conversation with another passenger or telling your kid a bedtime story, try to keep your voice down. Airplanes are noisy in general and adding to the ambient noise can be irritating to other guests who just want some peace and quiet.

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The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph

100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Class Act

July 2011

With kids settling back into the routine of school, adults now have more time on their hands to deal with their own “class” issues—that is, seeing old faces and catching up with old friends at homecomings, reunions and parties that celebrate the one of a kind experience one gains from school. Whether it be a high school or college reunion, a grand homecoming or even a small get-together among close pals, revisiting the past and reviving friendships can be made even better by exercising proper etiquette.

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Go the extra mile.

Include everyone on the mailing list or guest list, especially if you’re organizing a batch reunion or a large-scale party. With social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, tracking down long-lost friends and classmates has become an effortless task. Excluding people because you feel that they wouldn’t want to attend anyway is not an excuse for scrimping on the invites.

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Mingle.

The point of a reunion isn’t so you can see the same old folk you meet every week for lunch—it’s to reconnect with friends you hadn’t seen in decades. Move around and interact with different groups and circles and expand your current network to include people from way back.

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Have some humble pie.

Whether you’re out to prove that you’ve made it or are just genuinely happy to tell everyone how far you’ve come, resist the urge to boast about your achievements. Instead, be sincere in finding out how everyone is doing—let your successes speak for themselves.

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Stay sensitive.

It is easy to speak one’s mind and dole out opinions—exercise caution, though. An offhanded remark to you may strike a sensitive chord with someone you haven’t interacted with in a long time. Stay away from negativity, embarrassing anecdotes and anything that can put others in an awkward position.

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Say thank you.

Organizing a large-scale reunion or homecoming is no mean feat. Be sure to give warmhearted thanks to the organizers and to everyone else who contributed to putting together a successful event.

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The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph

100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Say It Right

June 2011

Interacting closely with people can oftentimes put us in tricky situations. Hearing somebody’s very personal news can elicit reactions that may put us on the spot, and figuring out what to say after a sensitive topic is brought up can certainly be a challenge. With close friends, it may be easier to come up with a sincere and genuine response, but acquaintances, colleagues, and those can be more difficult to gauge.

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Consider these go-to replies whenever delicate subjects arise:

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Someone marries or becomes engaged.

“What great news!” Greet the person with sincerity and show genuine interest in his or her plans; but stop yourself before doling out any marriage advice or asking too many questions about the engagement. Avoid dishing out any stories about marriages gone sour, and stick to happier news.

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Someone is pregnant.

Be sincerely happy but do not pry. Try not to cross the line and give out medical opinions (especially if you are not a doctor). Avoid bringing up labor horror stories.

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Someone miscarries.

“I’m sorry.” Stick to how sorry you are about the situation and do not try to make her feel better by saying that everything happened for the best or that it was God’s plan. Avoid going into detail—you might accidentally say something that could imply the miscarriage came about because of something the mother did or didn’t do.

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Someone separates or divorces.

If you know that there is regret on the person’s part about what just happened, “I’m sorry” will suffice. It is difficult to figure out the circumstances behind a separation, especially if details are sparingly give—therefore saying “Thank you for telling me” or “I wish you the best” is a good enough response.

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Someone is sick.

In this case, actions will speak louder than words. Offer assistance in any way you can—help shop for groceries, visit, or volunteer.

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Someone passes away.

Condolences are enough during a situation like this—“I’m so sorry” or “I’m thinking of you” are simple and eloquent and usually say more than any other contrived response can.

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The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph

100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

You've Got Mail

May 2011

E-mail has become part and parcel of our daily lives, whether it’s in the office or even among family and friends. Getting in touch with people has never been easier, more convenient, or more instantaneous because of technology. With e-mail becoming so accessible these days thanks to the onslaught of smartphones, high-speed Internet, and wi-fi, many of the do’s and don’ts of e-mail have become easily overlooked.

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Keep these basic tips in mind before hitting send, and maintain that sense of propriety and etiquette at all times, no matter what type of message you plan on delivering.

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BCC Benefits.

Not everyone appreciates having their names and e-mail addresses published, especially in letters that are sent out in bulk. When e-mailing a big number of people, use the BCC feature instead to keep everyone’s identity private, or go the extra mile and send your message out individually. ..

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Subject Counts.

The subject field in every letter you send out is important—it gives your recipients a quick idea as to what your letter contains. Be particular about what you type in—go for a specific subject title, rather than something vague so your message is not overlooked.

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Stay Succinct.

Reserve long drawn out stories for face-to-face conversations or even snail mail—shorter messages are more appropriate for e-mail. The same goes for any heavy attachments—small photo files are acceptable, but large files that can take up memory are better sent after you ask your recipient whether it’s all right to send out a big file first.

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Watch your Keyboard.

Be wary of typing everything in all-caps for emphasis—using this format is the equivalent of shouting online and can be disrespectful. At the same time, many shortcuts are used to abbreviate certain emotions (emoticons, on-line shortcuts such as “BTW,” “FYI,” etc.)—be careful about using these symbols because they can transform business correspondences into casual letters, and at the same time can leave recipients wondering what the emoticons and abbreviations actually mean. -------

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The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph

100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.