1. INDULGE, INDULGE, INDULGE in LOCAL FOOD.
2. Get my HAIR done PROPER by Sandra at Supercuts, the hair's kinda growing in the wrong places.
3. CLAIM my room from my brother who has been happily taking the THRONE.
4. Spend some time with the dog, Kyuubi, man he must have grown, hope my 'scent' is still somewhere in his brain, not very smart the dog.
5. Get a job or two to start paying for my holidays to Bali, possibly Phuket for surf and HOPEFULLY Kanazawa, Japan to visit Takuro.
6. Enroll myself in a Spanish OR Japanese language school, or an online course, both which I already found.
7. FINISH MY DAMN EDUCATION! *WASHING MY HANDS CLEAN*
8. Bask, bask, BASK in the existence of the fairer sex, not that I'm not having fun with the boys here, just enough already?
9. Drive the car if there's still one?
10. Dine, wine and PARTY!!! Need I say more?
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Lost in Existence continued
Wednesday
19:39 hours
Canteen
Four Seasons Maldives Kuda Huraa
Right the previous entry had an entire lower half cut off due to the network shutting down on me! >.<
And guess what, there wasn't any dive, but the dive manager asked if I wanted to join him to recover a lost piece of underwater torch which cost about US$300 and well it sounded pretty fun so I geared up anyway and we set off. Jo, the marine biologist responsible for a coral reef growing project also asked me if I wanted to join her to pick corals and plant them.
Somehow I decided to join two burly guys instead of a babe and I did not even dive, because I had trouble with the ears shortly after descending. >.< Spent my time on the boat getting a tan instead.
I just finished dinner, was snoozing in my room after a shower. Had a workout at the gym which was refreshing, even though I'm starting to feel some strain on my body, especially my back. Feels good nonetheless, haven't been actively going to the gym daily with my erratic work schedule, tons of back-to-back shifts. It's good in a way, because I get longer day offs when I end at 5pm the day before my day off and start at 4pm the day after my off. :)
Oh and as to why I titled this entry 'Lost in Existence', simply because I was feeling pretty lost, just moving along with time and it almost feels as if I am unaware of my own existence. I was becoming reclusive, didn't spend much time with anyone, slept a lot, too much, and didn't help that my phone and the Internet was not working so good couple o days back.
Had a good chat with my dear friend, Krystle, just yesterday and kinda sorted out my messed up head. Ha.
I'm BACK TO NORMAL and feeling good about it, watched the last episode of Grey's Anatomy Season 4 yesterday, read a bit and had a drink with a new friend Mojo, as well as the Japanese teacher Takuro.
So back to recalling previous days events...
Haircut in Bodu Huraa
Some time during work as a luggage crew, I strolled past the huge mirror we have just before entering Front-of-House, probably for us to keep ourselves in check before we actually step in front and meet our guests, and realised my hair was turning poofy, yes there's no other way to put it.
For those of you who've seen me with really short hair, and see it get out of hand before I actually wanted to do something about it, you'd know that my hair grows faster on the sides than at the fringe, top or the back, hence the term poofy, looking like some weird, creepy clown.
Anyway I was really annoyed looking at myself in the mirror. The more I looked, the more I couldn't stop looking, which hence led me to resent it and at that time I was also feeling pretty adventurous as my days were becoming a little mundane, which was probably how I could be possibly lost in my own existence, so I told myself, why not visit the Indian barber at the neighbouring island for a haircut that costs USD1?
So after work I took the boat over, met a local and asked if he would lead me to the barber and along the way he also explained to me how Maldivians built their homes before coral harvesting was outlawed here.
Some of the buildings were really old and you'd be amazed that they are made of corals, dead ones of course but still pretty amazing. A decent house could be built in a period of two months if they worked at it every day.
"What do you think we use to stick the corals together? We do not have cement."
I was astonished. No cement and these houses were standing and most survived the tsunami.
He explained that most of the corals we see on beaches, those white branch looking types, while they are still alive, they are burnt and under heat, they produce a glue-like substance, strong enough to hold big ass corals together and make houses.
Primitive techniques and materials, amazing what man can do to survive.
So that's a quick lesson in Maldivian history and architecture for all of you, will try to post up some pictures, didn't get to take many as it was drizzling after my hair cut.
Right, back to the hair cut. I arrived after a ten minute walk from the jetty and it was this 3 by 3 m, hole-in-the-wall barbershop. Very old school, with primitive but decent hair tools, and an Indian barber to complete the package.
When I strolled in he was still chatting away on his mobile so i started snapping some pictures of the shop. When he finally ended his conversation I learnt that his name is Bindi or Bindee if I remembered correctly, and he has been the sole provider of hair cuts in Bodu Huraa for the past 5 or 7 years. Talk about monopoly.
Well he asked me what I was looking for, which shocked me actually, as no one, NO ONE, has anything nice to say about his creations and everyone says, HE SAYS, that it's very nice and suits them very well. And did I forget to mention everyone largely looks the same after leaving the shop. Ha!
I quickly told him the length I'd like to keep and let him work his 'magic'. I seriously miss my hairstylist Sandra, she really works magic and I never have to tell her what I want, she just knows how to make me look good. Oh and did I mention she gave me a HUGE red packet for good luck, more than any family member should give me.
It was a fifteen minute affair and quite honestly, though it's not exactly the best hair cut, I am happy with it and the next thing I knew I was running for the jetty hoping not to get soaked. Pretty happy that the next hair cut I get will be in a salon in the heart of the city with shampoo, blow dry and a good conversation.
Annual Staff Party 16 December 2007
The company held an annual staff party last Sunday for the employees and you'd probably be thinking it must have been a pretty lame one, I did and I don't blame you. After all the nearest resorts are about half an hour away and to hold a D&D for 400 staff, boy logistics can be a nightmare.
I was so wrong, it wasn't a lame party.
The day was bustling with activity and I wasn't expecting much, afterall a wedding affair in Bodu Huraa wasn't that much of a hoo-ha either, and judging from previous years pictures of the staff party, it wasn't looking promising. The booming speakers directly outside my room was annoying the hell out of me though, I was trying to nap after a long morning shift.
By nightfall, we had a makeshift stage and dancefloor in the middle of the courtyard right outside my room, in the canteen was a live barbecue station, a sumptuous spread of food and dessert buffet, and fresh coconut juice. I went for dinner with the girls and shortly after when I went to the courtyard, boy the dancefloor area looked like a club!
The party was underway at about 8pm and it started off with a live Maldivian band, really good! They do great reggae as well, worthy of the late Bob Marley. And boy, oh boy, lucky draw prizes weren't lame stuff like toasters or dvd players, it was iPods, PS2s, PLASMA TVS, SONY DIGICAMS, and cash vouchers for the Spa and Resort Shop! Those gadgets don't come cheap in the Maldives that much I'd say. The games were pretty entertaining, old school favourites like musical chairs and limbo dance.
Oh yeah and they have this funny flavoured sparkling juice Holsten that they call NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER. HA!
Well to cut the long story short, I'm getting there, for those of you girls who are appalled at the idea of clubbing in Phuture with despo guys, esp NS boys, who are deprived of the existence of females for five days out of a week, IT'S WORST HERE.
THESE GUYS ARE CRAZY HIGH WITH NO ALCOHOL!!!!!
It was just pretty freaky for me, to see guys pulling other guys away with brutal strength just to be the one up close with a lady, which are obviously few here. I just spent the night standing there with the ladies observing the madness of it all, and yes fending some guys off who were just dying to drag more of them into that hot and sweaty crowd. >.<
Well that was pretty much what happened that night.
I have found myself my old past time, movies! Though there aren't any dolby sound equipped theatres here, I do have capable earphones which produces quality sound and my iBook. Sarah's been my fellow movie fanatic. We've watched The Black Dahlia, Disturbia, 300, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. I just downloaded Bee Movie and should be watching it shortly. Our security office does have a decent collection which they try to update for the staff to loan out.
Oh and I'm due for Christmas carolling practise in a bit, the festive season just begun here and boy they have big plans, I will also be doing a week or two in the Kids' Club, we have like 70 kids coming and there's only 2 staff in the Kids' Club, not a pretty sight.
Will update about what's happening, nothing much planned for this week.
Hope everyone's doing good, take care!
21:00 hours
19:39 hours
Canteen
Four Seasons Maldives Kuda Huraa
Right the previous entry had an entire lower half cut off due to the network shutting down on me! >.<
And guess what, there wasn't any dive, but the dive manager asked if I wanted to join him to recover a lost piece of underwater torch which cost about US$300 and well it sounded pretty fun so I geared up anyway and we set off. Jo, the marine biologist responsible for a coral reef growing project also asked me if I wanted to join her to pick corals and plant them.
Somehow I decided to join two burly guys instead of a babe and I did not even dive, because I had trouble with the ears shortly after descending. >.< Spent my time on the boat getting a tan instead.
I just finished dinner, was snoozing in my room after a shower. Had a workout at the gym which was refreshing, even though I'm starting to feel some strain on my body, especially my back. Feels good nonetheless, haven't been actively going to the gym daily with my erratic work schedule, tons of back-to-back shifts. It's good in a way, because I get longer day offs when I end at 5pm the day before my day off and start at 4pm the day after my off. :)
Oh and as to why I titled this entry 'Lost in Existence', simply because I was feeling pretty lost, just moving along with time and it almost feels as if I am unaware of my own existence. I was becoming reclusive, didn't spend much time with anyone, slept a lot, too much, and didn't help that my phone and the Internet was not working so good couple o days back.
Had a good chat with my dear friend, Krystle, just yesterday and kinda sorted out my messed up head. Ha.
I'm BACK TO NORMAL and feeling good about it, watched the last episode of Grey's Anatomy Season 4 yesterday, read a bit and had a drink with a new friend Mojo, as well as the Japanese teacher Takuro.
So back to recalling previous days events...
Haircut in Bodu Huraa
Some time during work as a luggage crew, I strolled past the huge mirror we have just before entering Front-of-House, probably for us to keep ourselves in check before we actually step in front and meet our guests, and realised my hair was turning poofy, yes there's no other way to put it.
For those of you who've seen me with really short hair, and see it get out of hand before I actually wanted to do something about it, you'd know that my hair grows faster on the sides than at the fringe, top or the back, hence the term poofy, looking like some weird, creepy clown.
Anyway I was really annoyed looking at myself in the mirror. The more I looked, the more I couldn't stop looking, which hence led me to resent it and at that time I was also feeling pretty adventurous as my days were becoming a little mundane, which was probably how I could be possibly lost in my own existence, so I told myself, why not visit the Indian barber at the neighbouring island for a haircut that costs USD1?
So after work I took the boat over, met a local and asked if he would lead me to the barber and along the way he also explained to me how Maldivians built their homes before coral harvesting was outlawed here.
Some of the buildings were really old and you'd be amazed that they are made of corals, dead ones of course but still pretty amazing. A decent house could be built in a period of two months if they worked at it every day.
"What do you think we use to stick the corals together? We do not have cement."
I was astonished. No cement and these houses were standing and most survived the tsunami.
He explained that most of the corals we see on beaches, those white branch looking types, while they are still alive, they are burnt and under heat, they produce a glue-like substance, strong enough to hold big ass corals together and make houses.
Primitive techniques and materials, amazing what man can do to survive.
So that's a quick lesson in Maldivian history and architecture for all of you, will try to post up some pictures, didn't get to take many as it was drizzling after my hair cut.
Right, back to the hair cut. I arrived after a ten minute walk from the jetty and it was this 3 by 3 m, hole-in-the-wall barbershop. Very old school, with primitive but decent hair tools, and an Indian barber to complete the package.
When I strolled in he was still chatting away on his mobile so i started snapping some pictures of the shop. When he finally ended his conversation I learnt that his name is Bindi or Bindee if I remembered correctly, and he has been the sole provider of hair cuts in Bodu Huraa for the past 5 or 7 years. Talk about monopoly.
Well he asked me what I was looking for, which shocked me actually, as no one, NO ONE, has anything nice to say about his creations and everyone says, HE SAYS, that it's very nice and suits them very well. And did I forget to mention everyone largely looks the same after leaving the shop. Ha!
I quickly told him the length I'd like to keep and let him work his 'magic'. I seriously miss my hairstylist Sandra, she really works magic and I never have to tell her what I want, she just knows how to make me look good. Oh and did I mention she gave me a HUGE red packet for good luck, more than any family member should give me.
It was a fifteen minute affair and quite honestly, though it's not exactly the best hair cut, I am happy with it and the next thing I knew I was running for the jetty hoping not to get soaked. Pretty happy that the next hair cut I get will be in a salon in the heart of the city with shampoo, blow dry and a good conversation.
Annual Staff Party 16 December 2007
The company held an annual staff party last Sunday for the employees and you'd probably be thinking it must have been a pretty lame one, I did and I don't blame you. After all the nearest resorts are about half an hour away and to hold a D&D for 400 staff, boy logistics can be a nightmare.
I was so wrong, it wasn't a lame party.
The day was bustling with activity and I wasn't expecting much, afterall a wedding affair in Bodu Huraa wasn't that much of a hoo-ha either, and judging from previous years pictures of the staff party, it wasn't looking promising. The booming speakers directly outside my room was annoying the hell out of me though, I was trying to nap after a long morning shift.
By nightfall, we had a makeshift stage and dancefloor in the middle of the courtyard right outside my room, in the canteen was a live barbecue station, a sumptuous spread of food and dessert buffet, and fresh coconut juice. I went for dinner with the girls and shortly after when I went to the courtyard, boy the dancefloor area looked like a club!
The party was underway at about 8pm and it started off with a live Maldivian band, really good! They do great reggae as well, worthy of the late Bob Marley. And boy, oh boy, lucky draw prizes weren't lame stuff like toasters or dvd players, it was iPods, PS2s, PLASMA TVS, SONY DIGICAMS, and cash vouchers for the Spa and Resort Shop! Those gadgets don't come cheap in the Maldives that much I'd say. The games were pretty entertaining, old school favourites like musical chairs and limbo dance.
Oh yeah and they have this funny flavoured sparkling juice Holsten that they call NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER. HA!
Well to cut the long story short, I'm getting there, for those of you girls who are appalled at the idea of clubbing in Phuture with despo guys, esp NS boys, who are deprived of the existence of females for five days out of a week, IT'S WORST HERE.
THESE GUYS ARE CRAZY HIGH WITH NO ALCOHOL!!!!!
It was just pretty freaky for me, to see guys pulling other guys away with brutal strength just to be the one up close with a lady, which are obviously few here. I just spent the night standing there with the ladies observing the madness of it all, and yes fending some guys off who were just dying to drag more of them into that hot and sweaty crowd. >.<
Well that was pretty much what happened that night.
I have found myself my old past time, movies! Though there aren't any dolby sound equipped theatres here, I do have capable earphones which produces quality sound and my iBook. Sarah's been my fellow movie fanatic. We've watched The Black Dahlia, Disturbia, 300, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. I just downloaded Bee Movie and should be watching it shortly. Our security office does have a decent collection which they try to update for the staff to loan out.
Oh and I'm due for Christmas carolling practise in a bit, the festive season just begun here and boy they have big plans, I will also be doing a week or two in the Kids' Club, we have like 70 kids coming and there's only 2 staff in the Kids' Club, not a pretty sight.
Will update about what's happening, nothing much planned for this week.
Hope everyone's doing good, take care!
21:00 hours
Lost in Existence
Wednesday
13:18 hours
Canteen
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
I just had the heartiest lunch and feeling a lil queasy.. And now the sight of everyone around me with their plates full is just tempting me to barf.
Today's the day off again and this afternoon I scared myself awake. I am due to go diving in half an hour and when I woke up this morning, it was noon. I set a ringer on my phone, for me to wake up to call my mum, who's setting off for Holy Land today (take care mum, I love you!). For the convenience of the people back home, I set my mobile to Singapore time so at noon, my phone was 1400 hours which was the time I needed to be at the jetty! >.<
Well I had the longest call with my family and it was good to hear that all of you are doing well. :D Mum's en route to Sainthood, Shern's en route to become Sharapova, and Shane's rocking like Jack Black. WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...!
Right, let's just try to recall what happened in the past days.
Initiation into Front Office
I am very happy to say, that for the past week, I have been officially admitted into the light at the end of the tunnel, FRONT OFFICE BABY!
To just put things into perspective, why it is the light at the end of the tunnel, for all you people who have been actively reading and probably understand the hardship of housekeeping, my Resort Assistant Manager Nawaz had this to say to me after I worked an additional two hours.
"Okay Shawn tomorrow come in at 7pm instead of 4pm to make up for this additional two hours you did today."
Grinning wide from cheek to cheek, I was almost laughing and said, "This is something you'd NEVER hear in Housekeeping!"
"Well Shawn, welcome to the world of Front Office. ;)"
I did luggage crew for last week and made some good tips. Had the opportunity to speak some Japanese (, a little bit of Spanish, and some Cantonese (xiu xiu la, sek teng mm sek gong). Haha. Basking in the interaction with our guests.
Oh right, there was this one incident, it was the first time I encountered an aggressive guest. What happened was that he had two rooms, one for himself and another for his parents but he instructed for his luggages to be kept together. On our part the parents' room was not ready due to a previous guest checking out late. Hence he did not get his baby food on time and his baby was crying for half an hour.
And I only arrived with his laptop.
"I don't want that! Why do I need that? Half an hour, half an hour, is that the best you can do? What's wrong with you!"
And by the time he said the last line he was in my face, this big Russian dude and I was sure for a split second he was about to pull a punch. >.< I didn't have any chance to react, to say anything, but finally apologise and left quietly.
Looking back, at that moment, I think in his state of emotions, no matter what anyone said wouldn't have made a difference and that the best solution was to deliver the baby food first before anything else. Whatever strategy or steps you have for service recovery probably wouldn't have made the difference.
As much as I wished I could have done something about it, as much as I understood the frustration of a father who wanted his baby to stop crying and be fed, it was probably better for him to let out his frustration until we could deliver his items.
Aside from that, I think it was pretty refreshing to see Singaporeans in Four Seasons as guests, I just told them we could do with more of us spending on a good holiday instead of working ourselves silly.
I am now working in Operator and I won't elaborate too much on it, it comes pretty naturally thanks to my experience in telesales and Concierge back in Singapore.
Alright I'd have to get going to set up my dive gear, will share more when I'm back. ;)
13:50 hours
13:18 hours
Canteen
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
I just had the heartiest lunch and feeling a lil queasy.. And now the sight of everyone around me with their plates full is just tempting me to barf.
Today's the day off again and this afternoon I scared myself awake. I am due to go diving in half an hour and when I woke up this morning, it was noon. I set a ringer on my phone, for me to wake up to call my mum, who's setting off for Holy Land today (take care mum, I love you!). For the convenience of the people back home, I set my mobile to Singapore time so at noon, my phone was 1400 hours which was the time I needed to be at the jetty! >.<
Well I had the longest call with my family and it was good to hear that all of you are doing well. :D Mum's en route to Sainthood, Shern's en route to become Sharapova, and Shane's rocking like Jack Black. WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...!
Right, let's just try to recall what happened in the past days.
Initiation into Front Office
I am very happy to say, that for the past week, I have been officially admitted into the light at the end of the tunnel, FRONT OFFICE BABY!
To just put things into perspective, why it is the light at the end of the tunnel, for all you people who have been actively reading and probably understand the hardship of housekeeping, my Resort Assistant Manager Nawaz had this to say to me after I worked an additional two hours.
"Okay Shawn tomorrow come in at 7pm instead of 4pm to make up for this additional two hours you did today."
Grinning wide from cheek to cheek, I was almost laughing and said, "This is something you'd NEVER hear in Housekeeping!"
"Well Shawn, welcome to the world of Front Office. ;)"
I did luggage crew for last week and made some good tips. Had the opportunity to speak some Japanese (, a little bit of Spanish, and some Cantonese (xiu xiu la, sek teng mm sek gong). Haha. Basking in the interaction with our guests.
Oh right, there was this one incident, it was the first time I encountered an aggressive guest. What happened was that he had two rooms, one for himself and another for his parents but he instructed for his luggages to be kept together. On our part the parents' room was not ready due to a previous guest checking out late. Hence he did not get his baby food on time and his baby was crying for half an hour.
And I only arrived with his laptop.
"I don't want that! Why do I need that? Half an hour, half an hour, is that the best you can do? What's wrong with you!"
And by the time he said the last line he was in my face, this big Russian dude and I was sure for a split second he was about to pull a punch. >.< I didn't have any chance to react, to say anything, but finally apologise and left quietly.
Looking back, at that moment, I think in his state of emotions, no matter what anyone said wouldn't have made a difference and that the best solution was to deliver the baby food first before anything else. Whatever strategy or steps you have for service recovery probably wouldn't have made the difference.
As much as I wished I could have done something about it, as much as I understood the frustration of a father who wanted his baby to stop crying and be fed, it was probably better for him to let out his frustration until we could deliver his items.
Aside from that, I think it was pretty refreshing to see Singaporeans in Four Seasons as guests, I just told them we could do with more of us spending on a good holiday instead of working ourselves silly.
I am now working in Operator and I won't elaborate too much on it, it comes pretty naturally thanks to my experience in telesales and Concierge back in Singapore.
Alright I'd have to get going to set up my dive gear, will share more when I'm back. ;)
13:50 hours
Monday, December 10, 2007
My First Time in Male
Monday
13:09 hours
Canteen
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
I'm kinda sick of titling my entries 'my first time' but there's no way around it, it really is my first time, again.
I have been training as a Housekeeping Supervisor for the past week. Housekeeping Supervisors assigns the rooms to the attendants, inspects all the rooms and helps the room attendants to deliver the rooms spick and span on time, which means to say they start the earliest and end the latest.
I wasn't too well on Saturday and was made to rest, and yesterday was my day off, so two days off in a row.
Lucky? Think again.
I'm not sure if I wrote about this, but not being in good health here in the Maldives is possibly the worst thing that could happen to you. There is honestly NOTHING you can do, as the doctor will not allow you to partake in any of the watersports that's just about the only thing I do, and 'they' don't wanna see you on your iBook all day either, 'cause that's just not right, according to the doctor, as my department heads would probably want his head rolling for giving me a day off to use my laptop.
In any case, being stuck on an island in poor health isn't the best package, oh and I forgot to mention how I had to keep away from gym and this morning at the gym felt draining. Long hours as a supervisor plus my want to make the best of time after the shift online was the cause of it.
So for two days I couldn't do much but spend time online, or read my book, or simply rest and last night was possibly the final straw, I JUST COULDN'T TAKE IT.
Johny and Rory had plans to go to Hulhule Airport Hotel in Male yesterday evening and asked the girls along. In the earlier part of the day I didn't feel too well and thought I'd pass but after reading, time on the computer and rest all day, I just msged the girls in the evening to say I'm coming.
I dressed up, for the first time in Maldives, and I looked pretty nice I must say. :p Picked up a bit of a bargain in the past week during the resort shop sale for staff we had, the usual, large sizes and probably unwanted stock. >.< Went to the girls' room, waited for them to doll up and we were off.
Got out of their room and realised it was drizzling and progressively getting heavier so we ran to the jetty and gave our staff I.D.s, you have to log your exit from the island and they don't want the locals to abuse this free service we provide for our staff to Male.
Just as Johny and Rory made it to the jetty it just poured down mercilessly on us, and the sky just looked nothing short of threatening. It was quite the journey really, I was telling them it looked quite like the scene in Pirates of the Caribbean, the sea was just rocking us like crazy and the route ahead was just hazy. And I had the pleasure of sitting the closest to the hull, which meant I got a lil wet. >.<
The journey lasted about 40 minutes and felt more like a bus ride than anything else, the city, not quite sure if I should call it a city but it IS the capital, and MEL, MEL, MEL, I warned her THREE TIMES, and she STILL bumped her head so hard when she got off the boat everyone could feel it from the sound of the bump.
We were looking for a nice Thai restaurant recommended by someone but it turns out the one we were recommended was closed so we decided to take a walk down the street and we found a VERY NICE restaurant, also specialising in Thai cuisine.
It was decked out in Thai decor, pretty well-lit, Oriental colours of gold, green, some red and the waitresses were positively Thai ladies as well. The one that was closed only had a staircase leading to somewhere more exclusive. Pity we didn't have a camera for the evening 'cause we all looked very nice and the restaurant looked very nice as well.
So we decided to try it out and thank goodness we didn't venture out into the heart of the city for some shopping, else we would have missed out on a gem!
We sat down at our table, the menu was very well done and had tons of information on herbs and spices that is usually found in Thai cuisine on the first page, and they had a good selection of the usual tom yum, green curry and phad thai. Even the beverages we ordered were pretty interesting. Mel and Johny got a Roselle drink, I had lemongrass, Sarah a Ginger drink and Rory iced coffee, that was made with REAL espresso. My god, it was tempting but I just wanted something more refreshing.
The food took a while, the service was just alright, waitresses could just sit around and look really glum, ha, but I guess the company and the food was excellent and that made all the difference. The table had phad thai, green curry, fishcakes, tom yum soup, glass noodles soup, a round of drinks.
I remember one of the conversations when we were talking about Asian food and somehow we told Rory and Johny about our da-bao drinks in our coffeeshops and they were really amused we serve our fountain drinks in a plastic bag. Ha. The check came up to about USD70 for the five of us and it might be a lil pricey but in the Maldives, this is just about the only luxury.
We headed for the bar at the airport hotel after dinner, going to meet Johny's friend, Jack, a Tropicsurf instructor at Anantara, another resort so we had to take a boat to the airport, then got on a transfer van.
Sarah said it seemed like those affordable Bintan resorts, but oh well, it's the only bar we have here in the Maldives aside from resorts. So anyway, we walked into the bar and it looks pretty similar to Joe's in Grey's Anatomy, pretty smoky, you had some Sri Lankans in there and tons of Britons.
It was there we met Jack and he was a pretty crazy fella, enjoyed a couple of drinks (I had a Mojito and beer), and a drunk Russian fella stumbled into us too, mumbling rubbish and couldn't speak any English 'cept 'wait' and 'russia'.
How the night ended there was pretty funny, we nearly couldn't make it for the ferry back and had to run everywhere, the check at the bar took too long that's why. Johny made a call to the boat operator and he said he'd wait for us and thank god, we made it, else the ladies will be in deep trouble, they were on the morning shift and the earliest ferry back to Kuda Huraa from Male's twelve noon.
Journey back was very rough, waters was horribly choppy and I was getting pretty soaked and chilly, water just kept splashing into the boat. Had a cup noodle, hot shower and drifted into la la land, and here I am blogging about it. :)
One word sums it up for me, how my dreadful days off ended, absolutely GRATIFYING.
14:04 hours
13:09 hours
Canteen
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
I'm kinda sick of titling my entries 'my first time' but there's no way around it, it really is my first time, again.
I have been training as a Housekeeping Supervisor for the past week. Housekeeping Supervisors assigns the rooms to the attendants, inspects all the rooms and helps the room attendants to deliver the rooms spick and span on time, which means to say they start the earliest and end the latest.
I wasn't too well on Saturday and was made to rest, and yesterday was my day off, so two days off in a row.
Lucky? Think again.
I'm not sure if I wrote about this, but not being in good health here in the Maldives is possibly the worst thing that could happen to you. There is honestly NOTHING you can do, as the doctor will not allow you to partake in any of the watersports that's just about the only thing I do, and 'they' don't wanna see you on your iBook all day either, 'cause that's just not right, according to the doctor, as my department heads would probably want his head rolling for giving me a day off to use my laptop.
In any case, being stuck on an island in poor health isn't the best package, oh and I forgot to mention how I had to keep away from gym and this morning at the gym felt draining. Long hours as a supervisor plus my want to make the best of time after the shift online was the cause of it.
So for two days I couldn't do much but spend time online, or read my book, or simply rest and last night was possibly the final straw, I JUST COULDN'T TAKE IT.
Johny and Rory had plans to go to Hulhule Airport Hotel in Male yesterday evening and asked the girls along. In the earlier part of the day I didn't feel too well and thought I'd pass but after reading, time on the computer and rest all day, I just msged the girls in the evening to say I'm coming.
I dressed up, for the first time in Maldives, and I looked pretty nice I must say. :p Picked up a bit of a bargain in the past week during the resort shop sale for staff we had, the usual, large sizes and probably unwanted stock. >.< Went to the girls' room, waited for them to doll up and we were off.
Got out of their room and realised it was drizzling and progressively getting heavier so we ran to the jetty and gave our staff I.D.s, you have to log your exit from the island and they don't want the locals to abuse this free service we provide for our staff to Male.
Just as Johny and Rory made it to the jetty it just poured down mercilessly on us, and the sky just looked nothing short of threatening. It was quite the journey really, I was telling them it looked quite like the scene in Pirates of the Caribbean, the sea was just rocking us like crazy and the route ahead was just hazy. And I had the pleasure of sitting the closest to the hull, which meant I got a lil wet. >.<
The journey lasted about 40 minutes and felt more like a bus ride than anything else, the city, not quite sure if I should call it a city but it IS the capital, and MEL, MEL, MEL, I warned her THREE TIMES, and she STILL bumped her head so hard when she got off the boat everyone could feel it from the sound of the bump.
We were looking for a nice Thai restaurant recommended by someone but it turns out the one we were recommended was closed so we decided to take a walk down the street and we found a VERY NICE restaurant, also specialising in Thai cuisine.
It was decked out in Thai decor, pretty well-lit, Oriental colours of gold, green, some red and the waitresses were positively Thai ladies as well. The one that was closed only had a staircase leading to somewhere more exclusive. Pity we didn't have a camera for the evening 'cause we all looked very nice and the restaurant looked very nice as well.
So we decided to try it out and thank goodness we didn't venture out into the heart of the city for some shopping, else we would have missed out on a gem!
We sat down at our table, the menu was very well done and had tons of information on herbs and spices that is usually found in Thai cuisine on the first page, and they had a good selection of the usual tom yum, green curry and phad thai. Even the beverages we ordered were pretty interesting. Mel and Johny got a Roselle drink, I had lemongrass, Sarah a Ginger drink and Rory iced coffee, that was made with REAL espresso. My god, it was tempting but I just wanted something more refreshing.
The food took a while, the service was just alright, waitresses could just sit around and look really glum, ha, but I guess the company and the food was excellent and that made all the difference. The table had phad thai, green curry, fishcakes, tom yum soup, glass noodles soup, a round of drinks.
I remember one of the conversations when we were talking about Asian food and somehow we told Rory and Johny about our da-bao drinks in our coffeeshops and they were really amused we serve our fountain drinks in a plastic bag. Ha. The check came up to about USD70 for the five of us and it might be a lil pricey but in the Maldives, this is just about the only luxury.
We headed for the bar at the airport hotel after dinner, going to meet Johny's friend, Jack, a Tropicsurf instructor at Anantara, another resort so we had to take a boat to the airport, then got on a transfer van.
Sarah said it seemed like those affordable Bintan resorts, but oh well, it's the only bar we have here in the Maldives aside from resorts. So anyway, we walked into the bar and it looks pretty similar to Joe's in Grey's Anatomy, pretty smoky, you had some Sri Lankans in there and tons of Britons.
It was there we met Jack and he was a pretty crazy fella, enjoyed a couple of drinks (I had a Mojito and beer), and a drunk Russian fella stumbled into us too, mumbling rubbish and couldn't speak any English 'cept 'wait' and 'russia'.
How the night ended there was pretty funny, we nearly couldn't make it for the ferry back and had to run everywhere, the check at the bar took too long that's why. Johny made a call to the boat operator and he said he'd wait for us and thank god, we made it, else the ladies will be in deep trouble, they were on the morning shift and the earliest ferry back to Kuda Huraa from Male's twelve noon.
Journey back was very rough, waters was horribly choppy and I was getting pretty soaked and chilly, water just kept splashing into the boat. Had a cup noodle, hot shower and drifted into la la land, and here I am blogging about it. :)
One word sums it up for me, how my dreadful days off ended, absolutely GRATIFYING.
14:04 hours
Monday, December 3, 2007
Slipped my mind
Monday
19:49 hours
Canteen
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
Remember the very lovely Anglo-Indian couple I met?
They departed just this morning at 0900 hours and I'd just like to dedicate this entry to possibly the kindest and most gracious friends-I-finally met.
I remember the first day they arrived, I prepared their room for their arrival and went back shortly after by accident, was supposed to clean up the next room, ha, and in that moment I saw them leaving for the beach and the missus was wondering what happened and asked if anything was wrong.
Employing some quick thinking, "Ar everything's perfect, welcome to Kuda Huraa!"
HA! TRUST ME TO THINK OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT! They took it very well and went ahead to the beach.
The following day I met them in the room and they were in a bit of a hurry. Turns out the mister had to go for prayers in ten minutes and was rushing for a shower so I went on cleaning their room. Had a bit of a conversation there and they spoke to me about their plans for the day and everything. It was just nice having someone to talk to in the midst of mundane cleaning of rooms and that brightened my day intensely.
The following evening I saw them again and they asked me for my name, and told me that they just wanted to know my name that's all. They politely declined evening service and thanked me again.
It was the next day that we actually had a real conversation, where we talked about my internship.
They are always the first to greet me, and always saying that they were hoping to see me that day, they pretty much hoped to see me everyday and I could just feel their genuity and sincerity each time they spoke to me, like a friend, almost like family.
They asked me where I hailed from, ha, man I was smiling at that question, haven't heard HAILED in a LOOOOOOONG time. I told them I was from Singapore and on internship and they asked me what's it like in Singapore and that they were planning on visiting next summer. It was just a very nice and friendly conversation and they were just simply lovely, genuinely concerned about me.
It was yesterday that it was their final day in the resort and I met them in the morning and there they went again, stopping their conversation with a friend, another guest, just to say hi to me and said that they hoped to see me before they left. :D
*Awww...*
Asked if I serviced their room yet and that they will see me later in the room.
It was then that they passed me an envelope, saying that it was a little something to thank me for taking care of them. I didn't even have time to say anything or reject it, and I could only muster a 'thank-you' before they left the room.
In the envelope, a 20, two 10s, two 5s, and ten 1s, total of USD60!!!! Plus a lovely note:
"Dear Shaun,
Thank you for looking after us, you have been fantastic! All the best to you and we know you will do well.
Mr. + Mrs. XXXXX"
I was so touched I nearly cried I tell you, laugh if you want to but it really was a very emotional moment for me.
I was just wondering for the past few days since meeting them, what did I do to deserve their graciousness and kindness?
I met them again in the evening and then again they were visibly delighted to see me and asked if I read the note and I said yes, and they told me to keep the note as a source of motivation. I just told them that it was too much money and I couldn't accept it, I still had it on me and was hoping to return it to them.
They just said waved it off saying it's not too much and that I deserved every penny and it's to thank me for my hard work. Reminded me to keep the note with me. They were sad that they weren't able to see me when they left but they told me again all the best, thanked me again.
I left them a note thanking them for their kindess and also left my email for them should they decide to visit next year and if I'm not enlisted yet.
I was actually quite troubled by this entire episode with them, it just seemed so wrong, that they were paying a premium for a stay, I did nothing for them but clean their room which is a given and expected of me, which I do the same for every guest. I wonder if it was anyone else, would they be the same to them and why?
But right now, I think I have an answer, that the capacity for humans to give is just limitless.
I've yet to watch the movie, "Pay It Forward," too lazy and still waiting for Naomi to find a copy for me :p but I guess it's the entire chain effect that it sets off. I will give to others as they have given to me and to me that is simply the greatest gift.
The joy of giving.
19:49 hours
Canteen
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
Remember the very lovely Anglo-Indian couple I met?
They departed just this morning at 0900 hours and I'd just like to dedicate this entry to possibly the kindest and most gracious friends-I-finally met.
I remember the first day they arrived, I prepared their room for their arrival and went back shortly after by accident, was supposed to clean up the next room, ha, and in that moment I saw them leaving for the beach and the missus was wondering what happened and asked if anything was wrong.
Employing some quick thinking, "Ar everything's perfect, welcome to Kuda Huraa!"
HA! TRUST ME TO THINK OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT! They took it very well and went ahead to the beach.
The following day I met them in the room and they were in a bit of a hurry. Turns out the mister had to go for prayers in ten minutes and was rushing for a shower so I went on cleaning their room. Had a bit of a conversation there and they spoke to me about their plans for the day and everything. It was just nice having someone to talk to in the midst of mundane cleaning of rooms and that brightened my day intensely.
The following evening I saw them again and they asked me for my name, and told me that they just wanted to know my name that's all. They politely declined evening service and thanked me again.
It was the next day that we actually had a real conversation, where we talked about my internship.
They are always the first to greet me, and always saying that they were hoping to see me that day, they pretty much hoped to see me everyday and I could just feel their genuity and sincerity each time they spoke to me, like a friend, almost like family.
They asked me where I hailed from, ha, man I was smiling at that question, haven't heard HAILED in a LOOOOOOONG time. I told them I was from Singapore and on internship and they asked me what's it like in Singapore and that they were planning on visiting next summer. It was just a very nice and friendly conversation and they were just simply lovely, genuinely concerned about me.
It was yesterday that it was their final day in the resort and I met them in the morning and there they went again, stopping their conversation with a friend, another guest, just to say hi to me and said that they hoped to see me before they left. :D
*Awww...*
Asked if I serviced their room yet and that they will see me later in the room.
It was then that they passed me an envelope, saying that it was a little something to thank me for taking care of them. I didn't even have time to say anything or reject it, and I could only muster a 'thank-you' before they left the room.
In the envelope, a 20, two 10s, two 5s, and ten 1s, total of USD60!!!! Plus a lovely note:
"Dear Shaun,
Thank you for looking after us, you have been fantastic! All the best to you and we know you will do well.
Mr. + Mrs. XXXXX"
I was so touched I nearly cried I tell you, laugh if you want to but it really was a very emotional moment for me.
I was just wondering for the past few days since meeting them, what did I do to deserve their graciousness and kindness?
I met them again in the evening and then again they were visibly delighted to see me and asked if I read the note and I said yes, and they told me to keep the note as a source of motivation. I just told them that it was too much money and I couldn't accept it, I still had it on me and was hoping to return it to them.
They just said waved it off saying it's not too much and that I deserved every penny and it's to thank me for my hard work. Reminded me to keep the note with me. They were sad that they weren't able to see me when they left but they told me again all the best, thanked me again.
I left them a note thanking them for their kindess and also left my email for them should they decide to visit next year and if I'm not enlisted yet.
I was actually quite troubled by this entire episode with them, it just seemed so wrong, that they were paying a premium for a stay, I did nothing for them but clean their room which is a given and expected of me, which I do the same for every guest. I wonder if it was anyone else, would they be the same to them and why?
But right now, I think I have an answer, that the capacity for humans to give is just limitless.
I've yet to watch the movie, "Pay It Forward," too lazy and still waiting for Naomi to find a copy for me :p but I guess it's the entire chain effect that it sets off. I will give to others as they have given to me and to me that is simply the greatest gift.
The joy of giving.
Another first
Monday
17:36 hours
Canteen
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
"There's always a first time."
Today's the day off for me and I have TWO, first experiences, a good and a bad, so which one's first?
OH BOY HOW CLICHE CAN SHAWN GET...
Waking up on days off never felt easier, especially when you're going to dive, IN THE MALDIVES, WOO-HOO. I got changed, washed up and stepped out to see... RAIN. TONS OF IT.
"Let's just go have breakfast and see how it goes," I told myself and I found myself with the dive crew at the canteen, there was omelettes for breakfast! The dive was cancelled this morning but there were guests doing discovery scuba and I could follow. When I say dive cancelled it means the dive boat with two tanks per person.
Hung around the dive shop a bit until the time was up, geared up and left on the speedboat.
We dropped off an instructor and a guest off the house reef as we were heading to the house reef at Bodu Huraa and as we were about to leave, GUESS WHAT I SAW!?!?
SPINNER DOLPHINS SPINNING OUT OF THE WATER!
So the driver decided to do a mini dolphin cruise. :D
It was amazing, first we were trailing them and we were just right behind, the next moment a couple of curious ones started swimming right in front of our boats turning and crossing before our paths.
Here in the Maldives, the orca species do not face any threats from humans nor other marine animals and is very healthy actually.
Today I saw for myself how healthy the population was because before long, we were shrouded in an ocean of dolphins and I'm not kidding.
For any one of you who has been on a boat, in the middle of a channel in between two islands, just imagine there and then, all around you, all you can see is just spinner dolphins in the wild, swimming out of the channel playfully, doing flips, spins, flapping their tails against the surface of the water and just coming right up close and personal with you near the boat. Oh and it helps if you clap, they just keep coming closer and closer. They are just so fast and graceful in the water, almost fluid like, just like in one of those movies where you see a mermaid-like shadow speeding past you.
I was thinking of how to put this experience into words while on the boat when I just decided to take in the entire sight of things and just leave it to your imaginations.
I guess it was just my luck today! So that's one, good, first-experience, seeing an ocean of dolphins in the wild up close and personal. I'm getting to the other, ugly, first-experience.
As we were heading way out into the sea and the dolphins moving further and further away, even though there were still many fascinated ones who were dying to perform for us, we headed back towards our designated dive site and it began pouring on us.
Suited up and went into the water and some how today didn't feel quite right. I was just talking to some of my friends and they reckon I probably descended too quickly, but when I tried equalising (for non-divers it just means pinching your nose and blowing to clear the ears) I could hear bubbles in my ears.
Today's diving didn't feel too comfortable, pretty different from my last dive. But some highlights was I saw a huge eagle ray just laying in the crevice of the reef and when the four of us (two guests from HK) came too close, I guess it got crowded and it swam away gracefully. Also saw a lobster, my first time and I was really contented seeing Nemo today, two adult ones trying to "defend" their anemone when I came pretty close.
Getting out of the water I tried clearing my ears again but I still couldn't and since my previous dives I've had a bit of trouble with them. I kept trying to clear my ears pretty forcefully and even tried firing a hose point blank into it. Still, not clearing.
So after lunch I went back to the dive shop and enquired with the dive manager and he told me to check with the resort doctor which I did. Found out I blew my right ear so hard it bled. >.<
The ugly first.
Not to worry for those of you who are going, "OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD!" Common occurance in divers and I should be diving in a week's time, just have to be a bit more cautious with my descend, not to go down too fast.
I feel a little woozy and out of balance now but in good time I should be healed, I guess it has to do with youth, the body regenerates quite quickly, like my reef cut on my feet, it was gone in about two weeks.
I will spend the rest of my evening reading, "Gods and Legions," continuing my love affair with the ancient Roman empire. I somehow feel that I must have been a scholar and philosopher back in those ages, my love to question and seek answers.
A quick insight to my day off in the Maldives, will let you guys know about next Monday!
18:41
17:36 hours
Canteen
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
"There's always a first time."
Today's the day off for me and I have TWO, first experiences, a good and a bad, so which one's first?
OH BOY HOW CLICHE CAN SHAWN GET...
Waking up on days off never felt easier, especially when you're going to dive, IN THE MALDIVES, WOO-HOO. I got changed, washed up and stepped out to see... RAIN. TONS OF IT.
"Let's just go have breakfast and see how it goes," I told myself and I found myself with the dive crew at the canteen, there was omelettes for breakfast! The dive was cancelled this morning but there were guests doing discovery scuba and I could follow. When I say dive cancelled it means the dive boat with two tanks per person.
Hung around the dive shop a bit until the time was up, geared up and left on the speedboat.
We dropped off an instructor and a guest off the house reef as we were heading to the house reef at Bodu Huraa and as we were about to leave, GUESS WHAT I SAW!?!?
SPINNER DOLPHINS SPINNING OUT OF THE WATER!
So the driver decided to do a mini dolphin cruise. :D
It was amazing, first we were trailing them and we were just right behind, the next moment a couple of curious ones started swimming right in front of our boats turning and crossing before our paths.
Here in the Maldives, the orca species do not face any threats from humans nor other marine animals and is very healthy actually.
Today I saw for myself how healthy the population was because before long, we were shrouded in an ocean of dolphins and I'm not kidding.
For any one of you who has been on a boat, in the middle of a channel in between two islands, just imagine there and then, all around you, all you can see is just spinner dolphins in the wild, swimming out of the channel playfully, doing flips, spins, flapping their tails against the surface of the water and just coming right up close and personal with you near the boat. Oh and it helps if you clap, they just keep coming closer and closer. They are just so fast and graceful in the water, almost fluid like, just like in one of those movies where you see a mermaid-like shadow speeding past you.
I was thinking of how to put this experience into words while on the boat when I just decided to take in the entire sight of things and just leave it to your imaginations.
I guess it was just my luck today! So that's one, good, first-experience, seeing an ocean of dolphins in the wild up close and personal. I'm getting to the other, ugly, first-experience.
As we were heading way out into the sea and the dolphins moving further and further away, even though there were still many fascinated ones who were dying to perform for us, we headed back towards our designated dive site and it began pouring on us.
Suited up and went into the water and some how today didn't feel quite right. I was just talking to some of my friends and they reckon I probably descended too quickly, but when I tried equalising (for non-divers it just means pinching your nose and blowing to clear the ears) I could hear bubbles in my ears.
Today's diving didn't feel too comfortable, pretty different from my last dive. But some highlights was I saw a huge eagle ray just laying in the crevice of the reef and when the four of us (two guests from HK) came too close, I guess it got crowded and it swam away gracefully. Also saw a lobster, my first time and I was really contented seeing Nemo today, two adult ones trying to "defend" their anemone when I came pretty close.
Getting out of the water I tried clearing my ears again but I still couldn't and since my previous dives I've had a bit of trouble with them. I kept trying to clear my ears pretty forcefully and even tried firing a hose point blank into it. Still, not clearing.
So after lunch I went back to the dive shop and enquired with the dive manager and he told me to check with the resort doctor which I did. Found out I blew my right ear so hard it bled. >.<
The ugly first.
Not to worry for those of you who are going, "OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD!" Common occurance in divers and I should be diving in a week's time, just have to be a bit more cautious with my descend, not to go down too fast.
I feel a little woozy and out of balance now but in good time I should be healed, I guess it has to do with youth, the body regenerates quite quickly, like my reef cut on my feet, it was gone in about two weeks.
I will spend the rest of my evening reading, "Gods and Legions," continuing my love affair with the ancient Roman empire. I somehow feel that I must have been a scholar and philosopher back in those ages, my love to question and seek answers.
A quick insight to my day off in the Maldives, will let you guys know about next Monday!
18:41
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Update, update, update...
Saturday
23:13 hours
Canteen
Four Seasons Resort Maldives
If you’re wondering why I start off my entries with date and time, it is NOT for the benefit of the audience, it is for my OWN reminder. Ha! You pretty much lose track of time and date here, it’s just the entire environment of being here and now, not caring about the world.
And of course a little drama that I try to evoke, from what I watched in ‘The Last Samurai,’ where Tom Cruise’s character, Captain Algren, starts off his journal entries with the season and year. Disgusting. HAHAHA!
Anyway, I just ended my second call to my family back home so a big shout out to them Hayashi-s! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUMMY!
*‘Lin’ in Japanese, is read as Hayashi, and my ‘Thye Kwee,’ suddenly becomes Dai Ki, so much cooler than the predecessor that has brought me much teasing since my childhood, not that it bothered me much. Ha. How I found out is courtesy of my dear friend, Hitoshi Yamaki-san. Just never got around to penning it down.
Hayashi Daiki. Kakuii yo.
It’s been a long, long time since I blogged I suppose and after my phone call with them I realise how much people have not been hearing for me so here goes..
Maldivian wedding
I attended a Maldivian wedding on 24 November. HA! I remember getting the call from Melanie, asking if I was interested and I was like, “WOO-HOO! MALDIVIAN WEDDING!”
How often do you get to experience a wedding of another culture? I quickly rushed for dinner from my housekeeping hut and got changed into something decent looking, you’d see in the pictures on Facebook soon enough, and met Melanie who looked very nice, like for the first time I thought, “MEL’S A LADY!?” HA!
Anyway, it was 9.30 p.m. and we had to meet our Maldivian friend, Manaf, who’s just really a clown in a human shell, at that time but there was no way to reach him so we proceeded to the neighbouring island Bodu Huraa on our own, hoping to find the way.
Soon enough after landing on the island he yelled out our name and he escorted us to the wedding. He quickly let us in that it was his friend’s wedding and that guy was what about 23?
When you look at the pictures you’d understand pretty much how I felt. Ha. It was just a very interesting emotion, or mixture of them; happiness for the couple, surprised as it was my first time and I guess the entire mood of things, it was just very much my kind of place, a happy place.
It’s pretty similar to a Malay wedding back in Singapore where we hold them in void decks, except that it’s held in a plain field, and they make up for the lack of elaborate furnishings with resources from nature, leaves and flowers from the island itself.
The couple pretty much stood together for the whole evening taking pictures with everyone who wished to had it taken. There was a French photographer, he actually came here and fell in love with the place, with a Maldivian girl, became a Muslim and still lives happily in Bodu Huraa.
Kinda amazing don’t you think? The girls were thinking he must be out of his mind but I suppose because of where he came from, the tranquillity and peace here is so much more appealing.
There was a buffet, a drinks and dessert counter, and people pretty much find their own spot and mind their own business. Maldivians are essentially non-expressive, even though the Maldivians I work with are pretty much crazy and friendly, a result of working in a company with such a strong culture.
We didn’t spend too long in Bodu Huraa, neither at the wedding. Nimaal, another friend of ours in housekeeping, took us on a walk and we just talked about everything under the sun, taking in the night sky, which is just dazzling with stars. No high-rise building blocking the view, no highways.
Housekeeping
I’d just like to share a day in housekeeping when it was raining heavily down on us.
The weather is pretty consistent here in the Maldives and when it’s about to rain, you can really see the dark clouds carried over here by the winds. Before the day it rained, we’ve been having pretty cloudy days and it was kinda expected that it would be raining soon though I was keeping my fingers crossed it never would.
The nightmare had to happen in the EVENING, and on that day it was just really our luck, my trainer and I, we had SEVEN rooms and of which a few were not serviced in the morning. Can you imagine, we normally have to carry our bags of linen, trash, a bucket with chemicals for cleaning, our dust mop and broom, and now we had to hold on to a freaking umbrella while our clothes were gradually SOAKED!?
It was quite the experience, AMAZINGLY REFRESHING I must say. Ha! Looking back it really was refreshing, something different really perks me up.
Anyway, right now I’ve been cleaning rooms on my own all week, and my experience cleaning rooms alone has changed my perspective a little, that you get a lot more guest interaction cleaning rooms than possibly interacting with the guest upfront at the reception.
I have had guests ask me for my name, asking me how I was each day I cleaned their rooms, and a couple that has been nothing but friendly and warm towards me, offering me sweets while I cleaned their room and today they had a short chat with me, asking me how old I am and everything else. Then again it all depends on the guest, how open they are to a conversation. ☺
Well this interesting Anglo-Indian couple since they arrived has been talking to me non-stop, and for once they made me feel reserved. Ha. Well today they asked me how old I am, how long I’ve been here and all. So I shared with them my internship and they were really surprised.
Gentleman “It’s really good for you, coming here at 19, I mean looking back it never would have happened, coming to the Maldives alone at 19.”
Me “Why not?”
Gentleman “It just never would have happened.”
Lady “I would be crying for my mommy everyday.”
They are born and bred in England and I suppose they come from wealthy families. But honestly, I really don’t think much about packing my bags and leaving, they really had me thinking if it was that much of a hurdle coming here alone. Ha.
Maldivian families
I remember one night when I was sitting in my room watching tv, my room mate Sahir, came back and we just started talking randomly. He shared with me that he has a girlfriend in Male and about his aspirations to own his own business and let money work for him. Good on you mate!
He also let in to me about his ex-girlfriend, a German lady, who came here on training and how she helped arrange for his visa, accommodation and even found him a job there, for them to be together.
It never happened because his mother actually called the police and he was stopped at immigrations, and they told him his mother forbade him from going and was crying for him to return.
Which brings me to my point, family ties in the Maldives.
He told me that there is no way that he could have left his crying mother and father, who brought him up, taught him well and gave him so much love that he could never have wished for. Until today, when he returns home during his vacation, which is hours away by speedboat, his dad or mum would sit with him until he falls asleep, talking to him and giving him some good advice about life, much like they did telling stories when he was a kid.
And I really am touched by this story, of how strong family ties can be. His parents are now no longer working and simply enjoying life as their seven kids are supporting them and this is pretty much the way it is in the Maldives.
People fall in love, have families of their own, build their own homes, and shower their kids with love and support, and their kids naturally reciprocate when they’re grown. A retirement plan? Possibly, but I think people generally enjoy having a family and flesh and blood here has a whole new meaning from what it is in Singapore.
Diving!
I finally logged 3 dives on my last off day, which was last Monday!
I was talking to Chika-san the night before and telling her that I have an impromptu off day the next day and wondering if she could fit me in for diving and she told me there was no guests. In my disappointment I just said oh well, seems like I’d never dive here, and she was stunned.
“You mean you haven’t dived yet?”
“Nope.”
“Okay no problem, tomorrow I talk to Ben and we go to house reef, I’d take you there.”
WOOHOO! It was a really nice gesture on her part.
I was also telling her about the deaths of our national dragonboaters, my condolences to their families and may they rest in peace, and she was telling me how her boyfriend’s bestfriend just died in the dumbest way possible, all wet and trying to connect a live wire on a speedboat after diving. When the grandmother found out, she passed away of shock the following day.
Okay sad news aside, I had the best dives I could possibly have ever.
Oh, oh! There was once when I went surfing, I was just sitting on the board and a MANTA RAY just glided past me on the surface of the water gracefully. That was simply out of the world! I’ve yet to see them underwater so I’m looking forward to diving at Manta Point.
It’s been months since I got my dive license and here I am diving in the last paradise on earth. My buoyancy control is a lot better, I can dive literally upside down, just floating in the waters, I could descend properly with two kilos, stay underwater for a comfortable 45 mins with one tank.
I was also telling Aisyah Z, after my dive, that I made a realisation during the dive.
People go diving, hoping to see some rare creature, or in my case, sharks, which I did, but it’s never about what you see, it’s about what you don’t see.
Sounds a bit philosophical so let me explain.
The beautiful thing about diving, that I feel is so addictive, it is everything that being on land isn’t. It is just you, being only conscious of your equipment like your oxygen levels and making sure you don’t go too deep, and nature. There is this sense of peace, sense of clarity, this incredible sense of being, not having a care in the world, and just appreciating all there is around you.
I was out there looking out for sharks, when for a moment, when I was so busy trying to control my breathing and buoyancy, trying to avoid hitting the reefs, that I just stopped worrying about everything, and I just focused on being there, being 18 metres below sea level, appreciating all that is around me.
It was then I felt so much at peace, that for the first time ever, I was diving with absolute clarity of what I was seeing.
Stills sounds a bit chim yeah? LoL. Let me simplify it a little.
In love, when so often people look out for that ideal partner, that focus causes them to not see what is around them, that perhaps that ideal partner was there all along, if they would only open their eyes.
In ballroom dancing, when so often I become so conscious of technique, I forget that dance is about freedom, expression and having fun, the dance looks robotic and suddenly when I let loose and let the music take over, the dance looks so much better and I come up with moves I never dreamt I would have, than when I was overly-conscious of my moves.
It is about what you do not see, so I challenge all of you to open your eyes to all there is around you.
City Boy VS Island Boy
To end off this entry, I think it’s good enough to last another week or two, ha! I will come to my dilemma of life as a city boy, versus life as an island boy.
Every now and then, I wonder what it will be like to return back home in Singapore.
Here, I do not worry about the food I eat because even though the selection is not the most appetizing, I do not cook my meals, neither do I do the dishes, and it absolutely fulfils my nutritional requirement.
There is a gym that is usually empty for my use everyday at my doorstep. I can wear the same clothes everyday without a care of what people might think because this is a self-sufficient island. I also realise I do not value having a home, because to me a house is essentially a place to sleep and shower. I would much prefer to make everywhere my home and make the ground I sleep on my bed, and the sky my blanket.
I just go to work every morning and after six days, I get my off day which is at my disposal, I can choose to dive, surf, and not pay, or just do nothing at all. The only thing I worry about is laundry and it’s not much to worry about considering I wear the same stuff everyday and uniforms are provided. I could really get used to this.
When I return, to eat like I do now, it will cost me much time and effort. To wear the same stuff everyday would be dreadful and socially unacceptable and it’s definitely going to cost to look good. The gym’s going to cost me money at every visit and then again if I were to sign up for a long-term membership, I'm not sure I'm up for visiting everyday when I have to wait for equipment and bring my gear and spare clothes to change. >.<
Diving will cost me hundreds a pop over a weekend, including a long ride up to Malaysia at a lousy resort. Surfing will be skimming in Singapore and they are just two different activities in itself.
I really wonder how things are going to change when I get back home, and somehow I am afraid of losing this vision I have, of travelling the world, calling every home, and making Singapore only a stopover point once in a while. I do not yearn for a degree much like my peers, I do not care for riches nor climbing up the corporate ladder, many of the things that has meaning to most people means nothing to me.
I want to travel, I want to experience different cultures, I want to learn other languages, I want to live among other cultures, I want to work with other cultures. Best if the company provides my lodging and food, just like here. ☺ Preferably in a hotel or resort.
The one thing I value most is freedom and Singapore just doesn’t have enough of it, not for me.
01:14 hours
23:13 hours
Canteen
Four Seasons Resort Maldives
If you’re wondering why I start off my entries with date and time, it is NOT for the benefit of the audience, it is for my OWN reminder. Ha! You pretty much lose track of time and date here, it’s just the entire environment of being here and now, not caring about the world.
And of course a little drama that I try to evoke, from what I watched in ‘The Last Samurai,’ where Tom Cruise’s character, Captain Algren, starts off his journal entries with the season and year. Disgusting. HAHAHA!
Anyway, I just ended my second call to my family back home so a big shout out to them Hayashi-s! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUMMY!
*‘Lin’ in Japanese, is read as Hayashi, and my ‘Thye Kwee,’ suddenly becomes Dai Ki, so much cooler than the predecessor that has brought me much teasing since my childhood, not that it bothered me much. Ha. How I found out is courtesy of my dear friend, Hitoshi Yamaki-san. Just never got around to penning it down.
Hayashi Daiki. Kakuii yo.
It’s been a long, long time since I blogged I suppose and after my phone call with them I realise how much people have not been hearing for me so here goes..
Maldivian wedding
I attended a Maldivian wedding on 24 November. HA! I remember getting the call from Melanie, asking if I was interested and I was like, “WOO-HOO! MALDIVIAN WEDDING!”
How often do you get to experience a wedding of another culture? I quickly rushed for dinner from my housekeeping hut and got changed into something decent looking, you’d see in the pictures on Facebook soon enough, and met Melanie who looked very nice, like for the first time I thought, “MEL’S A LADY!?” HA!
Anyway, it was 9.30 p.m. and we had to meet our Maldivian friend, Manaf, who’s just really a clown in a human shell, at that time but there was no way to reach him so we proceeded to the neighbouring island Bodu Huraa on our own, hoping to find the way.
Soon enough after landing on the island he yelled out our name and he escorted us to the wedding. He quickly let us in that it was his friend’s wedding and that guy was what about 23?
When you look at the pictures you’d understand pretty much how I felt. Ha. It was just a very interesting emotion, or mixture of them; happiness for the couple, surprised as it was my first time and I guess the entire mood of things, it was just very much my kind of place, a happy place.
It’s pretty similar to a Malay wedding back in Singapore where we hold them in void decks, except that it’s held in a plain field, and they make up for the lack of elaborate furnishings with resources from nature, leaves and flowers from the island itself.
The couple pretty much stood together for the whole evening taking pictures with everyone who wished to had it taken. There was a French photographer, he actually came here and fell in love with the place, with a Maldivian girl, became a Muslim and still lives happily in Bodu Huraa.
Kinda amazing don’t you think? The girls were thinking he must be out of his mind but I suppose because of where he came from, the tranquillity and peace here is so much more appealing.
There was a buffet, a drinks and dessert counter, and people pretty much find their own spot and mind their own business. Maldivians are essentially non-expressive, even though the Maldivians I work with are pretty much crazy and friendly, a result of working in a company with such a strong culture.
We didn’t spend too long in Bodu Huraa, neither at the wedding. Nimaal, another friend of ours in housekeeping, took us on a walk and we just talked about everything under the sun, taking in the night sky, which is just dazzling with stars. No high-rise building blocking the view, no highways.
Housekeeping
I’d just like to share a day in housekeeping when it was raining heavily down on us.
The weather is pretty consistent here in the Maldives and when it’s about to rain, you can really see the dark clouds carried over here by the winds. Before the day it rained, we’ve been having pretty cloudy days and it was kinda expected that it would be raining soon though I was keeping my fingers crossed it never would.
The nightmare had to happen in the EVENING, and on that day it was just really our luck, my trainer and I, we had SEVEN rooms and of which a few were not serviced in the morning. Can you imagine, we normally have to carry our bags of linen, trash, a bucket with chemicals for cleaning, our dust mop and broom, and now we had to hold on to a freaking umbrella while our clothes were gradually SOAKED!?
It was quite the experience, AMAZINGLY REFRESHING I must say. Ha! Looking back it really was refreshing, something different really perks me up.
Anyway, right now I’ve been cleaning rooms on my own all week, and my experience cleaning rooms alone has changed my perspective a little, that you get a lot more guest interaction cleaning rooms than possibly interacting with the guest upfront at the reception.
I have had guests ask me for my name, asking me how I was each day I cleaned their rooms, and a couple that has been nothing but friendly and warm towards me, offering me sweets while I cleaned their room and today they had a short chat with me, asking me how old I am and everything else. Then again it all depends on the guest, how open they are to a conversation. ☺
Well this interesting Anglo-Indian couple since they arrived has been talking to me non-stop, and for once they made me feel reserved. Ha. Well today they asked me how old I am, how long I’ve been here and all. So I shared with them my internship and they were really surprised.
Gentleman “It’s really good for you, coming here at 19, I mean looking back it never would have happened, coming to the Maldives alone at 19.”
Me “Why not?”
Gentleman “It just never would have happened.”
Lady “I would be crying for my mommy everyday.”
They are born and bred in England and I suppose they come from wealthy families. But honestly, I really don’t think much about packing my bags and leaving, they really had me thinking if it was that much of a hurdle coming here alone. Ha.
Maldivian families
I remember one night when I was sitting in my room watching tv, my room mate Sahir, came back and we just started talking randomly. He shared with me that he has a girlfriend in Male and about his aspirations to own his own business and let money work for him. Good on you mate!
He also let in to me about his ex-girlfriend, a German lady, who came here on training and how she helped arrange for his visa, accommodation and even found him a job there, for them to be together.
It never happened because his mother actually called the police and he was stopped at immigrations, and they told him his mother forbade him from going and was crying for him to return.
Which brings me to my point, family ties in the Maldives.
He told me that there is no way that he could have left his crying mother and father, who brought him up, taught him well and gave him so much love that he could never have wished for. Until today, when he returns home during his vacation, which is hours away by speedboat, his dad or mum would sit with him until he falls asleep, talking to him and giving him some good advice about life, much like they did telling stories when he was a kid.
And I really am touched by this story, of how strong family ties can be. His parents are now no longer working and simply enjoying life as their seven kids are supporting them and this is pretty much the way it is in the Maldives.
People fall in love, have families of their own, build their own homes, and shower their kids with love and support, and their kids naturally reciprocate when they’re grown. A retirement plan? Possibly, but I think people generally enjoy having a family and flesh and blood here has a whole new meaning from what it is in Singapore.
Diving!
I finally logged 3 dives on my last off day, which was last Monday!
I was talking to Chika-san the night before and telling her that I have an impromptu off day the next day and wondering if she could fit me in for diving and she told me there was no guests. In my disappointment I just said oh well, seems like I’d never dive here, and she was stunned.
“You mean you haven’t dived yet?”
“Nope.”
“Okay no problem, tomorrow I talk to Ben and we go to house reef, I’d take you there.”
WOOHOO! It was a really nice gesture on her part.
I was also telling her about the deaths of our national dragonboaters, my condolences to their families and may they rest in peace, and she was telling me how her boyfriend’s bestfriend just died in the dumbest way possible, all wet and trying to connect a live wire on a speedboat after diving. When the grandmother found out, she passed away of shock the following day.
Okay sad news aside, I had the best dives I could possibly have ever.
Oh, oh! There was once when I went surfing, I was just sitting on the board and a MANTA RAY just glided past me on the surface of the water gracefully. That was simply out of the world! I’ve yet to see them underwater so I’m looking forward to diving at Manta Point.
It’s been months since I got my dive license and here I am diving in the last paradise on earth. My buoyancy control is a lot better, I can dive literally upside down, just floating in the waters, I could descend properly with two kilos, stay underwater for a comfortable 45 mins with one tank.
I was also telling Aisyah Z, after my dive, that I made a realisation during the dive.
People go diving, hoping to see some rare creature, or in my case, sharks, which I did, but it’s never about what you see, it’s about what you don’t see.
Sounds a bit philosophical so let me explain.
The beautiful thing about diving, that I feel is so addictive, it is everything that being on land isn’t. It is just you, being only conscious of your equipment like your oxygen levels and making sure you don’t go too deep, and nature. There is this sense of peace, sense of clarity, this incredible sense of being, not having a care in the world, and just appreciating all there is around you.
I was out there looking out for sharks, when for a moment, when I was so busy trying to control my breathing and buoyancy, trying to avoid hitting the reefs, that I just stopped worrying about everything, and I just focused on being there, being 18 metres below sea level, appreciating all that is around me.
It was then I felt so much at peace, that for the first time ever, I was diving with absolute clarity of what I was seeing.
Stills sounds a bit chim yeah? LoL. Let me simplify it a little.
In love, when so often people look out for that ideal partner, that focus causes them to not see what is around them, that perhaps that ideal partner was there all along, if they would only open their eyes.
In ballroom dancing, when so often I become so conscious of technique, I forget that dance is about freedom, expression and having fun, the dance looks robotic and suddenly when I let loose and let the music take over, the dance looks so much better and I come up with moves I never dreamt I would have, than when I was overly-conscious of my moves.
It is about what you do not see, so I challenge all of you to open your eyes to all there is around you.
City Boy VS Island Boy
To end off this entry, I think it’s good enough to last another week or two, ha! I will come to my dilemma of life as a city boy, versus life as an island boy.
Every now and then, I wonder what it will be like to return back home in Singapore.
Here, I do not worry about the food I eat because even though the selection is not the most appetizing, I do not cook my meals, neither do I do the dishes, and it absolutely fulfils my nutritional requirement.
There is a gym that is usually empty for my use everyday at my doorstep. I can wear the same clothes everyday without a care of what people might think because this is a self-sufficient island. I also realise I do not value having a home, because to me a house is essentially a place to sleep and shower. I would much prefer to make everywhere my home and make the ground I sleep on my bed, and the sky my blanket.
I just go to work every morning and after six days, I get my off day which is at my disposal, I can choose to dive, surf, and not pay, or just do nothing at all. The only thing I worry about is laundry and it’s not much to worry about considering I wear the same stuff everyday and uniforms are provided. I could really get used to this.
When I return, to eat like I do now, it will cost me much time and effort. To wear the same stuff everyday would be dreadful and socially unacceptable and it’s definitely going to cost to look good. The gym’s going to cost me money at every visit and then again if I were to sign up for a long-term membership, I'm not sure I'm up for visiting everyday when I have to wait for equipment and bring my gear and spare clothes to change. >.<
Diving will cost me hundreds a pop over a weekend, including a long ride up to Malaysia at a lousy resort. Surfing will be skimming in Singapore and they are just two different activities in itself.
I really wonder how things are going to change when I get back home, and somehow I am afraid of losing this vision I have, of travelling the world, calling every home, and making Singapore only a stopover point once in a while. I do not yearn for a degree much like my peers, I do not care for riches nor climbing up the corporate ladder, many of the things that has meaning to most people means nothing to me.
I want to travel, I want to experience different cultures, I want to learn other languages, I want to live among other cultures, I want to work with other cultures. Best if the company provides my lodging and food, just like here. ☺ Preferably in a hotel or resort.
The one thing I value most is freedom and Singapore just doesn’t have enough of it, not for me.
01:14 hours
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Highlight of the Week
Saturday
22:47 hours
Cafe Faru
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
I have officially lost track of time and forgotten that today is a Saturday.
Pretty much has happened here in the Maldives and let's just roll with it.
My team of four including myself made a presentation to the board, which consists of over 30 managers, with regards to service issues that we were facing and during the course of this project I would say that I have learnt a lot.
Firstly, to have been granted a project of such a scale, and not something like data entry, I was already feeling very thankful. To be included in the monthly Board of Ops meeting which is only meant for managers and above, was a huge bonus, but the BIGGEST bonus was that our Director of Rooms, wanted US, to present to people at that level.
Don't you just feel special? :p
When we had lunch with M about three weeks ago, the task seemed so unclear, it was pretty generic and was petty much a sketch. The following week I remember Sarah and Jean printed out all the service issues we faced for the month of October and we started sorting them out, for easier reference and to pin-point some trends and recurring issues, before providing some solutions.
It seemed like an easy task until a week before we were about to meet up with M for a quick preview so that he could provide some feedback before the BIG day.
We were all frantically reading through service issues one after another, after or before our 10-hour shifts, six days a week. Finally got around setting some dates to meet up despite our busy working schedules and before long we had something concrete in place, a presentation and the flow of things.
Morale booster.
Come Friday, which was yesterday, we met with him again in the morning and before we knew it, we were in front of our Director presenting. And I stuttered, I honestly cannot believe myself but quickly composed myself. We got some feedback from him about our content and essentially we did good and he was looking forward to the meeting later.
Went back to work and after my lunch we met again for a quick run through before making our way to the meeting venue, Baarabaru restaurant.
To be honest, a meeting venue like this is a distraction in itself. >.< The entire horizon of blue waters in cascading shades, perfect sun and a beautiful resort restaurant of such a calibre, I was really quite taken into the entire view, I just stood at the edge of the restaurant just before the waters and took in all of the view.
There were wonderful cookies, piping hot coffee and tea.. Slurps.
The meeting started quite promptly and the content for the day just makes an intern go WHOA.
The information made available to us during that short afternoon, it was just like opening Pandora's box. I cannot reveal what we learnt but it was definitely not within a intern's concern but you really get a feel of what it's like to work at management level in a hotel, the responsibilities to ensure everyone's happy, the owner, your staff, and guests.
I opened the presentation and in my opinion I think I did myself and the audience justice. Jean was really entertaining though. Have you ever seen an intern that presents in front of top management and her mannerism was pretty much like Queen Latifah, I honestly don't know how else to put it.
I hoped we impressed them 'cause definitely I wouldn't think it was a wow, but definitely it was something fresh as compared to their normaly monthly meetings. :) A few of them came up to us to compliment that we did well and the dive manager was too kind to approach us for more details of our findings.
We'd be presenting again come end December and I believe we will do a lot better.
In the midst of my cyclical work cleaning resort bungalows, the presentation was certainly the highlight of the trip.
I'm starting to become a lil more independent when it comes to rooms cleaning, trying desperately to work at speed and not compromise quality so that I can have sufficient break time for gym and to rest before coming back in the evenings to do the evening service.
Today was good, my trainer and I did our work in good time and it was a lil rushed but I was able to walk out the gym leaving a trail of sweat.
Speaking basic Japanese really does come in handy and I intend to enroll myself in Japanese and Spanish courses when i return. I have been able to converse with my Japanese guests using my limited vocabulary from a semester of school and years of watching anime which uses pretty crude language.
I remember one off day I went out surfing and a guest was also onboard with his wife, both Japanese. Shortly after entering the waters I got a pretty good coral cut and I got back on the boat. It was then that I had a good 20 min conversation with the Japanese lady, with minimal English and mostly Japanese.
Just makes me more and more hungry to learn and devour more languages. A handful's the target.
I have two more weeks in housekeeping before I see the light again, in Front Office, GUEST INTERACTION!
Working in housekeeping is tough, but it certainly taught me many lessons, helped me build friendships with the entire Maldivian housekeeping team and it really teaches you to respect the profession.
For me I could go on like this, or I could essentially do what I love most, interacting with people and leaving them with lasting impressions.
It has been a good internship so far. A month has passed just like that and I think before long I'd be feeling Maldives-sick and not wanting to go home.
I HAVEN'T LOGGED A SINGLE DIVE YET! ARGH!
23:24
22:47 hours
Cafe Faru
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
I have officially lost track of time and forgotten that today is a Saturday.
Pretty much has happened here in the Maldives and let's just roll with it.
My team of four including myself made a presentation to the board, which consists of over 30 managers, with regards to service issues that we were facing and during the course of this project I would say that I have learnt a lot.
Firstly, to have been granted a project of such a scale, and not something like data entry, I was already feeling very thankful. To be included in the monthly Board of Ops meeting which is only meant for managers and above, was a huge bonus, but the BIGGEST bonus was that our Director of Rooms, wanted US, to present to people at that level.
Don't you just feel special? :p
When we had lunch with M about three weeks ago, the task seemed so unclear, it was pretty generic and was petty much a sketch. The following week I remember Sarah and Jean printed out all the service issues we faced for the month of October and we started sorting them out, for easier reference and to pin-point some trends and recurring issues, before providing some solutions.
It seemed like an easy task until a week before we were about to meet up with M for a quick preview so that he could provide some feedback before the BIG day.
We were all frantically reading through service issues one after another, after or before our 10-hour shifts, six days a week. Finally got around setting some dates to meet up despite our busy working schedules and before long we had something concrete in place, a presentation and the flow of things.
Morale booster.
Come Friday, which was yesterday, we met with him again in the morning and before we knew it, we were in front of our Director presenting. And I stuttered, I honestly cannot believe myself but quickly composed myself. We got some feedback from him about our content and essentially we did good and he was looking forward to the meeting later.
Went back to work and after my lunch we met again for a quick run through before making our way to the meeting venue, Baarabaru restaurant.
To be honest, a meeting venue like this is a distraction in itself. >.< The entire horizon of blue waters in cascading shades, perfect sun and a beautiful resort restaurant of such a calibre, I was really quite taken into the entire view, I just stood at the edge of the restaurant just before the waters and took in all of the view.
There were wonderful cookies, piping hot coffee and tea.. Slurps.
The meeting started quite promptly and the content for the day just makes an intern go WHOA.
The information made available to us during that short afternoon, it was just like opening Pandora's box. I cannot reveal what we learnt but it was definitely not within a intern's concern but you really get a feel of what it's like to work at management level in a hotel, the responsibilities to ensure everyone's happy, the owner, your staff, and guests.
I opened the presentation and in my opinion I think I did myself and the audience justice. Jean was really entertaining though. Have you ever seen an intern that presents in front of top management and her mannerism was pretty much like Queen Latifah, I honestly don't know how else to put it.
I hoped we impressed them 'cause definitely I wouldn't think it was a wow, but definitely it was something fresh as compared to their normaly monthly meetings. :) A few of them came up to us to compliment that we did well and the dive manager was too kind to approach us for more details of our findings.
We'd be presenting again come end December and I believe we will do a lot better.
In the midst of my cyclical work cleaning resort bungalows, the presentation was certainly the highlight of the trip.
I'm starting to become a lil more independent when it comes to rooms cleaning, trying desperately to work at speed and not compromise quality so that I can have sufficient break time for gym and to rest before coming back in the evenings to do the evening service.
Today was good, my trainer and I did our work in good time and it was a lil rushed but I was able to walk out the gym leaving a trail of sweat.
Speaking basic Japanese really does come in handy and I intend to enroll myself in Japanese and Spanish courses when i return. I have been able to converse with my Japanese guests using my limited vocabulary from a semester of school and years of watching anime which uses pretty crude language.
I remember one off day I went out surfing and a guest was also onboard with his wife, both Japanese. Shortly after entering the waters I got a pretty good coral cut and I got back on the boat. It was then that I had a good 20 min conversation with the Japanese lady, with minimal English and mostly Japanese.
Just makes me more and more hungry to learn and devour more languages. A handful's the target.
I have two more weeks in housekeeping before I see the light again, in Front Office, GUEST INTERACTION!
Working in housekeeping is tough, but it certainly taught me many lessons, helped me build friendships with the entire Maldivian housekeeping team and it really teaches you to respect the profession.
For me I could go on like this, or I could essentially do what I love most, interacting with people and leaving them with lasting impressions.
It has been a good internship so far. A month has passed just like that and I think before long I'd be feeling Maldives-sick and not wanting to go home.
I HAVEN'T LOGGED A SINGLE DIVE YET! ARGH!
23:24
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Continued
Tuesday
15:35
Cafe Faru
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
I'm back again as I just finished my morning service, will hit the gym soon if people I wanna speak to do not come online.
I think I put housekeeping in a pretty bad light and I'm here to change that.
Housekeeping's a profession like any other. It may not sound as glamourous as surgery and it does not make you think tons of money but it is a job, it has its own set of specialised knowledge and rules and for sure it does not require a degree from a prominent institution but not everyone can do it well and it may be years before it becomes natural to you like walking or talking.
I think coming from Singapore and the fact that we have so much foreign labour to do most of the cleaning in our estates and in our city, it has created a certain mindset in Singaporeans, that we do not need to do this and sure as hell won't be.
But here in the Maldives, where foreign labour and locals stand together, housekeeping or public cleaning is like any other job and sure, no one likes cleaning toilets but they do it anyway if it's required of them, and mind you they do it so well. I'm not so sure many of you in Singapore would.
Housekeeping's tough work here in the Maldives, it's not meant for the ladies in this scorching weather where you have to walk from bungalow to bungalow and carry your chemicals, rags and brooms. But I guess despite this tough work, these guys that I see hard at work everyday despite the usual complains of long hours, as they are all in this together and I guess the brotherhood keeps them together.
And whoa I just woke up. >.< Like literally fell asleep while typing this.
So many thoughts on my mind but of late they're so jumbled up and appear only randomly for only a split second in my head before I doze off, stone away or simply just forget.
Did I tell you guys that I am absent-minded?
Til the next time.
15:53 hours
15:35
Cafe Faru
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
I'm back again as I just finished my morning service, will hit the gym soon if people I wanna speak to do not come online.
I think I put housekeeping in a pretty bad light and I'm here to change that.
Housekeeping's a profession like any other. It may not sound as glamourous as surgery and it does not make you think tons of money but it is a job, it has its own set of specialised knowledge and rules and for sure it does not require a degree from a prominent institution but not everyone can do it well and it may be years before it becomes natural to you like walking or talking.
I think coming from Singapore and the fact that we have so much foreign labour to do most of the cleaning in our estates and in our city, it has created a certain mindset in Singaporeans, that we do not need to do this and sure as hell won't be.
But here in the Maldives, where foreign labour and locals stand together, housekeeping or public cleaning is like any other job and sure, no one likes cleaning toilets but they do it anyway if it's required of them, and mind you they do it so well. I'm not so sure many of you in Singapore would.
Housekeeping's tough work here in the Maldives, it's not meant for the ladies in this scorching weather where you have to walk from bungalow to bungalow and carry your chemicals, rags and brooms. But I guess despite this tough work, these guys that I see hard at work everyday despite the usual complains of long hours, as they are all in this together and I guess the brotherhood keeps them together.
And whoa I just woke up. >.< Like literally fell asleep while typing this.
So many thoughts on my mind but of late they're so jumbled up and appear only randomly for only a split second in my head before I doze off, stone away or simply just forget.
Did I tell you guys that I am absent-minded?
Til the next time.
15:53 hours
My Days in Housekeeping
Tuesday
13:43 hours
Cafe Faru
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
I think over the past week, I've kinda lost my zest for life and it really reminds you how important it is to do something that you love and are passionate about.
I haven't been blogging much simply because my life has become clock work and even though sometimes there are events and things that are worth sharing with everyone, like for instance:
We celebrated Vanessa's birthday with a bottle of Spumante, cake and lotsa snacks and invited a few of our colleagues to join us. It really makes you appreciate a simple get-together when you're away from home and that these little things are simply luxury that money can't buy.
To those of you who think that life in the Maldives is perfect and beautiful, you should honestly try living here and you would probably be glad your internship here's only 3 months long.
No doubt, we live around pristine blue waters of varying shades, beautiful sunsets, white sand beaches, there are also many restrictions imposed, especially on the fairer sex.
Even though I like to keep things spick and span, which is what I have been doing for the past week or so, I have been DEPRIVED of my basic need, the need for human interaction.
I realised I embrace change and that stagnation just drains me, I will not settle for a job that requires me to wake up everyday at the same time, to do the same things. It suddenly hits me that this will be my life for the next two weeks.
The good part about cleaning rooms is that it's a split shift and I do get to visit the gym and people, I'm quite proud to say that I'm in the best shape ever as I get to hit the gym almost everyday pretty conveniently.
It's just pretty draining when the kind of job I love's the one that really makes me feel satisfaction within even though there are no visible or tangible results, and housekeeping's just the direct opposite, it's all about the tangibles, making sure there's no dust or sand, no watermarks, amenities replenished.
One instance that really holds a lot of memories for me was when I was approached by a guest at about 7-ish in Singapore when I was training as a concierge. He told me it was his anniversary, his wife was in the restaurant enjoying a drink and he wanted some ideas for the evening.
The conclusion was, I arranged for dinner at Au Jardin, got a bouquet of flowers delivered to the restaurant by 9.30 p.m. which was the time reserved, and I took the initiative to look up the wife's name and had the florist prepare a card that said Happy 4th Anniversary, XXXXX. How I knew it was the fourth was also through daily interaction with the guest.
As it turns out, the guest never made it for dinner as his wife was unwell, but the flowers got sent to the hotel room and still, it would have definitely wowed them and at the end of the stay, $50 was put into my palms in a discreet handshake.
I never got to see what happened, but I knew that what I did would definitely be unforgettable for them and the emotions they would have experienced from my actions would only have been good ones.
This is the kinda thing that juices me and makes me want to go to work everyday. When you never know what's about to happen, but you have to come up with something no matter what and it has to be a WOW.
Right now all I can do is to wake up everyday, go to the gym during my break, go back to work for evening service, and just think of what to do at night besides staying online. And yes, I forgot, I have off days and I get to dive and surf, those days count the most.
It's been a month here and I haven't even logged a single dive. Depressing huh? I know it is, quite unlikely that I'd be getting an advanced certification here, just wanna enjoy the waters and marine life.
I'm not depressed people, I just know things can be better. Things are just a lot different here.
13:43 hours
Cafe Faru
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
I think over the past week, I've kinda lost my zest for life and it really reminds you how important it is to do something that you love and are passionate about.
I haven't been blogging much simply because my life has become clock work and even though sometimes there are events and things that are worth sharing with everyone, like for instance:
We celebrated Vanessa's birthday with a bottle of Spumante, cake and lotsa snacks and invited a few of our colleagues to join us. It really makes you appreciate a simple get-together when you're away from home and that these little things are simply luxury that money can't buy.
To those of you who think that life in the Maldives is perfect and beautiful, you should honestly try living here and you would probably be glad your internship here's only 3 months long.
No doubt, we live around pristine blue waters of varying shades, beautiful sunsets, white sand beaches, there are also many restrictions imposed, especially on the fairer sex.
Even though I like to keep things spick and span, which is what I have been doing for the past week or so, I have been DEPRIVED of my basic need, the need for human interaction.
I realised I embrace change and that stagnation just drains me, I will not settle for a job that requires me to wake up everyday at the same time, to do the same things. It suddenly hits me that this will be my life for the next two weeks.
The good part about cleaning rooms is that it's a split shift and I do get to visit the gym and people, I'm quite proud to say that I'm in the best shape ever as I get to hit the gym almost everyday pretty conveniently.
It's just pretty draining when the kind of job I love's the one that really makes me feel satisfaction within even though there are no visible or tangible results, and housekeeping's just the direct opposite, it's all about the tangibles, making sure there's no dust or sand, no watermarks, amenities replenished.
One instance that really holds a lot of memories for me was when I was approached by a guest at about 7-ish in Singapore when I was training as a concierge. He told me it was his anniversary, his wife was in the restaurant enjoying a drink and he wanted some ideas for the evening.
The conclusion was, I arranged for dinner at Au Jardin, got a bouquet of flowers delivered to the restaurant by 9.30 p.m. which was the time reserved, and I took the initiative to look up the wife's name and had the florist prepare a card that said Happy 4th Anniversary, XXXXX. How I knew it was the fourth was also through daily interaction with the guest.
As it turns out, the guest never made it for dinner as his wife was unwell, but the flowers got sent to the hotel room and still, it would have definitely wowed them and at the end of the stay, $50 was put into my palms in a discreet handshake.
I never got to see what happened, but I knew that what I did would definitely be unforgettable for them and the emotions they would have experienced from my actions would only have been good ones.
This is the kinda thing that juices me and makes me want to go to work everyday. When you never know what's about to happen, but you have to come up with something no matter what and it has to be a WOW.
Right now all I can do is to wake up everyday, go to the gym during my break, go back to work for evening service, and just think of what to do at night besides staying online. And yes, I forgot, I have off days and I get to dive and surf, those days count the most.
It's been a month here and I haven't even logged a single dive. Depressing huh? I know it is, quite unlikely that I'd be getting an advanced certification here, just wanna enjoy the waters and marine life.
I'm not depressed people, I just know things can be better. Things are just a lot different here.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Kinship
Wednesday
13:17 hours
Cafe Faru
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
I was informed last night by my mum that my granny passed on and that she missed her by minutes.
I haven't had the experience of literally losing someone close to heart before and it felt pretty unreal that I am here in the Maldives when my mum msged me like any other daily occurrence. I was having dinner with my pals in the resort and was planning to head to the gym later on.
I rushed to my room with an unsettling feeling that my fit and able grandmother would taken by nature just like that. My phone was charging and to my annoyance, my value's too low to make calls and I had to rush to get some top-up cards.
I called my grandma's place, my mum's phone, my sister's phone and I finally got an answer on my bro's phone and it was my sister.
In my anxiety even though I knew what happened, I had to ask, "What happened?"
My sister explained that after my aunt-in-law gave birth, she has been feeling unwell, and she has been having diarrhoea and the likes of it. Everyone was there, she said, and my beloved aunts were crying. I was wondering what she meant by that as my beloved aunts were Jane and Serene, she couldn't possibly be referring to them as they weren't close to my grandmother.
And I enquired if Uncle Nelson was there as well, and she had her head twisted, "Why would he be here?" I said isn't it grandmother's relative and then we realised, it was my GREAT-grand mother.
To be quite honest, at that point of time, the tragedy turned into a comedy, and unsettling became relieved. It all made sense now, my grandma was in perfect state of health for her age and my great grandma was supposed to be celebrating her 91st birthday this Saturday.
My condolences to my family.
It's quite amazing actually, that my family has a span of four generations until last night, my great grandma, my grand parents, my parents and my generation, and that I am quite lucky I have seen all my great grand parents. Even though I'm not sure if I should feel privileged as I can hardly communicate with them with my minimal Hokkien capabilities.
There was a lot of crying at the scene last night, even though my great grandma was quite the difficult woman, but then again, as I recall one of our family portraits, it's quite a feat for one lady to have started an entire family that spanned generations.
I always talked about how much history and heritage lies in these elderly folks, the things they could tell us about their time are probably what we take for granted in this lifetime.
The barrier to communication, the hectic lifestyles we lead despite the government attempts at forging family ties in its citizens, and the changing times where Google and Apple rule the planet, I think it's only a matter of time that kinship is eroded and limited to your immediate families. And in my generation I've come to realised that those ties are a lot tougher to keep than they seem in previous years.
The many expectations we each have of our family members, the ones we do not meet, wouldn't it be a lot easier if we just appreciated the existence of our flesh and blood.
May you rest in peace.
13:17 hours
Cafe Faru
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
I was informed last night by my mum that my granny passed on and that she missed her by minutes.
I haven't had the experience of literally losing someone close to heart before and it felt pretty unreal that I am here in the Maldives when my mum msged me like any other daily occurrence. I was having dinner with my pals in the resort and was planning to head to the gym later on.
I rushed to my room with an unsettling feeling that my fit and able grandmother would taken by nature just like that. My phone was charging and to my annoyance, my value's too low to make calls and I had to rush to get some top-up cards.
I called my grandma's place, my mum's phone, my sister's phone and I finally got an answer on my bro's phone and it was my sister.
In my anxiety even though I knew what happened, I had to ask, "What happened?"
My sister explained that after my aunt-in-law gave birth, she has been feeling unwell, and she has been having diarrhoea and the likes of it. Everyone was there, she said, and my beloved aunts were crying. I was wondering what she meant by that as my beloved aunts were Jane and Serene, she couldn't possibly be referring to them as they weren't close to my grandmother.
And I enquired if Uncle Nelson was there as well, and she had her head twisted, "Why would he be here?" I said isn't it grandmother's relative and then we realised, it was my GREAT-grand mother.
To be quite honest, at that point of time, the tragedy turned into a comedy, and unsettling became relieved. It all made sense now, my grandma was in perfect state of health for her age and my great grandma was supposed to be celebrating her 91st birthday this Saturday.
My condolences to my family.
It's quite amazing actually, that my family has a span of four generations until last night, my great grandma, my grand parents, my parents and my generation, and that I am quite lucky I have seen all my great grand parents. Even though I'm not sure if I should feel privileged as I can hardly communicate with them with my minimal Hokkien capabilities.
There was a lot of crying at the scene last night, even though my great grandma was quite the difficult woman, but then again, as I recall one of our family portraits, it's quite a feat for one lady to have started an entire family that spanned generations.
I always talked about how much history and heritage lies in these elderly folks, the things they could tell us about their time are probably what we take for granted in this lifetime.
The barrier to communication, the hectic lifestyles we lead despite the government attempts at forging family ties in its citizens, and the changing times where Google and Apple rule the planet, I think it's only a matter of time that kinship is eroded and limited to your immediate families. And in my generation I've come to realised that those ties are a lot tougher to keep than they seem in previous years.
The many expectations we each have of our family members, the ones we do not meet, wouldn't it be a lot easier if we just appreciated the existence of our flesh and blood.
May you rest in peace.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Bah
Monday
09:07 hours
Cafe Faru
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
Listening to... Black Machine
The most ironic thing that could possibly happen in SIP happened today, I am a trainer to my fellow Singaporean intern. >.<
The trainer injured his back and since I've been trained in public areas for the past few days I've been asked to cover him which I gladly took up. To my surprise, Melanie came to housekeeping this morning at 06:30 hours when I was supposed to be the only one working.
Mel: "Where's everyone?"
Me: "There's only me working this morning? (Duh!?)"
Mel: "Huh but I'm supposed to be doing public area today lei."
Me: "I'm your trainer!? :s"
The day went quite smoothly though, had a good workout in the gym after my shift at 16:30, back in the gym often again and it's addictive. Just want more and more of it but you gotta cut yourself some slack else you'd be limping and won't make it for the next session.
And people, LONG-DISTANCE running is BAD FOR HEALTH. It sounds unbelievable but if you're interested and disturbed by what I said, feel free to email me at shawn.tk.lim@gmail.com and I will gladly provide you the science journals and articles that support my statement. Actually, I'm just spreading the word, so rather I'm supporting what they say. Ha.
I need to stop thinking about some stuff that's been bothering me and just focus on work but somehow the work that I'm doing is just so stagnant and predictable, yes really, all I do is keep my fingers crossed that no one unlearned the art of pooping and vomiting and do it everywhere. Hence, tons of thinking go on in my head it feels like it's going to explode sometimes. Argh.
Hence the title.. Bah.
I'm becoming quite the astrologist, referring to readings daily. I'm still unsure if it's just me thinking about it or the fact that it has been true for the past week.
Quote of the Day
"It is possible that your relationships with your beloved one be perturbed, but you can overcome this ordeal if you show good will."
Goodwill isn't helping much in that department.
09:07 hours
Cafe Faru
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
Listening to... Black Machine
The most ironic thing that could possibly happen in SIP happened today, I am a trainer to my fellow Singaporean intern. >.<
The trainer injured his back and since I've been trained in public areas for the past few days I've been asked to cover him which I gladly took up. To my surprise, Melanie came to housekeeping this morning at 06:30 hours when I was supposed to be the only one working.
Mel: "Where's everyone?"
Me: "There's only me working this morning? (Duh!?)"
Mel: "Huh but I'm supposed to be doing public area today lei."
Me: "I'm your trainer!? :s"
The day went quite smoothly though, had a good workout in the gym after my shift at 16:30, back in the gym often again and it's addictive. Just want more and more of it but you gotta cut yourself some slack else you'd be limping and won't make it for the next session.
And people, LONG-DISTANCE running is BAD FOR HEALTH. It sounds unbelievable but if you're interested and disturbed by what I said, feel free to email me at shawn.tk.lim@gmail.com and I will gladly provide you the science journals and articles that support my statement. Actually, I'm just spreading the word, so rather I'm supporting what they say. Ha.
I need to stop thinking about some stuff that's been bothering me and just focus on work but somehow the work that I'm doing is just so stagnant and predictable, yes really, all I do is keep my fingers crossed that no one unlearned the art of pooping and vomiting and do it everywhere. Hence, tons of thinking go on in my head it feels like it's going to explode sometimes. Argh.
Hence the title.. Bah.
I'm becoming quite the astrologist, referring to readings daily. I'm still unsure if it's just me thinking about it or the fact that it has been true for the past week.
Quote of the Day
"It is possible that your relationships with your beloved one be perturbed, but you can overcome this ordeal if you show good will."
Goodwill isn't helping much in that department.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Back in Action
Saturday
22:06 hours
Café Faru
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
Listening to… DJ Khaled – We Taking Over
Public Cleaning and Good Governance
It has been a long and dreadful week at public area cleaning. From what started out as a seemingly humbling and good learning experience, it became quite the labourer’s nightmare.
During work as a public attendant, I also realised I really liked talking and need to talk. I think it’s an inborn trait, I remember my primary and secondary school report books always had comments like chatty, talkative. Ha! And I think most of you people reading this would know how much I like to talk too. Not talking on the job kinda made me pretty reclusive and I started avoiding people a bit.
I know it’s kinda unbelievable but it felt like I lost the fire but thank you Krystle, it is me and will never change. ☺ I realised if I were to become mute, I might just kill myself, but then again I thought maybe I will become Mr. Muscle with my hands trashing all around trying to communicate with sign language! Ha! Touchwood though, my fingers are crossed that that day never comes. ☺
Back to work, as a Singaporean, it would be quite unimaginable for you to be clearing your trash in your HDB estate, washing the toilets for your neighbours, sweeping their flats, cleaning their windows, polishing their mirrors and basically touching up their houses.
But this is exactly what I did, or the above is a very appropriate equivalence of what I did. Not to mention the UNBELIEVABLE FOURTEEN-HOUR (I’m typing it out in words to illustrate the magnitude) SHIFT I DID!
FYI: Labour laws and unions are inexistent in the Maldives and are virtually alien.
It seems along with the affluence that tourism has brought it, the native Maldivians, have come to realise that perhaps it is time they ought to do something about their working hours before these hospitality giants take their hardiness and conscientiousness for granted and exploit this significant gap that the backward government somehow managed to conveniently overlook.
Government offices work 7.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sundays to Thursdays, and their fellow countrymen are worked easily twelve hours a day, for six days a week. Unbelievable.
In the coming election in January 2008, I believe there will be some political transformation and a labour law will be imposed. Many of the staff I speak to in Housekeeping are looking forward to the political reform.
From a business standpoint, yes it is indeed convenient to cut down on manpower and work these hardy natives a little harder (they get paid about US$220 a month) since most of the companies can easily afford to provide full board lodging for them.
I’m becoming quite the activist but honestly, to work these guys 72 hours a week, expect them to get enough rest, have enough family time, which is also the basis of Maldivian culture, and also have time to enjoy the activities that the staff are entitled to, it is not humane.
My fourteen-hour shift was dreadful and it was just one Thursday night.
My Episode with the Nose
On Wednesday I had my ‘period’, my nose bled out of the blue during my break just as I was about to end my conversation online. The bleeding was pretty bad this time and I suppose it’s due to the weather here, really hot in the day and you don’t get much time for water. Anyway the doctor came, ordered I get rest and stay in, no talking and he will evaluate if I am well for work the next day.
If you’re thinking, “OH LUCKY SHAWN!” You’re dead wrong.
Having a hereditary nose episode that hasn’t happened in months and the doctor making a big hoo-ha out of it also means no diving, no surfing, no whatever, so you better get on your two-feet fast and get back to work so your off day’s not wasted!
It was both pleasure and penance to go back to work, pleasure as Friday was the off day so I’d be surfing again and penance because I started at 4.30 p.m. and didn’t finish until 6.00 a.m. the next day. And can you imagine these poor guys who train me so well that I can do what they do have to put up with this almost every other night?!
During the night’s work, I inquired a lot about the situation and basically, it wasn’t right and I knew I had to do something and I did email my Director of Rooms whom I have been talking to quite a bit during breaks and by chance.
To my relief, as I was getting pretty worried that an intern has no place to say things like that, he actually thanked me for making him aware of the situation and that he would discuss it with the management team and will involve me when necessary.
I think right now, there’s still a little bit of fear in me about how things will turn out. I’m not sure about most of you but I think all of us has had this experience, to see something that’s not right happening and not do anything about it and I think this time it will really bother me that I return to Singapore and wait for the really laidback and chillout government to do something about it.
Regardless of the outcome, my conscience is clear and I am glad I did it anyhow. ☺
This is going to be quite a long entry, have had some pointers laid out for a couple of days now but haven’t had the chance to really sit down by myself and just write.
Director’s Lunch
Oh yes! We had lunch on Thursday with Director of Rooms, Matthew, at the Café Hura restaurant! It was like winning a Survivor challenge in Vanuatu or something! I’m not kidding, when you have TUNA at EVERY MEAL, you really wonder if steak’s ever gonna be on the menu, not to mention the same salad bar EVERYDAY.
And yes I am VERY HAPPY to announce I had a good flank steak! It was probably the best meal I’ve had and will have in the Maldives, oh and I ended it with a really interesting coconut, lychee dessert that had generous layers of crème brulee of some sort.
Okay enough of my ravings, the purpose of the meal was more business than for pleasure but of course, it was definitely more pleasure! We were supposed to discuss our project that we had to do for the management because of school and Matthew responded very enthusiastically to it as he already had some ideas.
Basically our task is to look through all the service issues the resort has had in all departments on a monthly basis, figure out which are the most significant issues, offer solutions during a presentation at the end of the month. He was also giving us some tips and advice about how to go about it and I must say he really has it planned out in his head.
After all that talk about work we had a chance to just talk casually about our plans in the future, ask him questions about anything under the sun which I really enjoyed. It was a great lunch with good company and it made the day extremely bearable until the nose bleed. LoL.
The Dying Planet
I remember couple of days ago one of my dearest friend, Fen (yes you are and you know it!), was having an exchange on email and we were talking about the change in the environment.
Here in Maldives, couple of years back the El Nino effect caused an increase in the temperature of the seawater by just one degree Celsius and that killed tons of corals all over Maldives and also around the very island I live on. And may I remind you that corals take hundred and thousands of years to form and wonders like the Great Barrier Reef may have taken millions of years to form. And the corals at the Great Barrier Reef are dying as well.
In the Maldives coral reefs are more than just ecosystems under water that provides for an amazing biodiversity, they surround the 1190 islands scattered all over Maldivian waters and protect them from the waves and tsunamis. It is incredibly hardy and strong like the Maldivian people but it is equally fragile. You just have to apply so much as a pinch of pressure, they snap! And that’s it, the coral is dead, which probably took more than a hundred years to form.
Can you imagine the number of people learning diving and not know how to control their buoyancy and kick the reefs with their fins by accidents?! Millions of years of life which took forever to grow just going down the drain.
Anyway, Rory, resident marine biologist, said that even though there are conservation efforts and protected sites in place, there really is no way to stop the corals bleaching due to human activity and its effect on the ozone. All he said was that all we can do is to learn diving, put those wetsuits and fins on, and travel to see the world beneath before its all gone.
Marine animals are extremely hardy to nature conditions and will adapt and evolve and it is very likely that there will be behavioural changes like migrating towards the North and South in search for colder waters.
In an estimated 50 years, Maldives might cease to exist as its highest ‘mountain’ is only 1.8 metres above sea level and judging from the melting of the ice caps in the North and South, it becomes quite clear that preventive measures has to be planned starting now.
The one hour talk we had with Rory during orientation to be honest was quite depressing for me and he did say that he did not mean to depress any of us but instead wants us to have an awareness of the situation, make an active effort to conserve marine life and also see what we have while we still can. I guess this just about rounds up the talk about the environment and I hope for those of you around me who likes the waters, get your dive license and start diving, the clock’s ticking.
And last of all, to all the beautiful people that email me:
Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy city/school/work/SIP schedule to email/Facebook me every once in a while. You guys are the only reason (aside food :p) why I miss Singapore and the only reason my heartstrings tug at me when I think about Singapore.
Your emails and msgs brings with it warmth and comfort when I’m feeling kinda burnt (To you Claire!) and when I do not get to have a quality conversation with anyone here, replying your emails already feels like someone’s listening to me and that I really appreciate.
Most importantly, you guys remind me of home and that I’m very much still a Singaporean and that there is really no place like home as much as I’d like to think I’m a global citizen.
And for the record, I am not homesick. :p
22:06 hours
Café Faru
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
Listening to… DJ Khaled – We Taking Over
Public Cleaning and Good Governance
It has been a long and dreadful week at public area cleaning. From what started out as a seemingly humbling and good learning experience, it became quite the labourer’s nightmare.
During work as a public attendant, I also realised I really liked talking and need to talk. I think it’s an inborn trait, I remember my primary and secondary school report books always had comments like chatty, talkative. Ha! And I think most of you people reading this would know how much I like to talk too. Not talking on the job kinda made me pretty reclusive and I started avoiding people a bit.
I know it’s kinda unbelievable but it felt like I lost the fire but thank you Krystle, it is me and will never change. ☺ I realised if I were to become mute, I might just kill myself, but then again I thought maybe I will become Mr. Muscle with my hands trashing all around trying to communicate with sign language! Ha! Touchwood though, my fingers are crossed that that day never comes. ☺
Back to work, as a Singaporean, it would be quite unimaginable for you to be clearing your trash in your HDB estate, washing the toilets for your neighbours, sweeping their flats, cleaning their windows, polishing their mirrors and basically touching up their houses.
But this is exactly what I did, or the above is a very appropriate equivalence of what I did. Not to mention the UNBELIEVABLE FOURTEEN-HOUR (I’m typing it out in words to illustrate the magnitude) SHIFT I DID!
FYI: Labour laws and unions are inexistent in the Maldives and are virtually alien.
It seems along with the affluence that tourism has brought it, the native Maldivians, have come to realise that perhaps it is time they ought to do something about their working hours before these hospitality giants take their hardiness and conscientiousness for granted and exploit this significant gap that the backward government somehow managed to conveniently overlook.
Government offices work 7.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m., Sundays to Thursdays, and their fellow countrymen are worked easily twelve hours a day, for six days a week. Unbelievable.
In the coming election in January 2008, I believe there will be some political transformation and a labour law will be imposed. Many of the staff I speak to in Housekeeping are looking forward to the political reform.
From a business standpoint, yes it is indeed convenient to cut down on manpower and work these hardy natives a little harder (they get paid about US$220 a month) since most of the companies can easily afford to provide full board lodging for them.
I’m becoming quite the activist but honestly, to work these guys 72 hours a week, expect them to get enough rest, have enough family time, which is also the basis of Maldivian culture, and also have time to enjoy the activities that the staff are entitled to, it is not humane.
My fourteen-hour shift was dreadful and it was just one Thursday night.
My Episode with the Nose
On Wednesday I had my ‘period’, my nose bled out of the blue during my break just as I was about to end my conversation online. The bleeding was pretty bad this time and I suppose it’s due to the weather here, really hot in the day and you don’t get much time for water. Anyway the doctor came, ordered I get rest and stay in, no talking and he will evaluate if I am well for work the next day.
If you’re thinking, “OH LUCKY SHAWN!” You’re dead wrong.
Having a hereditary nose episode that hasn’t happened in months and the doctor making a big hoo-ha out of it also means no diving, no surfing, no whatever, so you better get on your two-feet fast and get back to work so your off day’s not wasted!
It was both pleasure and penance to go back to work, pleasure as Friday was the off day so I’d be surfing again and penance because I started at 4.30 p.m. and didn’t finish until 6.00 a.m. the next day. And can you imagine these poor guys who train me so well that I can do what they do have to put up with this almost every other night?!
During the night’s work, I inquired a lot about the situation and basically, it wasn’t right and I knew I had to do something and I did email my Director of Rooms whom I have been talking to quite a bit during breaks and by chance.
To my relief, as I was getting pretty worried that an intern has no place to say things like that, he actually thanked me for making him aware of the situation and that he would discuss it with the management team and will involve me when necessary.
I think right now, there’s still a little bit of fear in me about how things will turn out. I’m not sure about most of you but I think all of us has had this experience, to see something that’s not right happening and not do anything about it and I think this time it will really bother me that I return to Singapore and wait for the really laidback and chillout government to do something about it.
Regardless of the outcome, my conscience is clear and I am glad I did it anyhow. ☺
This is going to be quite a long entry, have had some pointers laid out for a couple of days now but haven’t had the chance to really sit down by myself and just write.
Director’s Lunch
Oh yes! We had lunch on Thursday with Director of Rooms, Matthew, at the Café Hura restaurant! It was like winning a Survivor challenge in Vanuatu or something! I’m not kidding, when you have TUNA at EVERY MEAL, you really wonder if steak’s ever gonna be on the menu, not to mention the same salad bar EVERYDAY.
And yes I am VERY HAPPY to announce I had a good flank steak! It was probably the best meal I’ve had and will have in the Maldives, oh and I ended it with a really interesting coconut, lychee dessert that had generous layers of crème brulee of some sort.
Okay enough of my ravings, the purpose of the meal was more business than for pleasure but of course, it was definitely more pleasure! We were supposed to discuss our project that we had to do for the management because of school and Matthew responded very enthusiastically to it as he already had some ideas.
Basically our task is to look through all the service issues the resort has had in all departments on a monthly basis, figure out which are the most significant issues, offer solutions during a presentation at the end of the month. He was also giving us some tips and advice about how to go about it and I must say he really has it planned out in his head.
After all that talk about work we had a chance to just talk casually about our plans in the future, ask him questions about anything under the sun which I really enjoyed. It was a great lunch with good company and it made the day extremely bearable until the nose bleed. LoL.
The Dying Planet
I remember couple of days ago one of my dearest friend, Fen (yes you are and you know it!), was having an exchange on email and we were talking about the change in the environment.
Here in Maldives, couple of years back the El Nino effect caused an increase in the temperature of the seawater by just one degree Celsius and that killed tons of corals all over Maldives and also around the very island I live on. And may I remind you that corals take hundred and thousands of years to form and wonders like the Great Barrier Reef may have taken millions of years to form. And the corals at the Great Barrier Reef are dying as well.
In the Maldives coral reefs are more than just ecosystems under water that provides for an amazing biodiversity, they surround the 1190 islands scattered all over Maldivian waters and protect them from the waves and tsunamis. It is incredibly hardy and strong like the Maldivian people but it is equally fragile. You just have to apply so much as a pinch of pressure, they snap! And that’s it, the coral is dead, which probably took more than a hundred years to form.
Can you imagine the number of people learning diving and not know how to control their buoyancy and kick the reefs with their fins by accidents?! Millions of years of life which took forever to grow just going down the drain.
Anyway, Rory, resident marine biologist, said that even though there are conservation efforts and protected sites in place, there really is no way to stop the corals bleaching due to human activity and its effect on the ozone. All he said was that all we can do is to learn diving, put those wetsuits and fins on, and travel to see the world beneath before its all gone.
Marine animals are extremely hardy to nature conditions and will adapt and evolve and it is very likely that there will be behavioural changes like migrating towards the North and South in search for colder waters.
In an estimated 50 years, Maldives might cease to exist as its highest ‘mountain’ is only 1.8 metres above sea level and judging from the melting of the ice caps in the North and South, it becomes quite clear that preventive measures has to be planned starting now.
The one hour talk we had with Rory during orientation to be honest was quite depressing for me and he did say that he did not mean to depress any of us but instead wants us to have an awareness of the situation, make an active effort to conserve marine life and also see what we have while we still can. I guess this just about rounds up the talk about the environment and I hope for those of you around me who likes the waters, get your dive license and start diving, the clock’s ticking.
And last of all, to all the beautiful people that email me:
Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy city/school/work/SIP schedule to email/Facebook me every once in a while. You guys are the only reason (aside food :p) why I miss Singapore and the only reason my heartstrings tug at me when I think about Singapore.
Your emails and msgs brings with it warmth and comfort when I’m feeling kinda burnt (To you Claire!) and when I do not get to have a quality conversation with anyone here, replying your emails already feels like someone’s listening to me and that I really appreciate.
Most importantly, you guys remind me of home and that I’m very much still a Singaporean and that there is really no place like home as much as I’d like to think I’m a global citizen.
And for the record, I am not homesick. :p
Sunday, November 4, 2007
My First Surf!
Sunday
18:24 hours
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
Cafe Faru
Today's the second day off and my first time surfing, catching the waves!
And I have this to say to aspiring surfers:
1. Buy a freaking rashguard, I got a huge rash on my tummy.
2. If you see a big wave, GET OFF YOUR BOARD NOW! Go under and yes, go ahead and swallow some seawater before swimming up to the surface.
3. Get BACK ON using the leash to get your board.
4. Paddle FOR YOUR LIFE against the waves BEFORE THEY CRASH.
5. Muster up your courage for your next
It was a great Sunday, I woke up, missed breakfast and took out my remaining packet of Post's Blueberry Morning Cereal which my sister, Shern, forced me to pack, cheers Shern! I guess it does come in handy but well, it's all in the girls and my tummy now.
I was supposed to dive but it turns out my name wasn't put on the list by the staff that was fooling around in the shop all afternoon and it was full for both morning and afternoon, but luckily for me Melanie was nice enough to ask if I'd like to do some surfing and off I went.
Washed up, slabbed tons of sunblock and packed my bag for my day off, taking the boat out to a surf break to catch some waves, WITHOUT prior knowledge of how to surf, not a smart move, REALLY, not a smart move.
Normally, our instructor, Johny, would take you out to the lagoon, do some drills like paddling and getting on the board, before bringing you out to catch some small waves.
Today, it is HIS DAY OFF, so he told us, not too much teaching 'cause that's what he did all week, he needs to take a break and just SURF. Rory, the resident marine biologist, came along too, turns out he's a surfer himself.
We picked our boards, Melanie and I had to use the HUMONGOUS ones for stability and learning how to get on our feet first while the dudes got their really sleek, light and small ones and off we went on the boat, heading for the surf break named Sultans.
As we drew closer to the surf break, you start to see these waves you thought only exist on TV and they were just the beginning of the day. Did a quick crash course onboard before throwing our boards into the water and paddling out to catch waves.
It's pretty amazing sight to see Johny gliding through the waves and sometimes it seems he's ON the wave itself.
Wasn't long before I tried to catch my own wave on cheers of "Go for it, Shawn!" and I stood up, was surfing but before long, I was down into the waves and it felt like I was drowning! The pros said for us to go under the waves when they crash but they didn't tell me what to do AFTERWARDS.
So I just kept "drowning" and "drowning" until I got washed up onto shore which had tons of reef and rocks and I wasn't wearing booties, which are shoes that you wear for diving and other water sports. Thankfully, no cuts, no injuries, and Johny came to get me shortly after. Then he explained to GET ON YOUR BOARD FAST, paddle FOR YOUR LIFE out back into sea.
It kinda freaks you out a little but the feeling of almost standing up would just inevitably get you trying to get yourself killed again. Ha! But this time round though I didn't stand, I most certainly could paddle out to sea. The big boards are kinda bulky to manouvre but you just gotta get your balance before using the smaller ones which are a lot easier to control and get back on to.
I took a short break onboard the boat and Rory came along shortly, his leash snapped and he got cut up pretty bad when a big wave crashed him onto shore. It was then we slabbed on a second layer of sunblock and he gave me more tips before we hit the waters again.
Melanie made some good progress though while we were onboard, almost standing like what three times! Pint-sized girl like her's pretty cool against the waves, she was nearly washed to shore but was really cool about it and the guys went to get her. Cheers Mel!
Didn't take long to realise surfing's a tough sport, requires tons of stamina and muscles for paddling, really wipes you out, paddling. And before you know it, it was about half to one, we were told we'd be getting back on the resort by 13:00 hours but since it was the day off for all four of us we took it slow.
Tried to do some fishing but we didn't make any catch for dinner, was hoping to hand it to the cafe at nearby Bodu Huraa to cook up fresh dinner. Did some scurfing, at least Mel and I tried, Johny and Rory did it pretty well. Scurfing's surfing with a line to the boat, so it's somewhat like wakeboarding with nothing holding to your feet, just feet and board. You'd find some pictures on Facebook.
So here I am in the cybercafe waiting for time to pass by online before dinner at Bodu Huraa with the boys, had cup noodles for lunch as the canteen was closed by the time we made it back.
So now if there's no diving, there's SURFING and boy am I enjoying the day off in Maldives!
18:24 hours
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
Cafe Faru
Today's the second day off and my first time surfing, catching the waves!
And I have this to say to aspiring surfers:
1. Buy a freaking rashguard, I got a huge rash on my tummy.
2. If you see a big wave, GET OFF YOUR BOARD NOW! Go under and yes, go ahead and swallow some seawater before swimming up to the surface.
3. Get BACK ON using the leash to get your board.
4. Paddle FOR YOUR LIFE against the waves BEFORE THEY CRASH.
5. Muster up your courage for your next
It was a great Sunday, I woke up, missed breakfast and took out my remaining packet of Post's Blueberry Morning Cereal which my sister, Shern, forced me to pack, cheers Shern! I guess it does come in handy but well, it's all in the girls and my tummy now.
I was supposed to dive but it turns out my name wasn't put on the list by the staff that was fooling around in the shop all afternoon and it was full for both morning and afternoon, but luckily for me Melanie was nice enough to ask if I'd like to do some surfing and off I went.
Washed up, slabbed tons of sunblock and packed my bag for my day off, taking the boat out to a surf break to catch some waves, WITHOUT prior knowledge of how to surf, not a smart move, REALLY, not a smart move.
Normally, our instructor, Johny, would take you out to the lagoon, do some drills like paddling and getting on the board, before bringing you out to catch some small waves.
Today, it is HIS DAY OFF, so he told us, not too much teaching 'cause that's what he did all week, he needs to take a break and just SURF. Rory, the resident marine biologist, came along too, turns out he's a surfer himself.
We picked our boards, Melanie and I had to use the HUMONGOUS ones for stability and learning how to get on our feet first while the dudes got their really sleek, light and small ones and off we went on the boat, heading for the surf break named Sultans.
As we drew closer to the surf break, you start to see these waves you thought only exist on TV and they were just the beginning of the day. Did a quick crash course onboard before throwing our boards into the water and paddling out to catch waves.
It's pretty amazing sight to see Johny gliding through the waves and sometimes it seems he's ON the wave itself.
Wasn't long before I tried to catch my own wave on cheers of "Go for it, Shawn!" and I stood up, was surfing but before long, I was down into the waves and it felt like I was drowning! The pros said for us to go under the waves when they crash but they didn't tell me what to do AFTERWARDS.
So I just kept "drowning" and "drowning" until I got washed up onto shore which had tons of reef and rocks and I wasn't wearing booties, which are shoes that you wear for diving and other water sports. Thankfully, no cuts, no injuries, and Johny came to get me shortly after. Then he explained to GET ON YOUR BOARD FAST, paddle FOR YOUR LIFE out back into sea.
It kinda freaks you out a little but the feeling of almost standing up would just inevitably get you trying to get yourself killed again. Ha! But this time round though I didn't stand, I most certainly could paddle out to sea. The big boards are kinda bulky to manouvre but you just gotta get your balance before using the smaller ones which are a lot easier to control and get back on to.
I took a short break onboard the boat and Rory came along shortly, his leash snapped and he got cut up pretty bad when a big wave crashed him onto shore. It was then we slabbed on a second layer of sunblock and he gave me more tips before we hit the waters again.
Melanie made some good progress though while we were onboard, almost standing like what three times! Pint-sized girl like her's pretty cool against the waves, she was nearly washed to shore but was really cool about it and the guys went to get her. Cheers Mel!
Didn't take long to realise surfing's a tough sport, requires tons of stamina and muscles for paddling, really wipes you out, paddling. And before you know it, it was about half to one, we were told we'd be getting back on the resort by 13:00 hours but since it was the day off for all four of us we took it slow.
Tried to do some fishing but we didn't make any catch for dinner, was hoping to hand it to the cafe at nearby Bodu Huraa to cook up fresh dinner. Did some scurfing, at least Mel and I tried, Johny and Rory did it pretty well. Scurfing's surfing with a line to the boat, so it's somewhat like wakeboarding with nothing holding to your feet, just feet and board. You'd find some pictures on Facebook.
So here I am in the cybercafe waiting for time to pass by online before dinner at Bodu Huraa with the boys, had cup noodles for lunch as the canteen was closed by the time we made it back.
So now if there's no diving, there's SURFING and boy am I enjoying the day off in Maldives!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
The First Time I Woke Up Reluctantly for Work
Monday
21:42 hours
C-17 (Girls’ room)
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
Surprise, surprise! ☺ Yes, it is the first time that I was reluctant to work after nine days in Maldives. I am in the girls’ room now as I have no internet connection once again and I am supposed to be helping Ms. Candice with her work as a ‘sommelier’, like RIGHT, sommelier. Not someone who’s fresh and NOT out of school.
I slept late as I was up chatting past midnight, a habit that has not seen light since eons ago, because of dear friends from Singapore. It’s not like in Singapore when you chat ‘cause you just have nothing to do, being away you really wanna make full use of the time online to communicate with friends and family.
As my tonsillitis was still in full effect, it was 05:30 hours when my alarm rang and I let it snooze til 05:55 before I jumped out of bed, washed up and got myself honey water as breakfast was yet to be served but there was honey on the table. ☺
The housekeeping office was locked and vacant which was a bit of a shock, so I had to ask one of the boys at laundry to help call for someone in charge.
It was then I met Nassir, who was my trainer for the day. I was quickly led into the public areas and I started my job first in the washrooms. Never have I imagined that I will be cleaning toilets but I did and due to hygiene concerns, as much as some areas I clean are drop dead beautiful, I don’t think I want my hands any where near my Fuji camera (Yes old school).
It is shocking, the amount of work that one public attendant has to do in a short span of three hours; gym changing rooms, lobby area, library, Mathige lounge, dive centre washrooms, lobby washrooms, gift shop glass windows, and furniture in the lobby area. Not only clean but also replace amenities.
Although it sounds challenging and I was all up for it, the lack of sleep and my trainer’s good working attitude and desire to teach me right resulted in my sleepy self during his demo and it was not before long that I slapped myself mentally and literally grabbed the dust mop from his hands and started cleaning when he was on the walkie.
Boy was it fun, tough, but fun nonetheless. ☺ So many areas, so little time, and bad weather conditions meant repeated visits to the same areas in a cycle over and over to make sure it looks spick and span.
I quickly learnt what chemicals are used for various purposes and how to use them; how hazardous they are, amount to be used, where to replace them.
I came here with the mindset that anything there is to do, I will do, anything there is to be learnt, I will learn, and boy I did today. Nothing feels better than putting in a hard day’s work, and having time fly by. Before I knew it, it was breakfast break, and before I knew it, it was lunchtime.
Lunch was good but my throat felt worst and I visited Dr. Imateyaz again only to discover this time the swelling went up in the unaffected tonsil and on the affect an ulcer grew. >.< Was given some antibiotics and paracetamol to fight the infection and my fingers are crossed for it to be over soon. I feel great except the annoying obstacle in my throat that hurts from time to time, especially in this dry and hot weather.
After lunch it was going through the repeated cycle again as the winds would blow sand and particles into the areas and also guests walking in and out would bring sand, plus the gents and ladies would be used.
The gratification comes from knowing it’s a challenge to clean up all areas in limited time, walking away from the public areas you cleaned and seeing that it is spick, span and spotless, tangible evidence of your work, and ultimately I love cleaning!
But today during work I realised that this is the first time I see a lack of teamwork in Four Seasons and that it is tough to be Four Seasons in a rural environment. The locals here, not all, but quite predominantly lack professionalism and some maturity.
In addition, you start to learn about the culture here and although most of them are friendly to you, there are some black sheep who are not really friendly and are just here to get by and it is basically… A job.
Then again, this is a learning experience and you should learn as much and as far as I am concerned, I have been adapting well and the experience so far has been good and I have been lucky enough to get excellent trainers in each department.
I hope tomorrow with another trainer would be as challenging as today. ☺
Today Wilson left for home in the Philippines after finishing a year here with Four Seasons. Had a good final chat, exchanged email addresses and we said to keep in touch.
Most of the evening was spent with Yamaki-san, who’s the manager of recreation centre and he is what I would call a common comrade in my quest of self-discovery.
He graduated from school at 18, went into Nikkei stock market as a broker for 8 years, then to Okinawa to guide people diving and then to the island of Palau as a tour guide for six years and he’s now here for a year as the manager of Seawalker.
To travel the world, experience different cultures, meet people from all walks of life, and basically, to just see the world and in search of a final retiring place, that’s the life.
We talk about his life experiences and largely I asked him to help brush up on my Japanese and to learn about Japanese culture.
Okay I think I need to call it a night, down for work at 06:30 hours and it’s now 00:11. Good luck to me!
21:42 hours
C-17 (Girls’ room)
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
Surprise, surprise! ☺ Yes, it is the first time that I was reluctant to work after nine days in Maldives. I am in the girls’ room now as I have no internet connection once again and I am supposed to be helping Ms. Candice with her work as a ‘sommelier’, like RIGHT, sommelier. Not someone who’s fresh and NOT out of school.
I slept late as I was up chatting past midnight, a habit that has not seen light since eons ago, because of dear friends from Singapore. It’s not like in Singapore when you chat ‘cause you just have nothing to do, being away you really wanna make full use of the time online to communicate with friends and family.
As my tonsillitis was still in full effect, it was 05:30 hours when my alarm rang and I let it snooze til 05:55 before I jumped out of bed, washed up and got myself honey water as breakfast was yet to be served but there was honey on the table. ☺
The housekeeping office was locked and vacant which was a bit of a shock, so I had to ask one of the boys at laundry to help call for someone in charge.
It was then I met Nassir, who was my trainer for the day. I was quickly led into the public areas and I started my job first in the washrooms. Never have I imagined that I will be cleaning toilets but I did and due to hygiene concerns, as much as some areas I clean are drop dead beautiful, I don’t think I want my hands any where near my Fuji camera (Yes old school).
It is shocking, the amount of work that one public attendant has to do in a short span of three hours; gym changing rooms, lobby area, library, Mathige lounge, dive centre washrooms, lobby washrooms, gift shop glass windows, and furniture in the lobby area. Not only clean but also replace amenities.
Although it sounds challenging and I was all up for it, the lack of sleep and my trainer’s good working attitude and desire to teach me right resulted in my sleepy self during his demo and it was not before long that I slapped myself mentally and literally grabbed the dust mop from his hands and started cleaning when he was on the walkie.
Boy was it fun, tough, but fun nonetheless. ☺ So many areas, so little time, and bad weather conditions meant repeated visits to the same areas in a cycle over and over to make sure it looks spick and span.
I quickly learnt what chemicals are used for various purposes and how to use them; how hazardous they are, amount to be used, where to replace them.
I came here with the mindset that anything there is to do, I will do, anything there is to be learnt, I will learn, and boy I did today. Nothing feels better than putting in a hard day’s work, and having time fly by. Before I knew it, it was breakfast break, and before I knew it, it was lunchtime.
Lunch was good but my throat felt worst and I visited Dr. Imateyaz again only to discover this time the swelling went up in the unaffected tonsil and on the affect an ulcer grew. >.< Was given some antibiotics and paracetamol to fight the infection and my fingers are crossed for it to be over soon. I feel great except the annoying obstacle in my throat that hurts from time to time, especially in this dry and hot weather.
After lunch it was going through the repeated cycle again as the winds would blow sand and particles into the areas and also guests walking in and out would bring sand, plus the gents and ladies would be used.
The gratification comes from knowing it’s a challenge to clean up all areas in limited time, walking away from the public areas you cleaned and seeing that it is spick, span and spotless, tangible evidence of your work, and ultimately I love cleaning!
But today during work I realised that this is the first time I see a lack of teamwork in Four Seasons and that it is tough to be Four Seasons in a rural environment. The locals here, not all, but quite predominantly lack professionalism and some maturity.
In addition, you start to learn about the culture here and although most of them are friendly to you, there are some black sheep who are not really friendly and are just here to get by and it is basically… A job.
Then again, this is a learning experience and you should learn as much and as far as I am concerned, I have been adapting well and the experience so far has been good and I have been lucky enough to get excellent trainers in each department.
I hope tomorrow with another trainer would be as challenging as today. ☺
Today Wilson left for home in the Philippines after finishing a year here with Four Seasons. Had a good final chat, exchanged email addresses and we said to keep in touch.
Most of the evening was spent with Yamaki-san, who’s the manager of recreation centre and he is what I would call a common comrade in my quest of self-discovery.
He graduated from school at 18, went into Nikkei stock market as a broker for 8 years, then to Okinawa to guide people diving and then to the island of Palau as a tour guide for six years and he’s now here for a year as the manager of Seawalker.
To travel the world, experience different cultures, meet people from all walks of life, and basically, to just see the world and in search of a final retiring place, that’s the life.
We talk about his life experiences and largely I asked him to help brush up on my Japanese and to learn about Japanese culture.
Okay I think I need to call it a night, down for work at 06:30 hours and it’s now 00:11. Good luck to me!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Events continued
Oops! I just realised that I left the entry hanging. Victoria and the rest of us chatted like through midnight til about 01:30 hours the next day.
Back to Mr. Roelens, I had to ask what his story is with hotels and he told us his very inspiring story about how he decided on hotels when he was 14 (I decided when I was 12 but somehow it strayed) and he signed up for an apprentice school which trained him in kitchen through his sister's boyfriend or he thought he was. And it was school after school, and hotels after hotels that he rose through the ranks and prove worthy and today he is in the Four Seasons. And very much similar to him, I personally have a strong conviction of the company's values and the Golden Rule.
He also shared with us some funny anecdotes about his time here, like how his photograph of him in trunks, together with a travel journalist was posted in Germany on the journalist's articles. About how the resort was restored from post-tsunami and also about some accolades and interesting facts about the resort. Oh and you cannot imagine the kind of celebrities and dignitaries we receive. ;)
Anyway, I think by now all of you should have seen my UGLY picture with our president, on The Straits Times on 27 October 2007. That was the day after our meeting with Mr. Roelens so I finished work at about 16:30 and got some rest and we Singaporeans gathered to meet his Excellency in the late evening before his dinner.
It was as Singaporean as it can be I tell you what with all of us there, Singlish came flying out of our mouths and we talked about how we miss Singapore char kway teow, laksa, chai tao kway and you guys know better. >.< But also, it's not that bad that we forget to appreciate the beautiful nature we have here. The president's security team also mentioned how they would like to stay here if they could. What an adventure those guys lead travelling wherever the president goes. His photographer as well who proved to be quite a chatterbox. LoL.
We had a quick conversation with our president, Mr. Khaw, Minister of Health, and Dr. Lily Neo, MP, it was like a meet-the-peoples session in Maldives. And before you know it, we are on the news. Came as quite a shock actually and on that day everyone was asking us if we saw ourselves in the news. I think the shot was taken when he asked me if I done NS. >.<
Anyway, today's my off day and I woke up at 14:00 hours for lunch and I have been here in Cafe Faru using the internet for the whole day. Tomorrow I start my day at 06:30 hours cleaning public areas which I am looking forward to, I'm quite the closet housekeeper. :p
It has never been clearer to me what I want in life and right now I know, that once I return to Singapore, to pick up a foreign language, Japanese or Spanish, work and earn wages for TRAVEL. Meeting all the people who work here has been an added boost of confidence and certainty as many of them have never been home in the last decade other than once or twice to see the family but we all have one thing in common, a desire to see the world and experience different cultures. :) It's the same thing I enjoy in my work as a concierge, diversity.
After NS, I intend to work overseas and until I've seen enough, I will not return to Singapore other than once or twice annually to see the family and catch up with friends.
And this quest of mine has never felt more right than before. :) Coming to Maldives has been the greatest and most wonderful decision I ever made.
Back to Mr. Roelens, I had to ask what his story is with hotels and he told us his very inspiring story about how he decided on hotels when he was 14 (I decided when I was 12 but somehow it strayed) and he signed up for an apprentice school which trained him in kitchen through his sister's boyfriend or he thought he was. And it was school after school, and hotels after hotels that he rose through the ranks and prove worthy and today he is in the Four Seasons. And very much similar to him, I personally have a strong conviction of the company's values and the Golden Rule.
He also shared with us some funny anecdotes about his time here, like how his photograph of him in trunks, together with a travel journalist was posted in Germany on the journalist's articles. About how the resort was restored from post-tsunami and also about some accolades and interesting facts about the resort. Oh and you cannot imagine the kind of celebrities and dignitaries we receive. ;)
Anyway, I think by now all of you should have seen my UGLY picture with our president, on The Straits Times on 27 October 2007. That was the day after our meeting with Mr. Roelens so I finished work at about 16:30 and got some rest and we Singaporeans gathered to meet his Excellency in the late evening before his dinner.
It was as Singaporean as it can be I tell you what with all of us there, Singlish came flying out of our mouths and we talked about how we miss Singapore char kway teow, laksa, chai tao kway and you guys know better. >.< But also, it's not that bad that we forget to appreciate the beautiful nature we have here. The president's security team also mentioned how they would like to stay here if they could. What an adventure those guys lead travelling wherever the president goes. His photographer as well who proved to be quite a chatterbox. LoL.
We had a quick conversation with our president, Mr. Khaw, Minister of Health, and Dr. Lily Neo, MP, it was like a meet-the-peoples session in Maldives. And before you know it, we are on the news. Came as quite a shock actually and on that day everyone was asking us if we saw ourselves in the news. I think the shot was taken when he asked me if I done NS. >.<
Anyway, today's my off day and I woke up at 14:00 hours for lunch and I have been here in Cafe Faru using the internet for the whole day. Tomorrow I start my day at 06:30 hours cleaning public areas which I am looking forward to, I'm quite the closet housekeeper. :p
It has never been clearer to me what I want in life and right now I know, that once I return to Singapore, to pick up a foreign language, Japanese or Spanish, work and earn wages for TRAVEL. Meeting all the people who work here has been an added boost of confidence and certainty as many of them have never been home in the last decade other than once or twice to see the family but we all have one thing in common, a desire to see the world and experience different cultures. :) It's the same thing I enjoy in my work as a concierge, diversity.
After NS, I intend to work overseas and until I've seen enough, I will not return to Singapore other than once or twice annually to see the family and catch up with friends.
And this quest of mine has never felt more right than before. :) Coming to Maldives has been the greatest and most wonderful decision I ever made.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Orientation dive+Tonsillitis=Crap
Friday
23:33 hours Maldivian time
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
Café Faru
I am sitting here inside Café Faru again hoping that the Internet connection will work or that Chika-san will be done with the Ethernet wire soon.
It has been an awfully long day as I started my day early in the morning at about 08:00 hours? I was to do my orientation dive at 09:30 and as usual everyday I have to wake up even before I want to. Ha!
Went for breakfast and I met Ben, who’s the Dive Shop manager and fortunately he had good news for me, the insurance I bought for Maldives covers my scuba diving! But I had to wait about an hour longer to do my orientation dive which was fine by me since I start work at 13:00 hours. I just hung around in Café Faru once again, my favourite spot, and while waiting for my dive, I caught a bit of anime.
I went to the dive shop shortly after and was introduced to Rameez, who would be buddying me. So very quickly I chose my gear and Four Seasons being Four Seasons, the dive gear are a lot newer than what I used back in Tioman for my course. We set up our equipment, got geared up and left for the lagoon by the pool as waters were too choppy for a boat ride out to the house reef.
The view of the pool is as magnificent as it sounds, an infinity pool. I’d try to get a landscape shot of it. So we went walking about the resort fully suited up and kids went, “The divers are here!”
Did a quick check in the waters and off I went to do a refresher. Visibility was poor and there was nothing much to be seen at the lagoon, just for me to practise my skills and get acquainted with Maldivian waters. I was up and going in less than half an hour, will try again tomorrow.
Lunch was fab, fab, fab! We had noodles, ramli kinda burgers, fish maw soup(in the Maldives dammit!)
So today I was told I would be doing guest laundry, which means picking their laundry up from their villas, sorting them out and finally washing, drying and pressing them. And surprisingly, it’s by far my most loved activity in the laundry!
I always enjoyed pressing my own clothes back home and it feels really good to look presentable. So today I learnt how to handle clothes Four Seasons style and boy was I blown away!
Stay at any Four Seasons, ask them to do your laundry and you’d know what I mean. You would never have imagined your clothes could look that way. And just to give you a rough idea, they spend half an hour on your shirts!
Anyway, I’ve learnt to do it proper and basically I really enjoy it and would love to do more.
The shocker came when our house doctor diagnosed my throat, which has been feeling sore since yesterday, as tonsillitis! Geez! But it’s not serious enough to require surgery. Amazing, all these while I’m bugging at people to have theirs removed when I got it too! I got my wisdom tooth looked at as well and it’s growing well according to him! Convenient though, all he did was look at something, diagnose, and give tablets. >.<
Anyway, after consulting the doctor, it was dinner and work. Even though we have my mp3 playing today, still, it got boring when it was back to folding towels, and towels, and towels again.
I’m tired, worn out and ready to end my evening! Goodnight peeps!
23:33 hours Maldivian time
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
Café Faru
I am sitting here inside Café Faru again hoping that the Internet connection will work or that Chika-san will be done with the Ethernet wire soon.
It has been an awfully long day as I started my day early in the morning at about 08:00 hours? I was to do my orientation dive at 09:30 and as usual everyday I have to wake up even before I want to. Ha!
Went for breakfast and I met Ben, who’s the Dive Shop manager and fortunately he had good news for me, the insurance I bought for Maldives covers my scuba diving! But I had to wait about an hour longer to do my orientation dive which was fine by me since I start work at 13:00 hours. I just hung around in Café Faru once again, my favourite spot, and while waiting for my dive, I caught a bit of anime.
I went to the dive shop shortly after and was introduced to Rameez, who would be buddying me. So very quickly I chose my gear and Four Seasons being Four Seasons, the dive gear are a lot newer than what I used back in Tioman for my course. We set up our equipment, got geared up and left for the lagoon by the pool as waters were too choppy for a boat ride out to the house reef.
The view of the pool is as magnificent as it sounds, an infinity pool. I’d try to get a landscape shot of it. So we went walking about the resort fully suited up and kids went, “The divers are here!”
Did a quick check in the waters and off I went to do a refresher. Visibility was poor and there was nothing much to be seen at the lagoon, just for me to practise my skills and get acquainted with Maldivian waters. I was up and going in less than half an hour, will try again tomorrow.
Lunch was fab, fab, fab! We had noodles, ramli kinda burgers, fish maw soup(in the Maldives dammit!)
So today I was told I would be doing guest laundry, which means picking their laundry up from their villas, sorting them out and finally washing, drying and pressing them. And surprisingly, it’s by far my most loved activity in the laundry!
I always enjoyed pressing my own clothes back home and it feels really good to look presentable. So today I learnt how to handle clothes Four Seasons style and boy was I blown away!
Stay at any Four Seasons, ask them to do your laundry and you’d know what I mean. You would never have imagined your clothes could look that way. And just to give you a rough idea, they spend half an hour on your shirts!
Anyway, I’ve learnt to do it proper and basically I really enjoy it and would love to do more.
The shocker came when our house doctor diagnosed my throat, which has been feeling sore since yesterday, as tonsillitis! Geez! But it’s not serious enough to require surgery. Amazing, all these while I’m bugging at people to have theirs removed when I got it too! I got my wisdom tooth looked at as well and it’s growing well according to him! Convenient though, all he did was look at something, diagnose, and give tablets. >.<
Anyway, after consulting the doctor, it was dinner and work. Even though we have my mp3 playing today, still, it got boring when it was back to folding towels, and towels, and towels again.
I’m tired, worn out and ready to end my evening! Goodnight peeps!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Events, events, events..
Thursday
20:58 hours
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
C-17
I am sitting here on the floor of the ladies’ room, C-17, with Sarah and just years ago, this very room housed the guests who were in-house when the tsunami hit and as the Director of HR said, it felt like the island was sinking with all the sea water. If you would refer to my pictures of the living quarters, you would realise it is two-storeys tall and this is the second storey.
Funny how eventful my past two days were and I was just caught up with my social activity in Café Faru, which is our staff cyber café/chill-out area. I made tons of friends in one night and somehow it overshadowed the events that are worth a lot more. What can I say, I’m a people person! ☺ Met Ana, Mexican cook, Chika-san, Japanese dive instructor, Sushant, Indian finance trainee, Wilson, Philippino chef,
Oh well I’d get on to it. Yesterday, Wednesday, was work as usual but it was different because we were meeting the GM of the resort, Mr. Tom Roelens, at about 16:00 hours.
I mean well it’s a day after it happened but meeting the GM’s always exciting for me! He’s like the one guy responsible for anything and everything that goes on here. Just a matter of personal opinion but I think that people on top of the hierarchy are responsible for what goes wrong rather than what they do right, it’s like being the goalkeeper, who cares how many saves you make as long as you don’t lose one?! A toast to them!
It has always been a dream for me to go on a vacation at a really nice hotel like the Four Seasons and my request for the concierge, which would be a rather awkward one, would be for me to just accompany the GM for the day, to see what he does, to have him introduce the hotel to me and basically understand what a day is like in the shoes of a hotel GM.
Okay sidetracking, digression as we say it back home. LoL. Work is usual, except everyday I handle new linens, uniforms, machines and yeah, basically anything new interests me. ☺ Because it is all repetition, if you have something to be done differently I welcome it!
Well having the perspective of a concierge makes work in the laundry a lot tougher, not as fast, not as different, not as exciting and above all mundane.
But something Randy See said has stuck to me like superglue, “I don’t count my hours, I make them count.”
And by applying that philosophy to my work in the laundry, it is to not wear a watch (which rusted in one day due to the heat and moisture, fake cK la. :p) and just look forward to carts of linens and cloths to fold and press. It helps tremendously because I think in one day I can fold up to thousands and if you count the hours, you’d die.
How long does it take to fold a towel? And if you multiply that by the thousands, time creeps. But if you focus on the carts of towels, before you know it, it is lunch, before you know it, there is tea and then you’re done. ☺ Voila! Bravissimo!
Oh and right now I’m picking up Dhivehi, which is the local language and according to the locals I’m BARAABARU, excellent! Ha! But I’m only doing basic one to two words, not entire phrases. It sounds Hindi but it isn’t and half the time it sounds like they’re just chattering nonsense. LoL. So it keeps work fun when they teach me because they get so entertained! And I get to pick up a piece of local culture.
Okay, now I’m sorry I’m such a mess in the head, especially when it’s after work my mind’s just everywhere and not organised, which is why this blog’s supposed to help. ☺
We were told we were supposed to meet him, but guess what, we were going to HAVE TEA in BARAABARU RESTAURANT (Yes if you’re sharp enough Baraabaru means Excellent in Dhivehi) with him!
The view.. The view is absolutely breathtaking, amazing, gorgeous, and stunning so take my word for it, beautiful girl or that view, that view, ANYTIME! Can you imagine a restaurant with no walls and ‘wallpaper’ of the horizon, greenery, and different shades of cascading blue! I have pictures which I will post up soon I hope, the Internet here’s not working so well and I should be lucky to get this up.
It was my first time in a guest area and I understand why Four Seasons cost. Another note, that Four Seasons Kuda Huraa was previously Concorde Hotel, bought over by Four Seasons and HPL Singapore, and only after the tsunami, did it look like a Four Seasons product. In a matter of one and a half year we were up and running again and winning accolades in Gallivanter’s and Conde Nast as best resort and the likes of it.
Oh and I finally met Abdul Rahim, who’s our Director of HR. So we had beautiful Belgian truffles, cookies, gula (fishball looking curry puff with tuna in there) and tuna sandwiches. Really, excessive tuna I tell you. Also on the menu were Earl Grey, English Breakfast and coffee.
So we were introduced very quickly and we settled in very nicely with the beautiful ambience and wonderful refreshments. Tom quickly asked us what were our reasons for choosing the Maldives and Four Seasons and we gladly told him.
To be real honest, I didn’t know what to expect and it is really better than what I could imagine. I didn’t expect air-conditioned rooms with dressing area, shower and toilet. I did not imagine diving for FREE and learning diving at US$35 when I freaking paid SG$500 in Tioman, I did not imagine that I will be doing my advance open water here for like what US$75? I did not imagine we will be able to do Four Seasons spa from US$50 for an hour’s massage, I did not imagine free water sports.
OUT OF THE WORLD ISN’T IT? I’m seriously contemplating coming back for a year.
Okay now a crazy Victoria just came in hopping up and down distracting me from the blog..
20:58 hours
Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa
C-17
I am sitting here on the floor of the ladies’ room, C-17, with Sarah and just years ago, this very room housed the guests who were in-house when the tsunami hit and as the Director of HR said, it felt like the island was sinking with all the sea water. If you would refer to my pictures of the living quarters, you would realise it is two-storeys tall and this is the second storey.
Funny how eventful my past two days were and I was just caught up with my social activity in Café Faru, which is our staff cyber café/chill-out area. I made tons of friends in one night and somehow it overshadowed the events that are worth a lot more. What can I say, I’m a people person! ☺ Met Ana, Mexican cook, Chika-san, Japanese dive instructor, Sushant, Indian finance trainee, Wilson, Philippino chef,
Oh well I’d get on to it. Yesterday, Wednesday, was work as usual but it was different because we were meeting the GM of the resort, Mr. Tom Roelens, at about 16:00 hours.
I mean well it’s a day after it happened but meeting the GM’s always exciting for me! He’s like the one guy responsible for anything and everything that goes on here. Just a matter of personal opinion but I think that people on top of the hierarchy are responsible for what goes wrong rather than what they do right, it’s like being the goalkeeper, who cares how many saves you make as long as you don’t lose one?! A toast to them!
It has always been a dream for me to go on a vacation at a really nice hotel like the Four Seasons and my request for the concierge, which would be a rather awkward one, would be for me to just accompany the GM for the day, to see what he does, to have him introduce the hotel to me and basically understand what a day is like in the shoes of a hotel GM.
Okay sidetracking, digression as we say it back home. LoL. Work is usual, except everyday I handle new linens, uniforms, machines and yeah, basically anything new interests me. ☺ Because it is all repetition, if you have something to be done differently I welcome it!
Well having the perspective of a concierge makes work in the laundry a lot tougher, not as fast, not as different, not as exciting and above all mundane.
But something Randy See said has stuck to me like superglue, “I don’t count my hours, I make them count.”
And by applying that philosophy to my work in the laundry, it is to not wear a watch (which rusted in one day due to the heat and moisture, fake cK la. :p) and just look forward to carts of linens and cloths to fold and press. It helps tremendously because I think in one day I can fold up to thousands and if you count the hours, you’d die.
How long does it take to fold a towel? And if you multiply that by the thousands, time creeps. But if you focus on the carts of towels, before you know it, it is lunch, before you know it, there is tea and then you’re done. ☺ Voila! Bravissimo!
Oh and right now I’m picking up Dhivehi, which is the local language and according to the locals I’m BARAABARU, excellent! Ha! But I’m only doing basic one to two words, not entire phrases. It sounds Hindi but it isn’t and half the time it sounds like they’re just chattering nonsense. LoL. So it keeps work fun when they teach me because they get so entertained! And I get to pick up a piece of local culture.
Okay, now I’m sorry I’m such a mess in the head, especially when it’s after work my mind’s just everywhere and not organised, which is why this blog’s supposed to help. ☺
We were told we were supposed to meet him, but guess what, we were going to HAVE TEA in BARAABARU RESTAURANT (Yes if you’re sharp enough Baraabaru means Excellent in Dhivehi) with him!
The view.. The view is absolutely breathtaking, amazing, gorgeous, and stunning so take my word for it, beautiful girl or that view, that view, ANYTIME! Can you imagine a restaurant with no walls and ‘wallpaper’ of the horizon, greenery, and different shades of cascading blue! I have pictures which I will post up soon I hope, the Internet here’s not working so well and I should be lucky to get this up.
It was my first time in a guest area and I understand why Four Seasons cost. Another note, that Four Seasons Kuda Huraa was previously Concorde Hotel, bought over by Four Seasons and HPL Singapore, and only after the tsunami, did it look like a Four Seasons product. In a matter of one and a half year we were up and running again and winning accolades in Gallivanter’s and Conde Nast as best resort and the likes of it.
Oh and I finally met Abdul Rahim, who’s our Director of HR. So we had beautiful Belgian truffles, cookies, gula (fishball looking curry puff with tuna in there) and tuna sandwiches. Really, excessive tuna I tell you. Also on the menu were Earl Grey, English Breakfast and coffee.
So we were introduced very quickly and we settled in very nicely with the beautiful ambience and wonderful refreshments. Tom quickly asked us what were our reasons for choosing the Maldives and Four Seasons and we gladly told him.
To be real honest, I didn’t know what to expect and it is really better than what I could imagine. I didn’t expect air-conditioned rooms with dressing area, shower and toilet. I did not imagine diving for FREE and learning diving at US$35 when I freaking paid SG$500 in Tioman, I did not imagine that I will be doing my advance open water here for like what US$75? I did not imagine we will be able to do Four Seasons spa from US$50 for an hour’s massage, I did not imagine free water sports.
OUT OF THE WORLD ISN’T IT? I’m seriously contemplating coming back for a year.
Okay now a crazy Victoria just came in hopping up and down distracting me from the blog..
Monday, October 22, 2007
Never look at Laundry the same again
Monday
22 October 2007
18:09 hours
Four Seasons Resort Maldives
I’m sitting in the staff cyber cafe right now and pondering about the day’s event. I haven’t sat down in the last eight hours and right now I can’t think straight when only hours ago I had so much to say about the day’s event.
I turned in real early last night, probably at about eight p.m. the night before and woke up in the middle of the night at about two a.m. and forced myself to go back to bed and before I knew it, it was about 07:30 hours and I decided enough sleep, get your ass out of bed and do some strength exercises.
It’s been a while that my body has been going through inactivity, needs a lot of discipline to keep your body in shape when you’re working full-time in the industry but I’m quite sure it’ll be easy to since the gym’s at my doorstep right now. I decided against working out as my hamstrings were still killing me and I finally worked out why they are, I played basketball like I used to when I haven’t in two years. Dumb.
And I had to read about how inactivity affects your daily tasks:
“European researchers studied the effects of five weeks of bed rest on muscle size and functional strength in 10 healthy males. What they found was that the inactivity decreased muscle strength by 20 percent, reduced muscle size in the lower body by up
to 12 percent, and even decreased bone density by 2 percent.
So if you are tempted to "take it easy" because you have a problem with your knees, you have to start exercising as soon as you can or face severe consequences, such as weaker bones and, eventually, the inability to do normal daily tasks.”
So people, move your asses!
After a light breakfast, I went back to the cyber café and watched some anime. It was about 09:30 hours and I went to the uniform area to draw my uniform and went back for a shower.
Out of the blue, Marion, our Asst Learning Manager, knocked on my door and said that Chee Mung, Executive Housekeeper, said for us to be there at 09:00 hours! I quickly sprayed on some sunscreen and went to get Melanie. Martin, Front Office Manager and Asst Exec Housekeeper sent me to the Laundry, which was where I was due to start my first week.
I met Ayaz, Asst Laundry Manager, and he introduced me to my colleagues. I was to be attached to Nazmeem for the day. I started off folding hand towels, then face towels, then body towels, and just towels and more towels.
It sounds mundane but quickly you learn how an ordinary sounding department like Laundry is a worthy profession.
From a short chat with Ayaz, you learn that with only 10 staff (one resigned recently and one was terminated), they are responsible for all the linens in the villas on the resort, providing clean towels of all sizes for guests, staff uniforms, restaurant linens, our neighbouring spa island linens and towels, public area linens such as pillow cases, staff beds and linens, anything that you can possibly wash on the island and not only washing but delivering ON TIME!
And for Ayaz, he’s responsible of managing all his staff as well. Now that’s a challenge and we stand 10 hours a day each shift.
I was folding towels forever it seemed and not only folding, we had to dispose of those that did not meet standards, stains the size of Singapore on the map do not make the cut either. I also got to work with industrial irons that were huge and looked like a pasta maker, you just insert linens and it rolls them out neatly ironed.
Working at a F&B and working with napkins and table cloths also helped me today in the Laundry, I understand how annoying it is to dispose of napkins when you expect the laundering company to do a good job. So as tired as I was, as hot as it was, oh yes, I forgot that the temperatures in there could match a decent sauna.
Since forever, they were working with conventional fans installed and only recently installed six huge air-conditioners that will be in operation starting November. Can you imagine how hard these people work here? I am humbled working with them. If they were to go on strike, you can only imagine what the resort will look and feel like without the assistance of these ten dedicated staff.
I think I’m gonna end here today, Sarah and Jean just dropped by to call me for dinner.
Tomorrow my day will start at 09:00 hours and end at 19:00 hours. If I learn anything new, I’d put it up. ☺
*P.S. I'm definitely folding my linens and towels FS style now. :p
22 October 2007
18:09 hours
Four Seasons Resort Maldives
I’m sitting in the staff cyber cafe right now and pondering about the day’s event. I haven’t sat down in the last eight hours and right now I can’t think straight when only hours ago I had so much to say about the day’s event.
I turned in real early last night, probably at about eight p.m. the night before and woke up in the middle of the night at about two a.m. and forced myself to go back to bed and before I knew it, it was about 07:30 hours and I decided enough sleep, get your ass out of bed and do some strength exercises.
It’s been a while that my body has been going through inactivity, needs a lot of discipline to keep your body in shape when you’re working full-time in the industry but I’m quite sure it’ll be easy to since the gym’s at my doorstep right now. I decided against working out as my hamstrings were still killing me and I finally worked out why they are, I played basketball like I used to when I haven’t in two years. Dumb.
And I had to read about how inactivity affects your daily tasks:
“European researchers studied the effects of five weeks of bed rest on muscle size and functional strength in 10 healthy males. What they found was that the inactivity decreased muscle strength by 20 percent, reduced muscle size in the lower body by up
to 12 percent, and even decreased bone density by 2 percent.
So if you are tempted to "take it easy" because you have a problem with your knees, you have to start exercising as soon as you can or face severe consequences, such as weaker bones and, eventually, the inability to do normal daily tasks.”
So people, move your asses!
After a light breakfast, I went back to the cyber café and watched some anime. It was about 09:30 hours and I went to the uniform area to draw my uniform and went back for a shower.
Out of the blue, Marion, our Asst Learning Manager, knocked on my door and said that Chee Mung, Executive Housekeeper, said for us to be there at 09:00 hours! I quickly sprayed on some sunscreen and went to get Melanie. Martin, Front Office Manager and Asst Exec Housekeeper sent me to the Laundry, which was where I was due to start my first week.
I met Ayaz, Asst Laundry Manager, and he introduced me to my colleagues. I was to be attached to Nazmeem for the day. I started off folding hand towels, then face towels, then body towels, and just towels and more towels.
It sounds mundane but quickly you learn how an ordinary sounding department like Laundry is a worthy profession.
From a short chat with Ayaz, you learn that with only 10 staff (one resigned recently and one was terminated), they are responsible for all the linens in the villas on the resort, providing clean towels of all sizes for guests, staff uniforms, restaurant linens, our neighbouring spa island linens and towels, public area linens such as pillow cases, staff beds and linens, anything that you can possibly wash on the island and not only washing but delivering ON TIME!
And for Ayaz, he’s responsible of managing all his staff as well. Now that’s a challenge and we stand 10 hours a day each shift.
I was folding towels forever it seemed and not only folding, we had to dispose of those that did not meet standards, stains the size of Singapore on the map do not make the cut either. I also got to work with industrial irons that were huge and looked like a pasta maker, you just insert linens and it rolls them out neatly ironed.
Working at a F&B and working with napkins and table cloths also helped me today in the Laundry, I understand how annoying it is to dispose of napkins when you expect the laundering company to do a good job. So as tired as I was, as hot as it was, oh yes, I forgot that the temperatures in there could match a decent sauna.
Since forever, they were working with conventional fans installed and only recently installed six huge air-conditioners that will be in operation starting November. Can you imagine how hard these people work here? I am humbled working with them. If they were to go on strike, you can only imagine what the resort will look and feel like without the assistance of these ten dedicated staff.
I think I’m gonna end here today, Sarah and Jean just dropped by to call me for dinner.
Tomorrow my day will start at 09:00 hours and end at 19:00 hours. If I learn anything new, I’d put it up. ☺
*P.S. I'm definitely folding my linens and towels FS style now. :p
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)