This just in from Tokyo

Resume/CV explanations why a young pastry chef wants to work for us.

"If I get assign to an unofficial decision, make repeated unceasing effort.
And I want to be a confectioner like the unsung hero behind kitchen. "

Amen sister, unsung hero, too many unsung heroes in this world.

Next time you are at a restaurant or hotel, ask to see the unsung hero pastry chefs. Go ahead and give'm a hug then tell them to head straight to therapy to talk about their lack of selfconfidence.

I have a car and driver...

Ok, really I have a taxi and eager driver who on Monday was waiting at the curb, not for me but just parked there.  Apparently I had taken him one other morning and he remembered me and immediately told me where I needed to go.  He said he would pick me up again same time on Tuesday.  As I came out of my apartment driveway, he was inching the taxi forward to see which apt complex I was exiting, blocking all traffic to get a good look.

Now on Wednesday, he was waiting in the apartment driveway with the door open.  When I got in the car, he called someone who spoke English and we have now set up a weekly payment system on his suggestion.

Now the best part of this thing is that he doesn't speak any English so we will see how that goes when I need to change my time.  He also will be charging me $6.00 a week or $24.00 a month.

I love this country!  And don't you love the colors of the taxis in Bangkok?

How easy is it to vote?

In some countries citizens are not allowed to vote or the elections are so corrupt the votes don't count.  In the US, we can (with the exception of a few counties in FL) and we should, but do we?  

Millions of Americans have died to ensure that everyone has that right to vote for the candidate they best see fit to run the country, levy taxes upon them and somewhat rule the world for the next four years.  I have just faxed my ballot to the Miami-Dade County Clerks office and it could not have been easier.

Step 1.  Look on line for the absentee ballot request form 

Step 2.  Fill in said request form

Step 3.  Fax to your local registrar

Step 4.  Three days later receive an email with your ballot and print it

Step 5.  VOTE

Step 6.  Fax back, it's that easy.

In some countries, Australia for example, it is mandatory for all citizens to vote no matter what.  If you are out of town, vote absentee but it is the law.

It really stops the people the day after the election from bitching about the results when they didn't bother to get their fat asses off the couch and away from Oprah.

Just 13 days to go for you over in the US.  Exercise your right!

A sanitary pad and a toothbrush

We have weekend Manager On Duty shifts (MOD) in the hotel industry.  The MOD is the one that allows all of us managers to have the weekend off and know that if the place burns down we don't have to deal with it.

With the weekend duty, the manager has to spend Saturday night at the hotel and test the standards.  They have to eat in the hotel, perhaps have a spa treatment, make a fake reservation etc.  On the following Thursday afternoon you give a report to the management team of how the standards were met and how the hotel performed.

So not sure if this is a cultural thing or just an age thing but the MOD for last weekend, a middle aged woman who has the nickname "pussy lips" due to the size and redness of her lips, reported to the group, "Called housekeeping for a sanitary pad and toothbrush".  Not a sound in the room.  Not because they were in shock that she actually used her time of the month in her test but I think because it was no big deal, which according to my sex educator father would not be.  Some post comments were even "she still needs that?"

Besides the obvious funny part of this whole thing including a PowerPoint presentation, you could look around the room and see that only four people had a look of shock and amazement on their faces, all male foreigners.

Sanitary pad and toothbrush, it's a natural request at any hotel.

KCRW - NPR Santa Monica

Each day I listen to KCRW in the morning to keep up with the news of the US.  Its the end of the day wrap up show in Los Angeles but for me its the get a coffee and wait for it to kick in type of radio show.

Well, just heard on the radio in order of headlines was:

1.  Los Angeles Magazine's annual sex issue is now on newsstands...

2.  News on Iraq...blah blah blah

Sex sells, even on NPR, that's National Public Radio.   

I love this advert

It's a catchy little tune and just the way the world works.  Not everything is as it seems.

God Bless America

A funny little conversation that was had on a recent Qantas flight from Auckland (that's in New Zealand not Australia - if the Americans in the room are asking).

Flight Attdnt:  "How was your holiday?"

Passenger:  "I loved everything about Australia, fantastic!  But I wanted to bring some souvenirs home for everyone and was about to buy a bunch of calendars with different pictures of Australia every month.  Thank god I realized you guys are a day ahead of us so the calendars would be on the wrong day."

I guess Thursday, October 9 in the eastern hemisphere isn't Thursday in the western hemisphere.  Does that mean I get another day to remember birthdays and anniversaries?

Racism is Everywhere

This sign means that all foreigners must pay 20 Baht but Thai citizens get in free.

Question for the world? How do you respond when you are in the gym spinning and a staff member in a higher position than you refers to you as "the foreigners".

It's hard to really comprehend how you are received in a country where you are living as a guest until something like that slips. You work amongst a very nationalistic group of people, proud of their country and culture, but at the same time resentful of your mere existence.

Needless to say it was thrown back at her without haste but with no apology what so ever. This is the same person who said I needed to work every weekend because I was a foreigner and made more money and had a housing allowance. In a separate conversation she also said I needed to work every weekend because I am the "single" one of the group and everyone else has a family.

Just to put this in perspective, she has two housekeepers, a nanny and a driver.

My Geography is off

When did Minnesota move to Alaska?  I know they are both near the arctic circle but when you listen to people who "hale from them there parts" they seem to sound the same.  Could it be that we have never heard anyone speak from Alaska?  

Check out this NPR interview with David Gurkie who just makes Alaska sound so folksy and easy. "What happens when you see a polar bear?", "Well you just call 911 and let them know."  Oh boy!

HRH Princess Soamsavali

This weekend I was told that HRH Princess Soamsavali was coming to the hotel for dinner and since it was an Official visit and it was part of a 7 day World Gourmet Festival we hold every year and the GM was traveling, I had to have dinner with her.  Short of pulling all my teeth out I couldn't think of anything more painful than sitting down with a princess to watch her eat.

Now Princess Soamsavali is the first ex-wife of the Crown Prince of Thailand and his first cousin, eww!  But besides that she was actually very nice and took an interest in our worlds and shared stories of her life.

Prior to the dinner there were photos to be taken on her royal throne and all the chefs that had come from around the world.  "Remember not to turn your back to her", is what we were also told.  Have you tried to walk backward from someone without falling over yourself, not that easy.  "Make sure your head is lower than hers is at all times", come on, you know how tall I am?  So I see all these other people crawling around the floor at her feet trying to position themselves for the photo and I just couldn't do it.  I was in a suit for gods sake.  Besides did I mention ex-wife of the crown prince?

As it turned out I didn't have dinner with her as I was bumped for someone more important but it was a great experience to see the fluffing and fawning around her while she sat on her thrown watching the people crawl on the floor at her feet.