Home Sweet Home... before the storm...

Long Past due Photos

My temporary home for a month - Doubletree Monrovia

After 4 weeks the room does get a "lived in" look.

Room with a view?

You know you've stayed too long when...

the restaurant staff have your morning cup of tea waiting at your "regular" table for you every morning. When you start referring to a hotel as home... you are in such a routine that something different throws you off balance. So I'd been at the hotel for about 3 weeks. My routine was pretty boring during the week: go to work, come back to the hotel, pull the "desk" over the bed, set up the computer on one side, have my dinner (usually a sandwich or salad) on the other side, change into casual clothes and have TV on... you know settle in and get comfy. So I'm all set up when I get a knock on the door. So I get up to answer and there is a housekeeping staff there and she asks if she can come in and turn down the bed. Huh? Was all I could think (okay... so my intelligence level drops significantly once I leave work). In three weeks I've never had anyone offer to turn down the bed and besides I was all "situated" for the night... why do I want someone coming in and folding back the covers on the bed. So I was really struggling with the whole concept and I have to admit I was giving her a hard time. You know... "I don't understand, I've been here 3 weeks and this has never happened before." (in my mind I was thinking somehow this is going to cost me). The poor women didn't know how to respond - she just stood there with two bottles of water and kept trying to get past me. Finally a coworker came over and said "This was a new service that was being offered to improve client experience at the hotel and it was free of charge". Free is good... (my brain did register that much) so I took the two bottles of water and the "thank you card" (she didn't know what to do with it and seeing as how I gave here such a hard time I took it) and passed on the turn down. So it all came together two days later when I checked my visa statement and saw that they put through charges for my stay to date even though I hadn't checked out. I had reached a new level on the Hilton Honors reward points system and with that came the turn down service and bottled water. Not sure why they didn't say so in the first place... I was going to try and upload photos but the connection at McDonald's I guess isn't that great. So you'll have to wait.

In a different world?

I don't know if any of you ever encounter this situation but I do often ... especially if I don't plan ahead. I get to this point where all of a sudden I just can't stand my hair anymore and I need a haircut. I mean I need a haircut NOW! It can't possibly wait one minute longer. As I've just moved I don't have a regular hairdresser or even a "regular" salon. The area where I've been staying is really close to this small shopping complex with a grocery store, craft store (can anyone guess why I was there?), Burlington coat factory and a few other shops. There was also a hair salon which was perfect as I had to get my haircut right that minute. My first clue that this was going to be something to write about should have been the sign - while in English there was also a second sign in Chinese. But pretty much every shop that's not a chain store in this neighbourhood has Chinese signage so I didn't think much of it. So I walk in... and everyone the shop stops what they are doing ... and there is silence... absolute silence. Okay.... well I'm here anyways so I charge right ahead. "Do you have any openings for a haircut?" Still silence and finally one lady speaks up. "Yes, sure. Come in and sit down". So I sit down and wait for a bit ... Finally the same lady says it will be 20 minutes and hands me a stack of hairstyle magazines. I'm to pick one that I want... okay... I can do that. "Oh, yes", she says "he doesn't speak English, so picture important." Okay... English isn't necessary for a good haircut... this should be very interesting. All I could think is "What have I gotten myself into... and how bad could it be". Once I picked out a style, I got a fantastic head massage as the lady washed my hair. While she was washing my hair she was trying to assure me that he (Peter) gets many English speaking clients. Maybe she sensed my uneasiness? Time for the cut... I don't think I've ever had a silent hair cut before. It was very different experience... not unpleasant, just different. The hair cut was really good so all's well that ends well... and as I'm just about to leave I get a subtle reminder that I am indeed getting older "oh yes... next time we color your hair to get rid of grey".

It's an internet party!

I'm finally official... I got my SSN yesterday ... still no card but at least I have a number. Next hurdle... driver's license.

limited access

I've moved into my apartment as of Saturday and my stuff arrived today. Good timing, heh? Currently have no phone or Internet access except through work, I'm actually posting this from a nearby McDonald's. Won't have access until late next week. Bear with me and I'll catch up on posting next weekend. PS still no SSN... Which is where I'm headed next.