Day One

January 1, 2010

Isn’t it funny how the things you dread the most sometimes turn out to be the best parts of your day?

This morning was my first full day in housekeeping.  I was dreading it a bit because the last few times I’ve just helped in housekeeping I’ve felt incompetent.  And really who can’t make a bed?  (Me.)  But it was just Jess and me.  She was so patient with me that by the end of the day I felt like I had actually learned how to make a bed well.  I’m starting to get this whole housekeeping thing down.  This makes me feel really good!

The second thing I was dreading today was the wine hosting in the evening.  Actually, I was rejoicing because Chris is finally back from vacation and he can do the hosting now.  The wine hosting is just someone from the hotel giving a glass of wine to each guest who shows up in the lounge at 6 o’clock.  The point is to give the hotel more of a cozy oh-this-hotel-really-cares-about-me feel.  What I think the real point is is to get people from the wine hosting into the restaurant!  But that of course doesn’t always work.  

So I was saying to Maureen at lunchtime how glad I was that I didn’t have to do the hosting tonight because Chris is back.  Then I got to work and Chris said he wasn’t coming back for the hosting because he had friends in town.  I was deflated.

But then when I set up for the hosting people actually showed up and they were the interesting people (as opposed to the annoying or snobby people)!  All my guests were from the States.  Two were a couple from Manhattan on their honeymoon and one guest was from Orlando.  Her husband was out hunting.  We just had a grand time talking about New Zealand and travel in general.  The couple from New York were not conceited or stuck up like most New Yorkers I’ve met are.  I was actually quite surprised that they came because most honeymoon couples skip the hosting.  

Spending time with other Americans put me in such a good mood.  We talked about the snowstorms in New York, traveling in Alaska, visiting Fox Glacier, driving in New Zealand, and cruising in Hawaii.  Something about talking with people from my own country just made me happy.  They were even east coasters!  Back home I almost never get along with guests from the east coast.  But in New Zealand we are all just Americans and we can get along over a glass of wine and travel talk!

So the things I was dreading today turned into my joy makers!  Yay for the first day of 2011 being such a good day!