When I walk out of my hotel room it’s a mix of strong and cheap air freshener/ fabric softener, diesel fuel and curry. The hotel lobby smells like too much cold air and old lady perfume. When you step outside, well it really depends on what side of the hotel you are on. If it’s the front of the hotel, it smells like wet air with wiffs of fertilizer. The back of the hotel smells like chlorine. My most favorite area of the hotel is the elevator. It doesn’t smell like anything. There’s about a 15 degree difference in the elevator since there’s no AC in there but I love it. It smells like nothing. I rode the elevator up and down a few times just to enjoy the neutrality of the smell, but since there are only 7 floors, you can imagine it wasn’t a very long ride. The main dining room of the buffet restaurant smells like slight mixture of ammonia and mildew.
Our commute is about 45 minute to an hour to work. There’s one toll bridge and when the driver opens the window it smells like 1985 perm. Remember that perm smell? Those chemical toxic perm concoctions we ladies used to put in our hair to make it curly. Well not me, I have curly hair but jeeezz do I remember that smell like it was yesterday. And I’m not talking about a slight hint of perm, I’m talking about having a wet head of hair with perm toxins sitting in it and you putting the tip of your nose right up the hair and taking a big ole sniff. Oh my oh my oh my. Then we just have to sit here and suck in those toxic fumes. I have no idea what it is but your internal survival instinct tell you that smell is “no bueno!”
There’s a 4 kilometer track just a block away from the hotel. But the security guard has to open this ginormous rod iron gate to let you out. Then when you’re done from running you have to find another security guard to let you back in. The conversation between the security guard who let back onto the hotel grounds:
SG: you American?
Me: Yup
SG: You American beautiful woman? (in a form of a question)
Me: I guess so SG: What’s your room number?
Me: wtf? Get away from me.
Now if I was in the US I would be all up in the hotel managers’ face filing a complaint and for sure getting something for free. But what am I supposed to do here? Get this guy fired? Why the hell does he want my room number. Are you gonna bring me fresh towels? I’m pretty sure he would be fired. They don’t f around over here.
I just killed a mosquito the size of a horsefly. I’m not exaggerating I stared at the sucker for about 15 seconds before I wiped it off the glass wall with the restaurant place mat. I’m itchy all over now. It’s 7am. I’ve been up for about 3 hours. I have to go to work at 9am tonight. I want to drink coffee so badly right now but I’m afraid it will mess up my stomach. Here’s my plan: Stay up until noon. Take a Lunesta, go to bed and wake up at 7:30pm. Have dinner and go to work. I’ll get back at 8am ish. Then what? Go to bed? Zzzzzzzzzzz
Here are the things I’ve have realized I can do without since I’ve been here. My smart phone, Earrings, facebook, make up, booze and $6 cigarettes.
Here are the things I miss: Driving to work in the AM, Yoga, oatmeal, plain tomatoes, checking my email every 10 minutes, tap water, chicken breasts, my boyfriend ,big garden salads, solid bowel movements, smell of fresh air in the morning and my friends.
I have to say I’ve been a little sad and lonely the past couple of days. Between not sleeping right, not eating right, being afraid that if I fart I’ll shit my pants and missing home, it hasn’t been the best trip. It’s not supposed to a vacation or anything, it is what it is. Also we’re not really enjoying the country. We’re working nights and sleeping during the day. We’re the working class, not tourists. There really is no downtime, the way downtime should be. For me downtime is coming home from a stressful day at work and working out and coming home feeling soothed and relaxed. Maybe a hot shower and a cold glass of wine in front of the television. Then looking forward to one of those friggin delish Puertorican meals I cook. Here we’re getting home when everyone is waking up. I can’t have a drink at 9am before breakfast. Thinking and writing about being sad and lonely is making me more sad and lonely. It’s kind of that sad feeling that goes along with a really bad hangover. It’s not true sadness, it’s just your mind and body playing tricks on you. The good news is that I’ve been here for 1 week and it feels like 2. The better news is that I’m here for 2 more weeks. It’ll feel like spring by the time I get home.
We went to the 4 star restaurant in the hotel in Manila. 4 stars my ASS! Let’s talk about customer service again. These people are sweet as pie but just because they are nice doesn’t mean they deliver what they should. It doesn’t matter what kind of restaurant it is, they don’t clear your plates, they don’t refill your drink or ask if everything is OK. This has been our experience at the TGI Friday’s, the airport restaurant, the breakfast restaurants or the 4 star restaurant, Red, inside the Shang Ri La. I ordered a glass of white wine. 7 minutes later my glass was still empty. I’m getting irritated and again if I was in the US I would already be complaining to someone, I’m thirsty dammit!!!! 7 minutes is a long time to be waiting for overpriced cheap wine. Finally she comes over and starts to pour wine in my glass. At this point I’m salivating as I watch the liquid fill the glass then all of a sudden she gasps. I’m like Wtf? I get scared and I gasp. She looks at the glass and says “so sorry sorry maam” in her cute Philippino accent. I’m thinking there’s a lizard in my glass or some kind of live insect or some shi!. She grabs the glass and points to a drop of water on the upper inside of the glass. I’m not kidding, a DROP of water. I say “ what are you talking about? That drop of water?” she says “so sorry maam, yes maam, I get you other wine” My hand starts to reach for the glass while I say “don’t worry about it, it’s a drop of water, my hand almost touches the glass and she snaps it away. “no maam, no maam” now I’m irritated. I want that wine, and I want it now, I don’t care. I’ve been sniffing toxic fumes for 3 days, I want my wine!!! She puts the glass on the table to adjust her grip on the wine bottle and I go for the wine glass, I grab it and she grabs it and here I am in a playing tug of war with a glass of white wine. My co-worker says “give her the f’in glass” the waitress is almost in tears as she says “please maam, my boss, please, the boss may see”. Holy crap? I reluctantly let go of the that godforsaken glass of cheap wine. It took her another 7 minutes to bring me another glass.
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