Yakka Down Under

IMG_2981

Finally, the day arrived when Jenni and I would be able to start working with School Industry Partnerships. Our first activity was a site visit to Mother Teresa Primary in Westmead. Jeannette picked us up bright and early and drove us through the city and out to the school.

IMG_2984

The school was pristine. That’s probably because they have banned rubbish bins. Everyone had to take their own rubbish home each night. The result is that most people pack their lunches in Tupperware containers and then pack their waste in it to carry it home. The kids were adorable and all of them work cute little floppy hats. Jeanette told us that was because of an ongoing effort to prevent kids from getting skin cancer and they were required to wear their hats until they left primary school.

IMG_2995

Jeannette had to leave us there and John picked us up for the drive to the office in Penrith. We met Ian and had a quick lunch at a local Thai place before we went to visit Jamison High School.

IMG_3018

It was really interesting how similar the Australian high schools are to the ones in the states! We had a quick talk with the principal before the assistant principal led us on a tour of the campus.

IMG_3026

Jenni decided to add another activity to our next day’s presentation which would involve a multidimensional art project, so on our way back to Sydney, Cheryl stopped at a local dollar store. And by dollar store, I mean a store where things are less expensive than most stores but still more expensive than the states! We stocked up on pipe cleaners, glitter, glue, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes.

IMG_3057

The drive back took a while so Cheryl passed on dinner and Jenni and I went up to our luxurious suite and ordered in pizza, one with cheese, one no cheese. We are international business consultants, it’s what we do.

IMG_3047

Posted in Getting Around, Life Story | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jet Lag? I Don’t Think it Exists

Jenni and I had arrived in Australia at 6:30 am after an exhaustive flight. Well, some of us were exhausted. That would be those of us who flew 21 hours crammed into steerage. The rest of us had enjoyed a 17 hour flight being coddled by fawning flight attendants in the lap of luxury. Suffice it to say we were both tired. But that wouldn’t stop us from squeezing every bit of joy possible from our first international consulting gig.

One of my favorite professional roles is moderating the weekly #ptchat each Wednesday. I haven’t had a chance to meet many other moderators, in spite of the fact that most of them are only a couple of hours from me in the Northeast. My all time favorite co-moderator is Jeannette James, who also hosts the #ozptchat each week at 6:30 am EST (join it if you can, thank me later). I was shocked to learn Jeannette was part of the group that organized our trip to Australia and would be joining us in Sydney. Even better, Jeannette invited me to guest star in her #ozptchat. Jeannette offered to pick us up and take us to dinner, and had arranged for us to meet at a local pub to participate in the live chat.

When she arrived, Jenni and I met her in our hotel lobby. She told us we had to move quickly in order to see the bridge in the proper light. We hustled up the street to catch a taxi and quickly flagged one down. We squeezed in the back seat. Our taxi driver was not impressed when Jenni put her feet on his center console and he told her to move her feet really angrily. I don’t think we were his favorite fare! We jumped out and hustled over to the opera bar just before sunset.

IMG_2918

We sat at a table with the city skyline on one side and the opera house on the other.

IMG_2931

The glorious sunset meant the view was constantly changing.

IMG_2937

We ordered some snacks and Jeannette and I got some bubbles (champagne).

IMG_2940

The best part was the Salt & Pepper Calamari.

10514693_688716061200672_602249932709288533_n

The view was incredible and the dozens of seagulls who joined us clearly thought so too!

IMG_2951

IMG_2956

Everyone walking past was in awe of the brilliant sky and many stopped to record the moment with a selfie.

IMG_2948

As the sun sank…

IMG_2933

we finished up and caught another cab to the Cargo Bar for our live #ptozchat.

10540372_688715984534013_6143664741686537650_n

The Cargo Bar is a hip venue in the heart of Darling Harbor. Originally we had hoped to have a Tweet up and meet other Tweeters for dinner before the chat. Sadly, life and Education Week got in the way, so instead we snagged a table on the patio overlooking the water with a lovely view of the casino. Jeannette gave Jenni a few Twitter tips

IMG_2977

When the #ozptchat began, Jeannette cranked up her stacks of technology and Jenni hopped on her iPad and iPhone.

IMG_2971

I tried to keep up!

Screen Shot 2014-07-30 at 7.22.29 AM

After a wildly successful and super fun chat, Jenni and I packed up and walked back to our lovely apartment. Our first day in Sydney was even more magical than we’d anticipated given our amazing new friends and total lack of jet lag #winning!

 

 

Posted in Getting Around, Life Story | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Why No Pie Shops, America?

Once our flight arrived in Sydney, Jenni and I met up just outside the gate. My global entry status allowed me to skip through the Smart Gate, which was super easy, although Jenni went through the traditional line and it didn’t take her much longer. We collected our bags and headed to customs. I got sent to the inspection line while Jenni breezed right through. They lined me up in a big row of disgruntled travelers and paraded a dog past. Apparently, Australia is very strict on not allowing any sort of food into their country. I guess Quest Bars don’t count as food because they dog skipped right by and they let me right on through.

When I left the customs area, I found Jenni and she’d already met our hosts, Ian and Cheryl. It was probably easy for her since they had a sign.

IMG_2860

The freeway was closed so Cheryl drove us through the city to our hotel. While it took a little longer, it was totally fantastic to see so much of the city. Besides, we’d arrived at 6:30 am and check in time at the hotel was 2:00.

At the hotel, we checked most of our bags (I kept my computer bag so I could plug in and charge). Ian gave us SIM cards and installed them into our phones. That worked great for Jenni, but I had mistakenly assumed T Mobile would have service so I’d be able to text and use data and wouldn’t need to jailbreak my phone. Hahahahaha! Wrong. Fortunately, Ian also gave us a portable hotspot, which is how I’m able to communicate with you at all.

Ian headed back for a meeting and Cheryl graciously offered to walk with us to find a local tea shop where we could have some tea and charge my laptop. I lumbered along dragging my heavy bag. We walked past St Andrews, a beautiful church in the heart of the city.

IMG_3048

The city hall was also a lovely building.

IMG_2863

Our favorite building was the Queen Victoria Building.

IMG_2866

Inside is a high-end shopping plaza with lots of little coffee bars and boutiques. We didn’t see a tea shop right away so Cheryl patiently led us through corridor after corridor so we could admire the amazing stained glass windows and antique clocks.

IMG_2870

We emerged on a city street near a phone store so I popped in to inquire about jail breaking my phone (can’t do it) and T Mobile service (not in Australia). We gave up and continued our hunt for a tea shop. Finally, on the last level of the Queen Victoria Building, we found High Tea, a cute little tea shop tucked away in the upper corner. Cheryl and I split a tray of finger sandwiches (yummy) and I had a pot of earl gray tea.

IMG_2875

Jenni and Cheryl shared a pot of French Vanilla tea and Jenni had some thick toast with fresh strawberry jam.

IMG_2873

Cheryl even pointed out an outlet (which I would not have recognized) and got permission for me to use it. After our tea break, we wandered through the shops for a bit. I found a tulle skirt EXACTLY like the one I plan to wear to the Bammy Awards. I would have bought it here, but at $250 I decided I really do need to make one myself! Our room still wasn’t ready so Cheryl found Pie Face. I had the classic pie and Cheryl opted for beef and mushroom. All I can say about the pie is I am a big fan. Seriously, why don’t we have pie shops in the states?

IMG_2887

Afterwards we stopped at Woolworths so Jenni could pick up her breakfast and I got a package of TimTams.

IMG_2901

Sharlene had asked me to bring some back so I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I can totally see what all the hype is about. Why don’t we have Tim Tams in the states?

IMG_2902

Jenni and I got into our room. They reserved a two bedroom apartment for us. Jenni went into one room, spotted the TV mounted on the wall, and declared that room hers. I was in the other bedroom, standing next to one of the two doors to the balcony, staring at the tv mounted on my wall and said, OK.

IMG_2891

There’s a lovely view of the city from my bed. Unfortunately Jenni’s windows are painted white since just outside her windows is a brick wall.

IMG_2890

We had just enough time to shower and change before Jeannette would arrive to whisk us away to a fabulous dinner and a live Twitter party. Wish you were here!

Posted in Getting Around, Life Story | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How I Got to the Other Side of the World

Generally I’m a big fan of air transportation, but 21 hours of flying time is a lot, even for me! I left DC on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Once I arrived at the airport, I learned there’s a visa required to enter Australia. Fortunately, I always go to the airport way too early and I had time to whip out my computer, fire it up, navigate to the state department website, purchase one and still have time to catch a ride to the gate.

IMG_2830
Catch a ride, you say? Sadly, I sprained my ankle four weeks ago and I’ve got another two weeks in my splint. I’d arranged for wheelchair assistance from gate to gate because even though I’ve been off the crutches for two weeks, I have a big ugly splint on my leg and am still limping around like a drunken sailor on shore leave. Delta makes it very easy to sign up for wheelchair assistance, and the people pushing them seem really nice, though they tend to roll you to your gate and abandon you. 

First flight was from DC to Salt Lake City. I used my time to research things to do in OZ and finished up my itinerary. The next flight was from SLC to Los Angeles. Luckily I was upgraded to first class and could finally stretch out and breathe. Also, we took off right at sunset and the views of the lake were stunning.

IMG_2846
As we approached LAX, Jen texted to let me know she was at the gate waiting for me. Unfortunately, the pilot overshot the gate and they couldn’t line up the jetway. That resulted in a serious delay while they tried to line it up.. Eventually they gave up and made everyone sit down so the pilot could back it up. Meanwhile, the gate agents told Jen to go on to the next gate since it was already boarding. When I got off the plane, Jenni had already discovered she was able to use her global upgrade certificate. By the time I arrived, she was firmly ensconced in her bulkhead flat bed seat.

10582761_10203631141292481_164089273884808145_o

Since people like me aren’t allowed to enter her area, I had to text her my seat number to let her know I’d arrived. She popped back to tell me and my seat mates how nice it was up front. Of course we were all delighted for her….

IMG_2850
I’d heard the best way to avoid jet lag after the 15 hour flight was to stay awake as long as possible and then try to sleep for 6 or 7 hours before you land. When I boarded it was 1:30 am EST. I watched Bad Words (2 thumbs up, loved it). And enjoyed the rubbery chicken before the Benedryl and Bloody Mary kicked in.

IMG_2853
I slept a solid 5 hours before the lights came on so they could serve us some mediocre snack. I couldn’t help but notice there were no lights up in the business class which probably explains how Jenni got 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep. I tried to shift my position and rotate my ankle without waking either of my seat mates and was able to doze off for 10 or 15 minute periods before I’d jerk awake with a random cramp or ache for the remainder of the flight.

Jenni came back to check on me after her long sleep. My seat mates and I were so happy to see how well rested she was. She didn’t stay long as her kind isn’t allowed to mingle with my class much. Thankfully it didn’t take much longer to reach our final destination, the beautiful Sydney, Australia. Wish you were here!

IMG_2857

Posted in Getting Around, Life Story | Leave a comment

Two Weeks in the Life of International Business Consultants

Screen Shot 2014-07-28 at 4.08.47 PM

Screen Shot 2014-07-28 at 4.09.08 PM

Screen Shot 2014-07-28 at 4.09.34 PM

Posted in Getting Around, Life Story | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Goodbye Happy Time, I Sure Will Miss You

Our final day in Punta Cana filled me with sadness. I sat on the patio to finish up a bit of work and soak up the final few hours of tropical heaven.

IMG_1518

A view of the wedding gazebo from my patio

Jenni, Hudson and I met for a delicious breakfast at the Gabi restaurant. Hudson had a waffle as big as his head.

IMG_1521

A waffle bigger than Hudson’s head and drenched with syrup and chocolate

 

Jenni had the Jenni special.

IMG_1519

The Jenni Special: peanut butter, bagel, banana, Diet Coke

I had a mimosa and coffee.

IMG_1523

Breakfast of champions!

We headed back to our rooms and said goodbye to some friends along the way.

IMG_1539

Peacocks are loud!

They picked up our bags and escorted us to the VIP lounge to check out. Pablo, the super helpful concierge who’d taken care of us during out entire stay, arranged for a taxi and wheeled our bags out front.

IMG_1559

Pablo sees us off

We said goodbye to our VIP status…

IMG_1530

Fancy VIP Bracelets

The taxi hadn’t arrived yet, so I snapped a few last-minute shots of paradise.

IMG_1565

The entrance to paradise.

Jenni and I began making plans for our next holiday together.

IMG_1571

Plotting our winter holiday in the Alps.

When the taxi arrived, he made good time to the airport, which is about 20 minutes from our resort. I was surprised that there was a whole other wing to the palapa. It’s actually the biggest palapa I’ve ever seen! Still not sure how they manage security without a lot of actual walls, but it works for them! The food court is next to a patio area that overlooks the runway. We had a quick lunch.

IMG_1609

Why no lobster tails at the airport, Punta Cana?

There was a lot of confusion when it was time to board the plane. There were two different areas with gates, but each area was a part of a much larger room. Apparently all of the gates used the same sound system because we couldn’t understand a word they were saying and the gate agents often talked over themselves. We finally decided to go ahead and line up, but so had everyone else and I’m pretty sure we missed the Sky Zone boarding. In fact, we appeared to be stuck in a crowd of Zone 3 boarders!

IMG_1592

Clearly I should have paid more attention in Seniorita Cooper’s clase!

After we all lined up they opened a door and we shuffled out. There were large palm awnings set up so we wouldn’t be standing around in the sun, and a trio of musicians were playing some lively songs. One of them appeared to be playing a flour shifter, but I could be mistaken about that.

IMG_1626

Live music at your gate so you don’t even notice you are standing 5 feet from the runway in the hot tropical sun!

They herded us over across the runway and out to the plane.

IMG_1630

Tropical boarding

And we were off!

IMG_1639

Punta Cana to Atlanta

The first half of the trip was no problem. I even breezed through customs and back through security in under 5 minutes (thanks Global Entry)! That’s when things began to fall apart!

The flight to Baltimore was delayed when the incoming flight got in late. After a nightmarish boarding process where literally 20 people were stuck in the aisles with their roller board bags that wouldn’t fit, the plane left the gate and headed out to the runway.

It inched it’s way out there and I think we all noticed that something sounded off. After we got to the runway we sat there for thirty minutes while other planes went around us and took off. At first I thought, wow my pilot sure is nice to let those other planes go! Then he told us we had an engine that wasn’t working and he felt that was pretty important so he was going to go ask maintenance about it. We turned around and chugged slowly over to another area of the airport.

The maintenance guys there couldn’t fix it so they decided to take us back to the gate and get us a new plane. Thankfully one pulled up not long after we got off. When we boarded the new plane I overheard the flight attendant say we were waiting on new pilots. Apparently they are the only ones who know how to crank the engine, because they couldn’t start it up so the air conditioning wasn’t working and it was getting really hot!

Right before the pilots arrived, one of the flight attendants came back to my row and asked me to get my things and follow him. I panicked at first because I thought they were going to bump me and it was already getting late! But no, they wanted to rescue me! It seems some of the first class passengers hadn’t wanted to fly on a plane that was replacing another plane and I was upgraded! Winning!

Unfortunately, just because I moved up and the pilots arrived, it didn’t mean we were ready to go. Apparently catering was late. We waited around another thirty minutes and then the pilots gave up and announced we were leaving anyhow and sorry but we wouldn’t have drinks. After a three-hour delay, I don’t think anyone minded! And, because I was up in first, we got the leftovers from the last flight so I wasn’t at all thirsty!

By the time I landed, caught the shuttle to my car, drove back to Virginia, and staggered up the stairs it was nearly 2 am. Still totally worth it…

 

Posted in Getting Around, Life Story | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Delicate Balance Between Work and Play

Jenni and I did have a little work to accomplish while we were together and though we tried to work on the beach, we hadn’t gotten a lot done! We decided to meet in my room. We were making great progress until a surprise visitor crashed the party by hopping over my patio wall.

IMG_1434

Surprise visitor

Do you have any idea how loud peacocks are? Wow.

IMG_1445

Peacocks scream. Loud.

When we finished we spent a little time at the pool…

IMG_1482

Pool side refreshment

and then Jenni took Hudson over to the Adventure Park.

IMG_1483

Hudson on the high wire

Afterwards we all headed back to the beach.

IMG_1489

The beach at Punta Cana

We walked back to the tropical side so Jenni could pay for the ride on the inner tubes yesterday and I discovered more Dominican art. Again, so much more positive than that creepy art in Prague! Plus these statues are dancing on a beach!

IMG_1490

Tropical statues

My favorite part of this vacation has been lying on the beach under the giant tiki umbrellas watching the ships roll by.

IMG_1493

Ships and parachutes glide by

When Jenni and Hudson headed back to the adventure park, I wandered back to the VIP pool. I snagged a tiki bed near the bar and lounged.

IMG_1532

Tiki beds

We had reservations that night for the Thai restaurant. Hudson decided to ditch us and go to the Gabi for a quick bite before he went to the arcade. We were a little early for our reservation, so Pablo, our incredibly helpful concierge made arrangements for Jenni and I to have a carriage ride. He said it was Mother’s Day in the Dominican Republic and it was his way of honoring us! Sadly, the carriage was tied up at a wedding but it would pick us up after dinner for a late night ride around the property.

IMG_1514

Thai food in the Dominican Republic, unexpectedly delicious!

The Thai restaurant was packed. We were seated between two lovely American couples and since the service was very laid back, we all had a bit of time to chat! I had hot and spicy shrimp with cashews, Jenni had shrimp pad Thai. Mine was delicious. Jenni was less impressed.

We headed out and Frankie whisked us away in his horse-drawn carriage for a late night ride around the property.

IMG_1513

More fun Dominican statuary

Wish you were here!

 

 

 

 

Posted in Getting Around, Life Story | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Paradise Found

Since Jenni and Hudson aren’t early risers, I decided to order The Dominican Breakfast from room service and catch up on some of my schoolwork. Turns out The Dominican was enough food to feed a large family!

IMG_1307

The Dominican Breakfast

The Dominican included bacon, which I found too salty, a sausage, fried banana, ham and cheese omelette, a plate full of fresh tropical fruits, and a basket with assorted rolls and pastry. The omelette and the fresh fruit were the best parts, but I tried a bit of everything.

IMG_1308

Tropical fruit in the tropics.

When Jenni got up I went with her to the Gabi restaurant where she had her usual, peanut butter (with toast since they didn’t have bagels) a banana and a coke light.

IMG_1311

Jenni can’t escape the Coke Light

We walked over to the VIP lounge to find out how to get to Bingo and Hudson finally got up, grabbed a plate of food and joined us.

Bingo was on the beach. There were about 20 of us playing. They handed us toothpicks and small strips of paper with three rows of random numbers from 1 to 99. We sat on a beach chair under a palm tree and when they called a number we had, we punched a hole in the paper with the toothpicks. The first person to get an entire row called out Bingo and got a free t-shirt. The next person had to get two rows and they also got a t-shirt. The final round involved getting all of your numbers in all three rows. Things were getting tense when the Bingo caller announced that he was out of numbers. Turns out the numbers on the cards went as high as 99, but they only had balls as high as 75. When it looked like the remaining players might riot, I made my escape and ducked into the beachside souvenir shop.

IMG_1320

Beach Bingo

Hudson discovered that the tropical beach side pool had an inflatable climbing wall, so his afternoon plans were set. I caught a train back to my room to pick up some cash for a little souvenir shopping and Jenni planted herself on the beach with a good book.

IMG_1385

Enjoying a train ride

By the time I made it back, it was lunch time. There was a lunch buffet right next to the water, so we went there. From our table we could see the local JC Pennys and they were doing a brisk trade!

IMG_1333

Punta Cana JC Pennys

After lunch, Jenni and Hudson decided to go inner tubing. This wasn’t included in the all-inclusive rate and none of us had any cash. They told Jen she could just ride then and pay later so her and Hudson hopped on the Great Big Mabel and took off. I snapped a few pictures and then headed off to find a lounge chair under an umbrella.

IMG_1345

Jenni and Hudson mounting the Great Big inner tube

Few things are more relaxing than lounging on the beach listening to the wind rustle the palms while watching the pirate ships sail by off shore…

IMG_1359

Pirate ships

When they returned, thankfully in one piece, we caught the train back to our rooms to spend a little time in the VIP pool.

IMG_1390

The view from the caboose

The train took the long way, past the flamingos and all the way around the property.

IMG_1292

Tropical Wildlife

Hudson and I jumped in the pool. I was in it for the pool bar…

IMG_1416

Tropical drinks. In the tropics!

Hudson was in it to ride the inflatable alligator.

IMG_1454

Hudson wrestles alligator

Everyone was a winner. When we tired of the fun, we went back to the Gabi for dinner. Once again, the grilled lobster tail was amazing and totally justified the upgrade!

IMG_1422

What’s left of the grilled lobster

We caught a golf cart over to the Arcade and finished up our evening with a few rounds of pool.

IMG_1427

Pool hall

Hard to imagine how we’ll top today tomorrow!

Posted in Getting Around, Life Story | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Welcome to Paradise

IMG_1211

As soon as we completed the check in process, our wonderful host Pablo carried our bags to our rooms. He pointed out all of the features, like the full room service menu and the handy mini bar that was not only fully stocked with beer, diet coke, and apple juice, but also had a pretty nice selection of snacks like peanuts and plantain chips!

IMG_1213

We put on our bikinis and headed out to the beach. The worst part about staying farthest from the swamp is that we are also farthest from the beach. Given the diseases the local mosquitos are carrying, none of us minded the distance. It was easy to hop on the little train and ride all the way down there!

IMG_1214

And it was a lovely day for a ride!

IMG_1220

The VIP beach was pretty empty so we found some lounge chairs clustered under a very tropical umbrella. While Jenni and Hudson checked out the water, I started sipping on Pina Colada’s brought to me by the very helpful and attentive cabana men.

IMG_1223

Eventually we tired of the balmy breezes, tropical drinks, and rolling surf and headed back to our rooms. We decided to walk so we could enjoy the beautifully maintained gardens along the way.

IMG_1256

We also discovered that there are many peacocks roaming the grounds as well.

IMG_1237

 

Peacocks, so beautiful, so noisy! Hudson wanted to visit the Cool Club and Arcade, so I stopped for a quick drink at the pool bar to fortify myself before we tried to find it.

IMG_1268

 

Along the way, we found some interesting statues. Unlike Prague, where most of the statues involve men clubbing or stabbing things, the statues in the Dominican Republic all look like men having a really good time. I mean men with odd antlers, but still at least they are partying!

IMG_1283

We left Hudson to entertain himself and walked back to the Gabi restaurant. Pablo told me there were grilled lobster tails on the menu and I really wanted to check that out! He was right and they were amazing!

IMG_1306

Jenni liked the squid salad the best.

IMG_1305

Since all the pools were closed when Hudson returned, we decided to call it a night. Big day planned tomorrow, wish you were here!

Posted in Getting Around, Life Story | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s Happy Time

Time for a summer break and who better to break it with than my BFF Jenni and her 14-year-old son Hudson.

IMG_1190

Ever been to the Dominican Republic? Me either, but they have really affordable airfare and incredibly inexpensive all-inclusive resorts. Jenni and I settled on Punta Cana for our first summer break. As soon as the plane landed the first thing I saw was a big sign proclaiming “It’s Happy Time”. Already I liked this place!

IMG_1205

The airport is a palapa. Seriously, it’s a giant thatched roof with a few half walls. As soon as we entered we were herded into a line. I thought it must be some sort of customs process, but turns out it was the place where they collect the $10 fee to enter the country. That took much longer than customs where they didn’t really ask us any questions, just look our passports, stamped them, and then hustled us through.

Jenni had checked her bag so Hudson and I sat on one of the half walls while we waited for it to arrive. They had to bring the bags out in shifts because they had little tiny cars to drive them there from the plane so it took a little time.

IMG_1201

When we left the airport, we looked for a cab. Lucky for us, there were about a thousand just waiting around. As soon as we stopped and said “we should get a cab” The guy next to us said “Oh yes, come this way” He led us through a sea of large passenger vans and then loaded us up in one. We took off at a very high speed zipping around other cars and mopeds along the way. It reminded me a lot of the taxis in Tijuana.

We arrived at the hotel only to discover Jenni had accidentally booked a significantly nicer room in the adults only section and it only had a king bed and a roll away. This was problematic since she’d brought her 14-year-old son! My room was not so nice, but did contain double beds. They slapped a hideous grey plastic bracelet on me to denote my lesser status. The language barrier was probably an issue and they told us to go to another desk and that they would take us and our bags to our rooms. There was a lot of confusion because Jenni’s room qualified her to be a “VIP” with a special check in area.

We insisted on going together so they allowed me to enter Jenni’s special check in area. They say us down at a table and immediately brought out their signature cocktails and a juice for Hudson.

IMG_1208

Since Jenni doesn’t drink, I polished hers off, because that’s what friends do, right? So when they came back and gave her the beautiful wristband that identified her as a VIP, it didn’t take much to convince me to upgrade as well.

IMG_1209

Thank God I did, since they were able to put us in the same building and I also received one of the pretty wristbands. Winning!

Posted in Getting Around, Life Story | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment