Hawaii's quintessential address

Long day of brand training today. I work in an environment that strives for five diamond/five star status. We haven't been officially rated yet, but rumor has it we were shopped before even being open 6 months, and fears are that it didn't go well. I think that anyone shopping a major remodel under the 6 month mark, is trying to reward 4 stars instead of 5. I've helped open two spas and both were new constructions. In both locations fire alarms, loss of power, music, and data, and hvac issues were all a common occurrence. If we can get in our required two instances of formal name use, anticipation of guest needs, serve beverages on a tray, and bake a cake for your tenth wedding anniversary while the freakin' fire alarm is going off, please...

I really want that job though. I've a hawk eye for these things, fine-tuned for years by a southern mother raising a girl in the Middle East. Here's the 2010 Annual Star Awards. I noticed both the Ritz in Vail and St. Regis in Aspen only managed 4 stars. The Broadmoor scored 5 in both spa and hotel. Next time I'm back in Colorado, I want to drive down to The Springs and experience them for a night.

Working in this environment must affect my everyday life. Once one starts a new habit at work it's hard to shake it at play. One thing I am working on is my colloquial "you guys." I absolutely need to stop addressing people as "you guys." It's the equivalent of licking one's fingers at the dinner table. Or at least, that's how I'm thinking of it in my mind to get myself to stop saying it. The trainer highly suggested I use "Ladies and Gentlemen" but that's not rolling off the tongue very easily.

We touched on pointing today as well, which made me giggle, after the point-fest faux pas that was Tokyo. It absolutely does look completely tacky when you see how the gestures look done side-by-side: the finger point vs. the open hand sweep.

It's these type of things though, that make me wonder how all this is going to translate on Kauai. In Denver I could maaaybe get away with sweeping hand gestures, "Ladies and gentlemen," and drinks on trays in my everyday existence, but here? My friends in Hanalei already think I'm a princess, and so my conclusion is that in order to avoid ridicule, I'd just have to hang out with work people.

FYT, a favorite picture of Tokyo. It reminds me of getting lost in Shinjuku, and the little places that felt like solitude in that rush of humanity.



Aloha.