I went to New York in May over my birthday. Kjersti met me there and we had an awesome time! I<3 NY, I totally get it now. I wish I could live on Manhattan, life would never be dull again… We did the touristy things, Empire state building, Times Square, Central Park, the Met, checked out Grand Central Station, had a look at lady liberty. The line for the ferry out to Ellis Island was waaaaaaaaay too long to actually get on the ferry.  We also had a lot of great food and drinks, and apart from someone drugging me a little on my birthday, we had no bad experiences at all.

At the hotel it´s business as usuall. The ash cloud didn´t affect us very much I think. Some guest didn´t show up and some had to stay longer, that was about it. We had the Beach Boys staying over, which no-one really cared about. They are getting quite old and didn´t exactly party like rock stars. The biggest event though, was probably when some guests walked in their room and found a Boa snake resting by the window. BIG halabaloo! One of them passed out and we had to call for an ambulance  twice. My very cool manager tried to take it by the head, but it kept moving it and showing his tongue to him, he said. They got it to curl up around a hanger and take it out. So far, no-one has called lost-and-found to claim it.

That pretty much sums it up! I´ll be home in a couple of months!

We also took a day for the touristic stuff, so we went to World of Coke and got to see a 4d movie and try coke products from around the wold. Also the aquarium we saw. Lots of fish. They say it´s the biggest one in the world, but so does every other major aquariums, and the main attraction, which is some sort of humongous whale, was on vacation in Texas. We bought some souvenirs and then later on some Maker´s Mark whiskey in a liquor store. That turned out to be a life saver, because when we got home that evening we couldn´t get in to my apartment. My door was deadlocked. Of course  didn´t have a number to a locksmith or even to the closed leasing office, so I didn´t really know what to do. My roomie was stuck in New York due to a snow storm, but I called her and luckily she had the number for the office and I could get in touch with the maintenance guy who said he´d be there in an hour. So, my mom, my dad, and I sat down in my corridor and opened the Maker´s Mark. Time passed fast and we were all in a good mood when the guy came and let us in.

On my moms birthday we gave her cake and champagne for breakfast, we went to the park so she could get some good pictures with her new camera, and in the evening we went to the Sun Dial which is a rotating restaurant on the 71st floor. The view was amazing, the drinks where good, and the food was ok. Overall a good experience.

On the day we were supposed to rent a car and go to Stonemountain it had snowed, and so we decided to skip that. Spent the rest of the time eating, shopping, and getting manicures. (Not dad, he was following the Swedish Rally). Then all of a sudden, and way too fast, they had to leave again, and they made it all the way home all by them selves.

I was apparently lucky as well, because the day after the snow fell 33 ladies called off work. Since all the flights were cancelled the hotel suddenly filled up with walk-ins, and all the rooms were needed. Everyone had to clean rooms. One of my colleagues cleaned rooms for 18 hours straight. Me, I was shopping.

r, and we opened after dinner. Almost like home.

For New Years my roomie, I and some other friends wined and dined before going to the “Peach drop”. As we imagined it to be similar to the drop in New York, we were pretty excited. So, true to Swedish traditions, we put a couple of bottles of Champagne in our hand bags along with some cups and took t

he subway to down town. Well there we realize that the area was strictly controlled by police and that they checked the hand bags. Shoot, so we had to go and hide in a back alley and finish the Champagne at half twelve… Not quite the same thing, but what can you do?

The “peach drop” was another disappointed. It was just a cut out cardboard peach that they had attached to the tower, which then, at midnight, slowly came down. And the fireworks

that followed was no more than the average Swedish firework bomb. Pretty pathetic. We went to Taco Mac and had martinis to keep our spirits up. All in all, we still had a good time.

After new years business picked up and we´ve had f

ull occupancy for weeks, but every day was different. One day we had about 1050 check-ins, which is busy for front desk but we in housekeeping were pretty prepared for it. The next day however, we only had 150 out and the same in, which means we have to turn the rooms as soon as the guests leave them, at the latest. The corporate choose this day to make one of their yearly two inspections. I ran like an idiot that day. Hard work but good exercise, especially after all the holiday goods. Then came the over-a-thousand check-

out, which also was a pretty busy day. It was good though, I prefer it busy.

Lastly, I´ve decided that this year is the year I start my way to riches, and to remind me and keep me on track I bought a goldfish. My roomie bought one too so we now share our home with Steve and George.

But I survived and finally found the way back out of the park. Don´t think I´ll be spending much time there, which is too bad since it´s such a great place.

A few days later I went with some friends for a basketball game. The Atlanta Hawks played Miami Heat. Since I´ve never ever had any interest in basketball, I didn´t know much about it. How long a game is for example, or how many breaks there are. We had a great time though. Kat and I where clearly the only ones who new how to enjoy any type of sports event, and as soon as we got in to the arena we went straight to the gift shop. Of course we didn´t buy anything, it´s so expensive. Then, as time drew closer to the kick-off, or throw-up, or whatever, we located the hot dog stand and went to get some. As the hot dogs where all ready gone by the time we got up stairs, we bought the biggest serving of popcorn we could find, and explained to the boys that they had to buy the next one. But then the lady says: “you can come back for free refills” We go: “Really?? We love America!” She:” Yes, unlimited”. And that made the day.

Well at the game I was fascinated of how rude they were to the Miami team. They didn´t even introduce them when they walked in. But I guess it´s the same everywhere. The game was also filled with entertainment such as flying cheerleaders (male) and give aways. But the funniest was the mascot, Harry the Hawk. I can´t even explain him. He was biting peoples heads and kicking kids around. Amazing.

(I uploaded some pictures from the park and the arena. )

Kat and the amazingly early put-up Christmas tree in Centennial Olympic Park.

The arena filled up eventually. Apparently people don´t want to see the beginning of the game.

Also, I´ve been trying to convert my phone to prepaid. I gotta say this place is kind of backwards sometimes. First of all they usually wants you to by a cheap phone and not just a sim-card, and i don´t want that shitty phone. So, I bought a sim.card with a contract and then I told them I wanted to convert. They said it was fine. Now however, my contract is cancelled, my sim-card doesn´t work, and they tell me I have to go to a store and buy a new prepaid sim-card, which I haven´t been able to locate. But what ever.

Anyho, now I have to go and buy a money-order for the rent, since you can´t pay online or with cash or  check, or credit card. It´s real advanced over here!

My duties are also quite simple, starting at 8.30 with running some reports, finding out which rooms are VIPs, pre-assigned, has pre-orders, and so on. Then I check all the rooms on one floor in a discrepancy report. After that I go around trying to talk to all the ladies on my floors, making sure they have what they need and know what to do. The rest of the day in mostly checking rooms, making different inspections and so on. Then at 5 pm I go home! It is of course a little more to it than that. It takes time to call back someone to re-do something, and if something is missing or is wrong in the room I have to make sure it gets fixed, which can make me having to go back to that room several times before I can release it. And the hskp director wants us to check about 80-100 rooms a day. There of all the running. I think its excellent exercise!

I also had a class yesterday, for all supervisors, managers, and directors. It was about how to recognize the warning signs of team members (Hilton don´t call them employees, but team members) thinking of joining the union. Apparently this was a big no no, and something we need to keep an eye on. It was interesting, so different from Sweden. Not that Hilton is trying to keep people from having rights, but they want to take care of the people them selves without middle hands. To make that obvious they say we are not anti-union, but pro-employee. Nicely put! Scary though how much trouble I can put the company in since they are legally bound to whatever I (and all other supervisors, managers and directors) say… Better keep my mouth shut!

However, yesterday I found out that do to bad times and savings, the supervisors only work 3-4 days a week. Not good for my bank account. They say its going to pick up soon, so I hope it is so, even though I don´t really understand how a full house occupancy can pick up so much. So, now I have 6 days off actually. I´m not sure what I´m gonna do, but I´m thinking Stone mountain. Gotta tourist some.

Anyhoo, so I´ve been pretty much running around and answering phones all week, not doing anything major. Even so, my manager called me in to back office today during the pre-shift meeting for the afternoon shift, and everyone started applauding me. It totally took me by surprise since I had no idea of why, and they were like 20 people, including managers and directors of different areas. The explanation I got was that it was because I had done a great job. It was really sweet of them, but I still don´t really understand why…  I liked it though. Nothing beats recognition for a job well done!

OH! And the MOST wonderful part of the day was when my brother sent me a picture of him holding his newborn son Milo!   He said there was something special, almost magical, about this little boy, and I´m sure he´s right. Only time can tell what awesome characteristics, abilities, and powers Milo will bestow onto the world. I can´t wait to meet him!

Today, since Hilton Atlanta is all about personal service, I spent the day helping a guy set up for his engagement with his girlfriend. He wanted flower arrangements, pictures, and teddy bears in 3 different rooms, all to build up the surprise. And he also invited 60 of their closest friends and families for dinner on the 29th floor (in a VERY expensive restaurant) to take part in the special occasion.  How´s that for a proposal?? I just hope she says yes. All luck to Mr. Cobbs!

For me, coming from a small town of 10´000 people, where like 99.99% are white and most native, (and no-one spends more than a private dinner on a proposal) the cultural shock is total. But  I´m having a blast.  :) Ya´ll take care now!!

Other than that, I have been to Ikea about 5 times but the apartment is still looking a bit empty. Sabrina, my new roommate from Germany, and I moved in on Tuesday and on Wednesday morning we discovered that we have pets. Not nice ones like gold fish, but the disgusting kind, cockraoches. Small ones, but still! I´ve poured boiling water down the drain where they come from, and sprayed like a can of anti-bacterial, but I have a feeling somthing stronger is needed.

We haven´t set up internet yet so I can´t update so often at the moment, but I´ll try to get it going very soon. I feel half without internet. Anyway, at the moment everything (except the cockraoches) is great here! The weather is beautiful and warm and the people are nice.  We´ve been warned about robberies under gunpoint in the area, but we chose not to belive them. I´m sure people can get robbed anywhere in the city. So til next time, take care!