Thursday, May 5, 2011

Bad News First?

I don't want to scare anyone, because the bad news isn't really that bad. Then it will be foloowed up with really awesome news.

So, I took the bus to Kuta yesterday and made friends with a older, Swedish man. This was kind of nice...just to have someone to talk to. Then he started to get creepy, so as soon as the bus stopped I managed to ditch him. At that point I walked around for awhile to find a new hotel. I finally settled on one that was cheap and close to all the action here. Also, I just wanted to get my backpack off!!! It was so hot wearing it! My back was literally soaking wet. Ok, now here is the bad news. My hotel is a total dump! Serioulsy, the shower head (hose showers) was in the toilet, the toilet doesn't work, there is no sink, no soap, and no towel, and they don't turn the electricity on until 6pm when it starts to get dark. It's a good thing I'm never really there.

So, good news now!

1. My sarong has come in very handy...it is a scarf, a bandana, a shawl for my very burnt shoulders, a blanket for the beach, and a towel! In fact I am going to buy another one right after this...well after I eat breakfast.

2. I have had no trouble sleeping or waking up. In fact I have to tell myself that I want to sleep more, but most times I can't. I haven't slept later than 7 yet. Yesterday I was up at 5 and felt like a champ. I think my body loves it here!

3. I went a little crazy with buying stuff yesterday. This is good and bad. Bad because now I have way too much stuff, and I already  left some stuff at my hotel in Sanur. Good because I have been so cheap and the stuff is so cute.

4. Best news though...I have already made so me friends!!! I was on the beach yesterday and one of the locals was talking to me. He also knew these other people from Canada. They are from Saskatoon...Julia and Chandler. So I hung out with them for a bit and watched the sunset (I am going to have to do that again tonigh, but this time I will take my camera). After that we went our separate ways to shower and then to meet up for dinner. I got lost on the way to the warung we were to meet at and stopped some white people I saw. Turns out they were also looking for the same place and so we just went together. They are from Australia...Max, Calum, and Brogan. Chandler and Julia showed up and we all just sat together. Afterwards we went out to a couple clubs. One of them was a raggae club. All of them had bands playing and they were all very good. The Australians have a hotel in the same alley as me, so I made them walk me home. It was so much fun!!! We are all meeting up for lunch today. In the meantime I am going to rent a bike and do a tour all around Kuta. Tomorrow I will ride the bike up to Legian, and then Seminayak the next day. Not too sure what day it is today, but I think it's Thursday. So, on Sunday I am going to take a bus down to Ulu Watu for a day and see a supposedly fabulous temple. After that it will be time to move on and I will take a bus to Ubud to the monkey jungle. This is one of the most talked about areas in Bali and apparrently is where Liz stayed in Eat, Pray, Love.

And here is where I was going to put some pictures up for you, but it was taking forever and then the session just closed. So I'm giving up for today. I will try again in a couple days. In fact this is hours after I wrote the above.

However, the last few hours have been fairly adventurous. I went to rent a bike but the boy there didn't speak any English, so I just went to the beach instead. When I was there one of the locals came up to me and told me that Andre was looking for me. Andre is a local that I made friends with yesterday. I found Andre and sat with him for awhile and then he took me around to find a bike. It was a little scary considering how they drive here and we were on a "motorbike." Eventually, we ended up at the same place and Andre just translated for me. After that we went back to the beach and all the local boys had fun riding the bike on the beach. It was seriously like Christmas...and they aren't young boys either. I also shared some gum with them and all they could say was WOW (over and over again).

I left shortly after that to meet up with the Canadians and the Australians for lunch. Now we are here at the internet cafe and then going to sit on the Canadian's balcony. It is super hot here today and it just rained, so it is extra humid right now. this day calls for ice cream and a sit in the shade. Later I will head to the beach for sunset though. I think the Canadians will join me, but Chandler is sick today, so maybe not.

Love love.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Captains Log: Day One

Yay! I am in Bali! For the most part it was a fairly painless journey...though my butt might disagree. I managed to limit my sleep for the trek so that I could pass out when I got here at 11 last night. I didn't sleep at all on Saturday night, but I did sneak a couple hours in as my dad drove me up to Calgary. For the rest of the 23 hours I would sleep 20 minutes or so every few hours. It worked! I slept like a baby last night and thus far avoided the jet lag. Other than the lack of sleep and the brief moment of being completely lost at the Seoul Incheon airport, and feeling like a complete outsider for being the only white girl on 2 very long flights, it was a seamless journey. I landed at 10:53pm to a temperature of 27•C and humidity so high I could feel it through the airplane! Made it easily to my hotel and slept like a baby. I got up early this morning (7am is very early for me) and made my way to the beach. I had no idea how to get there, so I just started walking down the road. The side roads are about the size of the sidewalks at home, and they drive trucks down them!!! Anyways, I just kept walking till I found a main road with a sign pointing to the beach. I did the 4km walk along the sea wall and then continued walking around aimlessly to find the tourist office to buy a bus ticket to Kuta. Eventually I let a cab take me there. From there I easily found my way back to my hotel...only an hour walk away. I'm too cheap to pay for a ride when I'm able to walk. It's a good thing both my jobs require me to be on my feet all day. I do think though that I have a sign on my forehead that says sucker. I bought a sarong from a vendor today just because she tried to help me find a map. I'm really going to have to get over this guilty conscience thing. Anyways, I'm back at the hotel and going to go for a swim and lay by the pool so I can get rid of some of the tan lines I already have...my sunglasses, my money pouch strap, my bag strap, my sandals, and the strap of my camera around my wrist. I will try to put up a couple pictures tomorrow when I am at a computer. Right now I am just using my moms iPod touch...so slow. LOL!

P.S. You can smell the humidity in the air, among other things, and my hair still hasn't dried from my shower 5 hours ago! Also, I'm worried I'm not going to be able to sleep much here...it's too hot for me to sleep at home sometimes when it's below zero and my window is wide open! Last night was ok, but I think that might have just been because I was so tired.


Love love

Sunday, March 6, 2011

When Eating Out At A Restaurant...

Ok! The Christmas season is finally over!!! You have no idea how busy and crazy and nutty the Christmas season was at the restaurant. Seems like it was a never ending storm of fussy people. People who have no idea how to eat out!

K, so I actually started this post around the middle of January. However, the previous couple of months had worn me out so completely that I couldn't even finish one paragraph! Now for round two. What I am going to do is walk you through the proper way to dine out...from walking through the door to walking out the door.

When walking into a restaurant do not get angry when there is a line up. Believe it or not, but this a good thing! A line up is an indication of a restaurant that is popular...which usually translates into delicious. Wait patiently for your turn. There is nothing wrong with ordering a drink while you wait or looking over the menu and ordering an appy or two to enjoy at the bar. There is something wrong with giving the hostess attitude or bitching him/her out! Perhaps most people don't realize this, but  in Lethbrige most hostesses are young (high shcool) girls, so I'm not sure what anyone expects to accomplish by bullying them...other than to give them a complex about working on busy nights for fear of being chewed out by some jackass who thinks he has a right to treat anyone he wants like crap. In addition to that you just might find that the employees might be a little less willing to make sure you have a supremely enjoyable evening. In my opinion ego and ignorance never gets you very far.

Now, when you do get to your table please keep your stuff in your own personal space. The table beside you or behind you does not want YOUR things touching them. At this point a busser will probably come and give you water. Do not ignore them or go too far and start barking orders at them. Once again they are usually young and know nothing about alcohol (especially wine) and are not able to help you. All this accomplishes is to show the staff that you are an impatient narcisist. When your server comes to the table and tries to interact with you they will usually start off with wanting to know how you are doing. The best way to respond would be to answer them. It is amazing how often a server is ignored. There are some people who won't even look at them and who don't even answer them at all! Then there are those customers who have a conversation with their server that goes something like this:

SERVER "Hello, how is everyone doing tonight?"
CUSTOMER " What wine would you recommend?"
SERVER "Well, we have a great selection of wines to offer. Choosing the best one for you would depend a lot on what you are wanting to eat tonight as well as what you may be celebrating. Are you out for a special occasion this evening?"
CUSTOMER "We would like a dry white. Also we need an order of calamari, and bring us some breaad right away.

More than likely a conversation like this happens without the customer even looking at their server. I'm not sure why people can't understand that servers are not servants. Yes, we are there to take care of you, but people also fail to realize that without us you would just be eating at McDonalds. Our job is to facilitate your desire to have an enjoyable evening out. Don't treat us like we don't matter, or like we aren't good enough to talk to you. Most servers are there to make some money while they go to school...for jobs that make us a lot of money. Also, with the way things are going in the job force we will probably end up as your boss at some point. Not to mention that you shouldn't "bite the hand that feeds you." I realize that this can turned around to say that we should let people treat us however we want because in the end we are relying on our tip to feed us. It is in experiences such as these that we really earn our money. It's not easy to be pleasant with someone who belittles you. We have to though, our livelihood depends on it. But, just because you are paying someone to bring your food to them doesn't give you the right to be a dick to them. That right isn't reserved for anyone!

Moving on... Proper table ettiquite dictates that you do not signal your server. The times of waving your hand in the air and shouting "Garcon" are over! Servers are very observant. We can tell when you are looking around for us and we will come to you. If we are busy it doesn't mean that we are ignoring you...it just means that we're busy. We will get there as soon as we can. I'm sorry to say it but our priority is to make sure that food comes out hot and fresh. So, if I have to choose between coming to a table so they can ask for butter for their free bread or to give them their 4th refill on a soft drink and running food that has just come out of the kitchen, then I'm going to run the food. Think about that for a second, because that also means that I'm putting other tables wants on hold when it is time to run your food. There are times when it is ok to get the attention of your server...these times being when the restaurant is jam packed and they are running around like crazy (or I hate to say it, but sometimes servers do suck). In these cases do not walk up to them, tap them, or talk to them when they are at another table. That's just rude!!!If they are at another table then just give a small wave to them, or even just hold up your pointer finger...like when you are trying to say "just a sec" to someone. This will let your server know you need them without being rude or making an ass of yourself.

This brings us to ordering. We are always happy to make suggestions. Heck, we work enough to know the popular menu items or the dishes that are less popular. However, when asking for suggestions and ordering based upon them you need to realize that we are not experts on your own individulal tastes. If you decide to go out on a limb and order something brave then don't blame the restaurant (and especially not your server) when you don't like it. To take this further you shouldn't take it out on your server when the food is messed up by the kitchen. It's easy to do this because we are the ones you see and can talk to, but it isn't our fault. People need to realize that mistakes do happen (I hate to break it to ya, but we don't live in a perfect world). When there is an error, the kitchen, the manager, and your server are going to do everything they can to rectify the situation...within reasonable means of course. We want you to be happy, but some people are truly "just unreasonable." Anyways, getting back to ordering. If you aren't ready to order then don't say you are. We are busy and we don't appreciate standing there for 5 minutes while you hum and haw. We could be using that time to run drinks or food, take orders, bill other tables, and process payments. Just say your aren't ready. We will come back; we don't mind coming back.

The above grievances are the ones that most irritate me and thus needed more depth. The following is a quick list of more restaurant ettiquite.

- Don't get upset when food takes awhile...this means it's actually fresh and has to be prepared and cooked.
- If you are going to be fussy and demanding then be nice about it. Don't bark out your orders...be polite.
- In addition, if you are going to be fussy and demanding then you need to tip more. There is a standard tip, but it's based upon a standard table. If you are more than a standard table then you need to tip based upon how hard you made your server work AND the kind of abuse they endured in order to take care of you.
* personal note: I have had tables of 2 or more couples where 1 of the couples was just a royal pain. When they left the other couples would leave extra money and an apology with me for taking care of them despite the rude couple. How awful that some people are so ignorant that their friends have to take care of their damage.
- Bigger tables take more time, so be patient.
-Tip standard is now 15%, but if you can't even tip 10% then you shouldn't be going out to eat. What people don't realize is that their server has to literally pay out of their own pocket for cheap customers. We have to pay so much to the kitchen, the bar, and the support staff. So when you don't leave a good enough tip it comes out of our own pockets. I absolutely hate paying out of my own pocket so that other people can go out to eat!
- At th end of the night it is okay to sit...unless there is a long line, or if we are trying to close. It sucks when a table is still sitting there an hour after we have locked the doors. For the life of me I don't understand how you can be so ignorant that you can't tell that you are holding others up. You have already made us late for leaving and after you leave we still have work to do. I think a lot of people try to rationalize it by thinking that once they leave you can too. This is not the case. Once that table(s) leaves you still have to do the closing duties you couldn't do while they were sitting there; duties that should've been done an hour ago!

I know this sounds like a lot of bitterness, and that's because it is! Lol! But, I really do like my job. These ignorant people make it a challenge, but then there are the ones who make it enjoyable. I have always thought that everyone should have a serving job at least once in their life...this way they would have a better idea of how to treat people. But, that's not about to happen. Maybe just being taught how to eat out will help. So, I guess that my six followers will have a better idea of it. Something tells me though that they aren't the type of people that need to know. I did grow up with them and I think we have a lot of the same ideas...especially on how to treat others. So, just pass it along I guess. Lol!

And to my regular customers who know that I'm not just a server, but that I am a person, it is always a pleasure to take care of you. See you soon.

Love love

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

My V-Day Wish

First just let me explain that I HATE Valentines Day!!! It's not that I'm angry and bitter or anything like that. For me it's just that I'm not a romantic person. In fact, romantic gestures make me feel very uncomfortable! Even just getting flowers freaks me out. I never know how to act or respond to these gestures. So, I just prefer it if they don't happen. Now, can you imagine a WHOLE day where you are EXPECTED to be all cute and romantic and gooshy?! This thought just provokes very uneasy feelings in me. On those Valentines Days when I was in a couple I would always prefer to just not hang out at all, or I would like to just sit with a bowl of popcorn and watch a movie or something really low key.

Besides the fact that I don't like being cheesy, I also don't agree with having a day set aside to be nice to loved ones. In my mind there should be no change in behavior on Feb. 14. I hate the thought that you can treat someone any way you like for a whole year minus one day. You should treat the people you are close to, care about, and love with respect and appreciation every day. This is what my V-Day wish is.

However, to all you lovers I hope you had a very special day. I realize that some people really like Valentines and I would never pass judgement on them for looking forward to it just because I think it's silly. There are some couples who love the romance and love being gooshy, and for them I am glad they have a day where they can goosh all they want. I'm also glad for me that they have that day. Valentines Day is one of the best days to be a waitress! I feel a little bad for exploiting people's love for each other, but I am human.

Anyways, I just hope we can all show each other how much we care about them.

Love love

Friday, January 21, 2011

My 92 Year Old Crush



The man on the right is the real Major Winters. The other man, Damian Lewis, played Major Winters in Band of Brothers. Both men are studs! I fell in love with Damian Lewis first because he was the one I could see. I watched him charge onto open battle fields, strategize, care for his men, take things with humility and humor, and stand up for what is right. Also, when Band of Brothers first came out I didn't realize that Easy Company was a real company of sodiers. However, when I learned that Major Winters was a real man and that he actually did the things depicted in the mini series, I could hardly believe my heart. What a man he must be! It is hard to fathom his courage and bravery and his quick thinking in a time of utter chaos. My friend Courtney and I would watch the series and just swoon! Well our hero passed away on January 2, 2011.

It's sad to think that without an "entertaining" mini series of WWII most people wouldn't even know about all the brave men of Easy Company...or any company for that matter. We can't understand what it was like. I think that's so sad, and yet I am so grateful! I am grateful to all those who were so brave that I'm sure God saved them for just that purpose. Without them we wouldn't be living the lives that we do. It's sad that the ones who lived through it and can tell the stories are passing away. That was my favorite part of Band of Brothers...when they had the real men talk about their experiences and memories.

Anyways, this is just my way of saying goodbye and thank you!

Love love

Thursday, January 20, 2011

My 9 Lives!

Oops...I did it again! I have JUST been through my second rollover!




I have always had this belief that I was invincible! Every few years I am reminded that I am not. First there was the motorcycle accident. My dad, my brothers, and I were riding to Sturgis for a motorbike rally when I drove off a cliff! Luckily where I went over it was more of a hill. Had I gone over a few feet to the right I would have died and probably never have been found. As it was I landed a ways down this hill and my bike fell on top of me...there we were...my bike pinning me down as we slid down this hill, and I without a helmet on. My brothers and my dad, thinking that I am dead, come running down. Jordan ran/rode my bike back up for me because I was shaking too hard to do anything for a few minutes. What did I do after that? I hopped back on my motorcycle and tried to act as though nothing had happened. There was no way I was about to lose face in front of the men in my family.

A year and halfish later a couple friends and I are headed to Utah. My friend Laura is driving (Laura I really hope you don't mind me using your name). It's pitch black out, raining, and we go from blacktop to gravel. Well we lose control and are fishtailing all over the road...literally from one side to the next. Just before we hit a power pole on the one side of the road the car veers straight into the ditch on the other side. We hit the side of the ditch (which is the base of a hill) and roll, and then we flip. The moment we hit I saw a spray of dirt hit the winshield and then I felt a lot of glass hitting my face. It was in that moment that I felt certain I was going out the window (I wasn't wearing my seatbelt). I got tossed around a bit, and even landed on the gearshift at one point, but I managed to stay inside the vehicle. We all managed to stay inside. Just what do 3 young and crazy girls do after they have been in a rollover? They climb out the windows, climb a hill to get cell service, cuddle up in a blanket until their ride arrives, take pictures when their ride arrives, gather their things from the road and ditch, go to the hospital just in case, and then they borrow another friends' car and continue their drive to Utah!

Now for today...I was driving home from work thinking I was just the best driver in the whole world! I even said that at work today. I wasn't serious of course, but I do think I am a good driver. Anyways, I was going along at a pretty good pace (because thus far the road had been clear) when I hit a patch of black ice. My car instantly spun around and hit the ditch hard and fast. Then it flipped. My very first thought was that I needed to call my mom, but I couldn't find my phone. So instead I started assessing myself. I checked for open wounds, broken bones, and bruising. Where did I hurt? What was my pulse, my resps? Was I bleeding anywhere? Then...oh no, my face!!! Is my face ugly? No seriously, I needed to know that (in waitressing your face is your money maker). Fortunately my face survived.The next thing was to find my phone and call my mom. But, a couple people from home had stopped to help so I grabbed the vitals out of my car (my phone, my iPod, my passport (it had just come in the mail), my AMA card and got into my ride. I couldn't call my mom then because that would be rude. I eventually made it safely home, got checked out, went back and grabbed a few more vitals, took some pictures...and blogged about it!

Oh...so here is the lesson. Life is precious? Lol! It totally is, but just then I felt like a really bad cliche. It's just crazy how quickly things can happen. I didn't even think I was in a dangerous situation. The important thing is to move on though! I can't control what happened, and my life isn't going to stop happening. I still have laundry to do, a house to clean, and a job to get to. The show must go on!!!

Love love

Sunday, November 21, 2010

My TV Dream Men

There has got to be something seriously wrong with me! I am obsessed with fictional characters from tv shows! I'm sure I'm not the only one and all...but there has got to be some line! To be honest I can't even count or recall all the loves of my life. My newest one though is Colby Granger from Numbers. HOT, MUSCULAR FBI man who you come to realize is also a super sweet and yet mysterious guy. The kind of guy you would love to take home to your mother...and all your friends (ummmm ya...to make them jealous of course). Oh and did I mention that he used to be a soldier and he has those sexy issues that help make him so mysterious? Well in the season 3 finale you find out he is actually a double agent who is working for the Chinese. I seriously almost started crying! I am so obsessed that my heart was literally broken! I don't yet have the internet at my new place so I jumped in the shower right then and rushed over to my parents house to look him up. I have barely said two words to my parents and haven't even glanced at the brownies that I can smell downstairs. This is huge for me seeing as how dairy, sugar, and meat are the only food groups that exist to me. Anyways, when I found out he was a double agent I convinced myself that they were wrong. I knew he had to actually be a triple agent employed by the CIA or NSA against the Chinese. I had to be right! Turns out...I totally am! I can breathe once again...now that my lungs are no longer being crushed by the pressure of my heart bursting over and over again! So, now I am off to Lethbridge to get season 4 so I can watch my new boyfriend some more.

Wow, I have got to get a man!!!

Love love