25 Apr 2006 — It’s been just over a week since I started seeing guests now. And as it turns out, they’re not as scary as everyone has made them out to be. Having said that, I’ve only been getting the guests with the short stays of 3-7 nights, so before they can make any noise, we’re already whizzing them out the door. Also, it’s now supposedly the quieter time of year, where occupancy rates are not 100% constantly and guests are a bit tamer. The real party-animals and “trouble-makers” seem to gather around the Nov-Jan period, so I’ve got a bit of prep time yet.

The “toughest” part of the job now is just the challenge of trying to fit every guest’s request into the schedule of activities. Everybody wants to do everything! It’s alright, at the moment, I still get a kick when I manage to find an empty slot so Mr Headland can get that head massage he so badly needs or Mrs Nikki can have that extra Pilates session with the personal trainer of her choice. It’s good fun.

Also, it’s the first week that I’ve started donning my uniform. Fantastic! No need to think anymore “what am I going to wear today”, especially since I’ve got a negligible supply of passable “work” clothes. Hmm… doesn’t hurt also that I think my uniform is gorgeous.

And ‘cos the whole thing’s red, I also joked that I should borrow it home during Chinese New Year, the perfect outfit for the auspicious occasion.

And here’s the very nice office I get to work in. Really lucky, ‘cos most people don’t actually have their own room, just a desk in a communal area.

On Tuesday, I had my first modelling stint. Apparently it’s quite common here ‘cos journalists from one magazine or other from all around the globe are always covering stories about CS. So on some sort of rotational basis, we consultants always end up the “models” for their photoshoots. The one I did this time was for JCB, probably some promotion or other.
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16 April 06 — Hmm… the second week. It’s been a whirlwind week — lots of ups and downs, and loads to get used to. So the down: much ado about the supernatural. Yup, it comes as no surprise, this is Thailand afterall. As as luck would have it, the staff quarters where I’m putting up at turns out to be one haunted place! Something about how there was previously this really old tree that was once situated there which had to be chopped down to make room for the building. The Thais believe that big trees are often a great hangout spot for spirits, thus when the tree is removed, these spirits have no place to go and hence hang around. So this place I’m staying at consists of 3 levels, and in the spirit of damage control (after having completely freaked me out with tons of stories about their “encounters”), my colleagues tried to assure me it’s the 3rd floor that’s REALLY haunted. The second, which I’m on, is not so bad. Thalia, one of the other girls who also lives on the 2nd floor quipped, “Yeah, I’ve only seen them once.” Once? Once?!? Erm… I don’t even really want to see them half a time, know what I mean…

And yes, when I first got there, I did a space-clearing, I have my crystals and my Green Tara picture beside me on the bedside table, I constantly protect the room with Archangel Michael’s blue ray, but nonetheless there’s always still that feeling of unease. Prolly partially fed by my own imagination, but prolly partially not too. So after a good week of struggling to sleep, I finally gave up and moved in with the Thai nurses, who were so kind as to offer me a place to stay. And though the blankets on the floor weren’t quite as comfy as the Dunlopillo king-size mattress I have in my room, for the first time in days… I finally got some decent rest. These nurses, they are so sweet, whenever I’m over, they always switch the TV to the English channel, and at night, when I’m asleep, I can even feel them pulling the blanket over me… Aww… Turned out to be a blessing in disguise too, ‘cos now that I’m spending more time with the locals, I’m picking up more Thai. Nam, in particular, has become my unofficial Thai teacher. Just the other night, it was the Thai alphabets, and last night, it was parts of the face, erm… I’m sure it’ll come into use somehow.
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9 Apr 2006 – So yes, folks, I am well and truly in Hua Hin, Thailand now. It’s been a week since I’ve been here, and just today, I’ve had my first day off – pretty nice, it being a Sunday, though I don’t think this will be the long-term arrangement, too good to be true.

So let’s see, what have I been up to? Training, training and more training. Well, I’m here to work afterall. Yep, being a Health and Wellness Consultant puts me in the forefront in terms of the guest, hence I have to get to know every aspect of the resort, and CS has been absolutely thorough in that. Not only have I went round to meet all the different department heads and went “on tour” of all the various facilities, I’ve also had to try out quite a few classes, and as a bonus, almost all the spa treatments on the menu. Well, you know, part of the job, how am I going to explain to the guest what the treatment was all about not having experienced it for myself? And frankly, while at first my colleagues warn that I can actually get too much of a good thing and I didn’t believe them, I’m starting to see that for myself now. After being massaged in the same spot for 3, 4 times in a day, those muscles can get really sore! Almost to the point where you just want to say “Stop! Leave me alone!” Never thought I’d see this day – one too many spa treatments???

Oh, oh, let’s not forget those less than appetizing treatments as well, for instance, Colonics! For the clueless, it’s a procedure where they clean out your insides by sticking a tube up your anus and flushing bucket loads of water into your colon. Yeah, get the picture? Imagine how thrilled I was to have to do that… and what happened? Let’s just say I survived, barely.
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