18 March 2007 – Ok, I’m back with the next Male installment. So since we’re actually here to work, let’s get to it.

So imagine ourselves back at the MAT airport.

Step this way through to the Hilton lounge.

This is what it looks like on the inside. Actually it’s really due for a reburfishment, starting to look a bit dated.

And yep, this is the rather dull and drabby corner we’ve been assigned to revamp. At the moment, it houses two computers for guest use.

During the first trip, we caught up with Maad, the supervisor over at the Hilton lounge.

More recently, we were all ready to rumble… we chucked out the comp booths and replaced it with a new set of cupboards that Engineering built us in 3 days.

The therapists, Asih and Mod have also arrived to lend a hand. Still looking rather messy…

But finally, here’s the end product. May I present…
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17 March 2007 — Hello, hello! Ahh… finally a WHOLE day off! Yep, Tara just found out that for us supervisors, we can only accrue up to 4 days off instead of the 8 we previously thought, which means I’ve already chocked up more than enough hours, which means no point for me to continue taking half days off!!! Yipee!!! You have no idea how SHIOKODOK this is man…

And as promised, let’s take a trip to Male! A bit of background info first: for the last month or so, Yukiko and I were placed in charge of setting up a mini spa over at the Hilton lounge in the MAT (Maldivian Air Taxi) seaplane-port. The plan was to offer ten minute complimentary treatments to arrival guests who were enroute to Hilton, and also inform them about our welcome treatment, otherwise known as the “Eiru Revival Ritual”. Eiru means sun in Dhivehi, and the idea was to energise and revitalize guests from the strains of travel. Our aim was to promote early awareness of the spas and increase our guest capture rate. Yukiko and I were pretty much thrown into the deep end and had to learn how to swim, quick. From training therapists to organizing equipment, from rostering to creating the welcome treatment, from designing vouchers to even setting up the therapists’ apartment in Male, I daresay it was a massive undertaking for us two newbies. All in all, a steep learning curve, but my gawd, was it worth it! The very first treatment that was booked in brought tears to my eyes. Really, it was like having a baby, the anticipation and seeing it come to fruition. Totally awesome!

But I’m jumping ahead, first there was tons of planning to be done. And to do that, we had to get to Male. As scenic as the journey was, this was no mean feat, as you shall soon see. In total Yukiko and I went twice, once to scout and once to do the actual set-up. It was only Male, but considering how often we left the island, it was still pre-tty exciting.

See, whilst waiting for the seaplane, we even had drinks (soy coffee that is) at Rangali, as if we were going away for a real holiday or something?!?

Ok, got the news that the plane has arrived. Let’s go!
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25 Feb 2007 — You know what is better than receiving a parcel filled with goodies? Receiving a parcel filled with goodies when you are stranded on an island!!! OMG…. I was absolutely thrilled to receive my Speedpost 10kg box lovingly put together by Ah Bi and my parents!!! I squealed with delight when I got the call from stores to say that it’s arrived. In record time too, it took only about a week to reach me, not too bad for this resort’s standards. Apparently some packages take up to a month to arrive. Having said that, Billie did spend S$101 on postage alone! But every cent was definitely well spent!

Without further ado, let’s get to it! Mai tu liao!

Oh wow… so exciting…

Yes, yes, I spot a pair of back Havaianas!!!! Yay!!!

I was so worried ‘cos the pair I’ve got on (which my mum gave me) was about to give way anytime. Black slippers are part of our uniform, unfortunately my humongous feet of size 8.5 to 9 could not fit into their largest size 7 pair. A blessing in disguise really ‘cos all the girls complain it’s damn uncomfy! But what that means is that if my slippers had pichar, I would really have had to go to work barefooted!

See, I wasn’t lying. Really very jialat oredi. So mama, you can see I’ve put it to goood use.

What else? what else? Very greedy!
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22 Feb 2007 – I’ve been here two months now, but only very recently did I have my orientation. Been looking forward to it, mainly because that’s the one and only time that a staff member may ever get the chance to see the sunset villas, the resort’s equivalent of the presidential suite, and they go for a hefty US$4400 per night! But would you believe it, at that price, it’s still fully booked till April?!! Hmm… probably just loose change for some out there.

But anyway, yeah, I was pretty psyched up for the event. Here’s the team I spent the weekend with, including Robert, the assistant HR manager, in green. Two whole days away from the spa, wow, feels almost like a holiday, especially since we don’t have to don uniforms and had free access to chocolate-coated doughnuts and croissants the entire day.

Part of the training includes a tour of the entire resort, and when I say entire, I REALLY mean entire, including the “Powerhouse” which is where we store all the turbines that generate electricity for the island, the walk-in freezer where we keep all the restaurants’ ice-creams, kindergarten where Celina, the GM’s daughter goes to school, and the sanitation plant; and I guess I wouldn’t have to spoil anyone’s breakfast/lunch/dinner by explaining what that place does! This tour would be particularly eye-opening for staff that is below supervisory level; usually they aren’t permitted to wander around in guest areas, apart from the confines of their job. Which is why again, I’ve felt very fortunate here. Unlike at Chiva Som, here I’m able to wander almost everywhere on the compounds and also make full use of guest facilities, with the exception of the pool, but why would I miss that when I’m surrounded by the glistening waters of the Indian Ocean?!?

Apart from island-hopping, we also learnt all about Hilton’s history, philosophy and brand standards. Hee hee, good to finally know the benchmark I should be living and serving up to. Feel a bit like I’ve been trying to grapple in the dark the last two months. I must say that I am pretty touched by Conrad Hilton’s (founder of Hilton, and you’ve guessed it, Conrad) original vision for his hotels. For instance, the Hilton Brand Promise is “To put back a little of what life takes out”, which is basically to provide personalized and hassle-free service in a consistent manner. However Hilton envisaged for his staff to do this beyond the confines of the hotel, he envisioned them to bring this attitude into their everyday lives, to extend this kindness to fellow team members (yep, that’s what all Hilton staff are referred to, from the GM to waiting staff, everyone’s a team member) and even to strangers they meet on the streets.

During the orientation, we also got to know about some important company facts and figures, including a list of Hilton “firsts”. For instance, did you know that Hilton’s:
- the first hotel company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange: 1947
- the first hotel to install TVs in every guest room: 1951
- the first to launch the concept of the airport hotel: San Fran 1959
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18 Feb 2007 — Happy Piggy Year everyone!

Received the cutest greeting from Peiling. Isn’t it adorable?

Sigh… so sad, yet another occasion where I wish I was home with family, especially for last night’s reunion dinner. Also ‘cos I know lots of friends will actually be going home to Singapore at this time of year, would have been so nice to catch up with them. Yes, you Wini, Tommy, Shihui, Sherry. Haha, or even you Weiling, considering the amount of time you DO spend in Singapore!?!

And nah… William and I won’t be able to make it for this Fire Pig baby, which was apparently very compatible for (us) Fire Dragon mummies. But I know some of you out there are still trying, so gambate ok?!!

Last but not least, here’s wishing all of you 新年快乐，恭喜发财，心想事成，龙马精神，and of course 越吃越瘦! All the best for the new year!!! *Oink! Oink!*

14 Feb 2007 — Yes, it’s that time of year again, time to spread some lovin’… Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Haha, remember last year’s fiasco between Billie and myself, when he innocently gave me those animal rubber bands for our first post-wedding Valentine’s… geez… has it been a year already?!? Time really flies! Oh well, this year we’re not even together. So saddie, I do miss him during these sort of occasions. Wish you were here Billie.

Seeing that most of us on the island are in the same boat, I tried to spread a little cheer around. Hopefully it will help ease the pangs of being so far away from our loved ones.

Beginning with Rachael and Elli, got them chockies and some homemade cards. Yeah, you know with the limited resources that we have here on the island, one has to get creative. Like see, don’t even have a proper gift shop to get some proper Valentine ’s Day cards from. Printed these ones off the net. They’ll just have to do.

Same for Tara. But for her, something a little more special – Ferrero Rocher. Eh what? That IS special here on the island! I could have bought two bars of Toblerone for that one pack of Ferrero Rocher! + I nicked a couple of flowers on the way to work. Yep, sucking up big time, can’t you tell?

Lots more chocolate to go all around, for the spa girls and boys especially.

Last but not least, for the Japanese bunch + Heather, I got some stuffed toys from Island Breeze, Hilton’s very own gift shop. Yah, sad or what… I did toy with the idea of giving them my toiletries and cosmetics, a lip gloss for Heather, a bar of soap for Yukie, a toothbrush head refill for Yukari and a bottle of contact lens solution for Hiromi?!? Erm, you can see why I dropped that idea and resorted to Hilton souvenirs.

And yep, more of those homemade cards, and I did take the time to write each and every one a personalized message.

We were so excited initially, ‘cos we made bookings to go to Mandhoo, the spa restaurant tonight. Yipee, our first proper night out at a restaurant, as opposed to being cooped up in the canteen. Unfortunately, sometime mid-day, we were given the news that as a policy, staff wasn’t allowed to book private functions in restaurants during special occasions like these. So even though Mandhoo turned out to be pathetically empty, we couldn’t get a seat! What the?! @#$%!

So yep, again we ended up at Rangali…

They were all thrilled to receive their little gift packs, which makes me so very happy!

At the bar, they were serving up a special Valentine’s Day cocktail, complete with strawberries and a real flower swizzle stick. Very fancy!

Over at the restaurant, they also took some pains to decorate the place.

There was this rather dodgey balloon display, which this guest, Mr Beckham, first insisted I should pose with and later invited himself to star along. Hee hee, funny little old man…

And see the strange sculpture at left corner? The lights and a bottle of champagne stuck in the ice-block, and like what’s that supposed to signify?!?

The table setup was also slightly dressier than normal; napkins were arranged in a heart shape and a few rose petals adorn the table tops. And as modeled by Saany here, the waiters were also dressed in a different outfit than normal nights. Quite smart actually. And the red sash is a nice touch.

A couple more Rangali Bar boys – Adriano & Shaz.

And that was my Valentine’s Day. Simple and sweet. Yep, here we really learn to appreciate the simple life. Heh heh we have no choice. But hey, on this occasion, those of you who do reside in big cities, I sure hope you’re living it up! Dressed up to the nines, rose-petal strewn beds, bottles of bubbly, a huge couple jacuzzi and caviar and fondue at an ultra luxe restaurant, to say the very least. Live out my fantasy for me please! But most importantly, have a fabulous time with your special someone and yes, help spread a little luurve…

7 Feb 2007 — Let’s play “Guess the Body Part!”

No prizes for guessing right. These are my knees indeeed, after a minor mishap. One moment I was seeing at eye-level, the next, ground level. In my defence, it was dark okay?!

And has anyone noticed how when we fall, our first impulse is to immediately resume original position, pretend nothing has happened while ever so nonchalantly but quickly scanning our environment to make sure no one’s caught us in the act and ONLY when we have reassured ourselves the coast is indeed clear do we check our body to see how badly hurt we are?!? Oh… c’mon! I know I’m not the only vainpot out there!

Alamak… hopefully no scar, if not May wedding 就不美美了!

4 Feb 2007 — Oh wow, happy days. Just very recently, I was so fortunate as to have a Singaporean couple here at the resort and spa! Not just that, but they turn out to be the absolute sweetest loveliest people ever. Absolutely gorgeous! I must admit, when my receptionist first called me in the back office to say there’s a Singaporean couple who would like to meet me, I was like, “Huh? Erh… okay.” But within seconds, yep, absolute seconds(!) of meeting them, the winning smiles and embracing warmth of Chin Wen and Elaine just completely won me over. They made me feel so, so, so welcome! Erh, yah strange, like are they the guest or me?!? But that’s exactly how they made me feel. Really, they were so kind and friendly and warmhearted, I almost want to cry just recalling it (Cue: long sigh + melodramatic wipe of make-believe tear from eye).

Here they are. Don’t they look genuinely nice?

We just hit it off straight away, yakking at the reception desk until the therapist tore them away for their massages, and later when they were done, we continued chatting till damn(!) I had to go for my nutrition workshop. We made a pact to meet for drinks at Rangali Bar later that night, and once again, for a good solid four hours from 9pm till the bar closed at 1am, we were talking and talking about everything under the sun! This is a first for me I tell you, the last to leave the bar. Usually I’m in bed by 10/11+pm; in fact, just the other day, even my manager Tara told me I should get out more!?! Well, I definitely lived it up that night. I don’t know about Chin Wen and Elaine, but me, I was oblivious to everything and everyone around me apart from them. I was completely satisfied to bask and soak in pure, unadulterated Singaporeaness; shamelessly flaunting my Singlish and broken Mandarin like there was no tomorrow. Didn’t give a damn either that it was movie night, and to be heard, I had to practically scream at the top of my lungs. In fact, most people who know me should know that when I get excited, I naturally speak very loud AND FAST anyway. Yeah, I don’t really talk, I screech, and man… I was more than happy to do so that night.

There was really no subject left unturned. From the NKF saga to Ah Beng Ah Lian fashion, from how fighting fishes make excellent low maintenance pets to “Mee Siam mai hum, mai hum, mai hum, mai hum”, from old dusty secondary school teachers (such a small world, Chin Wen turned out to be not just a RV junior, but also a NJ junior! Hey Ade, you recognize him? From your year one.) to thwarted proposal plans, there was just no end to conversational topics. And you know what else? It was SO effortless, I didn’t have to try for a single sec, unlike at those tiresome guest cocktails, or come to think of it, it ’s even less tedious than meals in the staff canteen. Yep, these people I’ve barely known for 12 hours were turning out to be my bestest friends on the island!

And not just cause they are fellow Singaporeans, though needless to say that has a lot to do with it, but aside from that, this couple, they are the most unpretentious, genuine, down-to-earth people I’ve met in a looong time. One other thing that struck me was also how well-mannered they were. Like even though I’m staff and they are guests, not for one second did they treat me as anything less than a peer. I was particularly impressed by Chin Wen’s promptness at making others feel at ease; he was so very very considerate at all times. I kept thinking if I were his parents, I would be very proud to know that I’ve raised my son so well, such a gallant young man. But actually Elaine too, also very sweet in a quieter, more reserved sort of way. Haiyoh, 我们Singapore的年轻人真是年轻有为! And I’m not alone in my enthusiasm. They’ve certainly left a positive impression on other staff members as well, cause lots of people keep coming up to tell me that in their contact with Chin Wen & Elaine, they’ve found them to be perfectly amiable too. Even though we’re practically strangers, for some reason, I’m riding on their wave and beaming with pride. Yah lor, we Singaporeans are very likeable one…

Sadly though, my newfound source of joy was not to last. Barely have I gotten acquainted with them, and it was time to say goodbye. Yep, the very next day, they were on a flight back home. I got special permission from Tara to send them off at the air taxi platform. And of course, we made full use of whatever last few moments we had to continue with our incessant chatter. Haha! In fact, we were so 叽咱 that they were the last to board the plane, everyone else was already seated and waiting, oops! And with that, they were gone. Oh well… 不在乎天长地久，只在乎曾经拥有. Hopefully when they go back home, they can’t stop raving about the place to their family and friends, so before you know it, lots more Singaporeans will be heading this way! Heh heh, now that I’ve had a taste of kindred blood, I can’t get enough of it. So yes, take this as an open invitation to come all you people!

As for you, Chin Wen and Elaine, congrats again on your nuptials, and thanks for our short but sweet time here. I truly enjoyed your company. Hopefully we’ll see one another again in May! Take care and all the very best.

28 Jan 2007 — This is just a frivolous blog that I’ve wanted to put together for a while now, cause I’m absolutely, just absolutely blown away by the variety of fruits we get here at the resort. It’s definitely better than Sydney, and I’d say it almost supercedes Singapore save for a few items. So come come, let me show you the colourful world of fruits here at Hilton Maldives.

So first of all, very straightfoward, there’s the array from the breakfast buffet — and just in case you can’t quite make them out, let me start listing them for you: passionfruit, guava, papaya, honeydew, watermelon, rambutan, snakeskin fruit(?!?), pears, peaches… and on the other side, apricots, nectarines, oranges, red apples…

There are also longans, yep, fresh ones.

With a closer look, starfruit, kiwis and dragonfruit can also be detected. Yeah! Dragonfruit!??

At the breakfast buffet, there’s also the cheeseplatter.

Yes, Billie, you know how much of a sucker I am for this. But strangely now that I have ready access to it, it has lost its appeal. The only time I’ve had some was at Carsten’s X’mas party. So anyway, here we find strawberries, green grapes and red globes…

This would be my regular breakfast, though in most cases, it would be either the yoghurt or the rye bread with peanut butter and jam, not both together. And yes, this is a whole mish-mash fresh fruit salad…
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26 Jan 2007 — So funny, just the other day was talking to Shihui, who’s trying to visit for her birthday, and she said, “Eh, remember to update your blog.” Haha! Of course I’m very flattered that some of you are such devout readers, but people, I am living on an island you know… An island which takes only 20 minutes to circle on foot! Like, there really isn’t that much to do or talk about. You guys who live on substantial land masses should be the ones blogging so that people like me have something to occupy ourselves with! But okai… I’ll try to come up with something… hey, and speaking of which, it was GREAT to chat to someone from “home”. Thanks for calling Shihui! And I’m sorry I couldn’t get you the rooms. Man… I was SO SURE we had a few in hiding that we could definitely squeeze out, but geez, apparently we are COMPLETELY booked out till March. You know what that means, us staff will be kept on our toes till then. In a way it’s good, time passes a lot quicker.

So what’s been happening here in Rangali? Well, just last Saturday, we had our annual Team Party. Cause as expected, some staff had to work on New Year’s Day and hence couldn’t partake in the celebrations, to make up for that, the company actually organises a separate party at a later date, so that at least everyone gets a turn to par-teh! As it turns out, most of us staff agree this Team Party is waaay more fun than the NYE one anyway, so no big loss to those guys really.
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