Work Work Work, All the Time

So many things around me are in English that it’s easy to forget I’m in a foreign country, and not just in Hawaii or San Diego. The differences can be subtle, though, like trying to turn on the water in the morning. My whole life, I’ve known that the handle marked C is the one for cold water. And, apparently, I always check to make sure the other one says H just in case they both say C or whatever. When I look over and see an F, I’m drawn out of my American-centric views and reminded that we speak a different language here, and I’m a visitor. I like that feeling.

We took a bus to the office, which was an experience in itself. The speed with which things change from high class to poverty is astounding. After the interesting drive, we were brought up to the 4th floor of a fairly new building. The weather was decent, warm, though a little humid. The presentations went well, the team seemed to really get what we were saying to them.

During the presentations, the rain really started to kick in, and due to the metal roof on the building, the whole place echoed with the noise that only a tropical torrential rain can produce. Couple that with the thunder and lightning, and I definitely felt like I was in a different country. And, as if the weather wasn’t enough to remind me that we’re in a tropical paradise with volcanoes and hot springs nearby, the whole building shook with a minor earthquake, too. What more could you ask from a first day in a new country?

The talking went a little longer than I’d hoped, but by the end of the day, people were about ready to build ads, so I guess that’s a success and tomorrow should be fun and interesting. By the time the day was over, the storm had cleared and the sun came out to show us a gorgeous sunset.

We headed home, where I had a nice gin and tonic, got an amazing seafood platter for dinner, and then finished up a project I was supposed to complete today. Once that was done, I relaxed in the hot tub for a while, and here I am, winding down, enjoying the spacious, clean hotel room. The cleaning staff even extra-organized all of my toiletries for me. I had them somewhat structured, but they took the time to lay them out on a towel and space them evenly. Now that’s service.