Xoonco

I was going to be going to Charlotte, north Carolina for a three week training. I am going to have to be there right after Thanksgiving, the Monday after for three consecutive weeks. I really do not want to be away from home that time of year for three weeks. It is such a busy time of year with all the holiday preparations and family that comes into visit and everything else that goes on I am very unhappy that the training has to be all the way across the country this time of year. It really did not seem like our lives were being taken into consideration here but I suppose I have a job and should be happy about that and not complain. But I can’t help it.

I tried to talk the boss into booking rooms at Charlotte luxury hotels I mean at least if we have to be there just before the holidays at least they could put us up in some nice hotels and hotel rooms instead of the cheapest hotel they could find. Of course he didn’t hear that and was not going to spend a penny more than he absolutely had to. He actually booked us into a hotel that was only $50.00 a night, I was thinking this is just not going to be fun.

Well we did get luck after all. When we got to Charlotte we found the hotel we were supposed to be staying at had been closed due to a fire and there were no other hotels with vacancies for the three weeks but a 4 star luxury hotel. We were really happy to get the upgrade, even under these circumstances. I really wish I could have seen the look on the bosses face when he found out he was going to have to be spending the extra money on a nicer hotel for us during the three week training.

Well we made it through the training and I got some shopping done while there so the time off there was not a complete waste.

Upon waking late once again, I called down to the lobby of the Malaysian Hotel where I was staying to let them know I’d be checking out today. I was disappointed about not staying the whole three nights, but I had an urge to see more than what Melaka offers.

I looked around a few more sights in between checking out and catching my 5pm but. St. Paul’s church was situated upon a hill overlooking Melaka. It has not been kept up for over 150 years due to the Dutch building their own Christ church, a really nice red brick structure that I’d seen my first day here. The view from St. Paul’s church was really very nice, too bad no one bothered to restore it to it’s natural beauty.

My next destination was Taman Negara. It’s a pristine jungle, about 4500 square kilometers of wildlife. I’ve heard the journey there is difficult and the bus ride there is five hours heading north to Jerantut, which is a small town where I’ll be able to hire a boat that will take me into the park. While on the bus, I noticed this man who also was a guest at the same hotel where I was staying in Melaka, so I said hello. He introduced himself and said he was French-Vietnamese. We hit it off right away, which made the bus journey of five hours go by fast.

When we arrived in Jerantut, we both searched for a hotel for the night, it was already 9pm! As we approached a hotel, a young man appeared out of nowhere and asked if we were looking for accommodations. We told him where we planned to check in and he told us that the hotel closed down. Both of us were fully aware of this ploy, so we continued toward the hotel we both had in mind, but this young man kept following us, repeating that the hotel had closed down. When we got there, we quickly realized that he was telling us the truth! The hotel had closed down, it was still on the list in Lonely Planet! So, we ended up following this young man to his Malaysian hotel and the prices were decent, plus I could make travel arrangements right there at the front desk for my boat hire to the Taman Negara park the next morning.

Having your own personal spa has an appeal that speaks to a very old instinct to be floating in warm water.  It might just be the oldest instinct there is, speaking to the time before birth, and there’s something about water that speaks to the deepest parts of the human spirit.  Water is a healing energy that’s simply sensational on the skin, and when you add the jets for massage, it’s an experience that’s out of this world.  There are lots of health benefits to hottubs, and there are also lots and lots of reasons for having one in your own home.

The convenience of being able to take a soak whenever you like, whatever the season, whatever time of day, is a wonderful thing.  There’s a freedom to the spontaneity that’s made possible.  It also speaks to your own commitment to your own health, giving yourself permission to take care of yourself.  Being in water is a way of developing healthy sleep patterns, and there have been many recent studies to support the idea that a warm soak in a spa can help to induce a deeper sleep.  Sleep and water are related in a way that it’s related to birth.

There’s a fascinating relationship between water and birth, enough so that there are several organizations devoted to actual birth in water.  This idea, of course, is not new at all, but has been experiencing a kind of resurgence recently.  The idea of waterbirth is interesting here because there is a distinct connection between water and gentleness, and birth in water is a way of making the entrance into the world more welcome.  Your hot tub will have a similar effect on you, welcoming you to the end of your day, and into your real life.

It has been said that Barcelona Spain is a great place to fall in love. What many couples can testify to is that it is also a great place to already be in love. The beautiful Spanish city is enormously rich in history and culture and the amazing architecture and design of so many of its buildings creates and romantic atmosphere for many of the tourists who stay in the luxury Barcelona hotels every year.

Tony and Carrie are greatly aware of both of these romantic perspectives on the global city of Barcelona. Not only did they fall in love in Barcelona five years ago, but they have returned to celebrate their anniversary and are enjoying the city from the position of already being in love. And honestly, they believe that this is actually better than falling in love there.

Both of them were on vacation when they were in Barcelona five years ago. Carrie was there with her family and they spent a lot of time on the beach, as well as shopping and enjoying the great food in some of the local restaurants. Tony was there on vacation also, but he was with some of his friends. They too spent time on the beach, though Tony was very interested in the museums. An ironically, it was not the beach where they met, but an extremely chance encounter at the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art. Carrie was only there because her older sister dragged her to it. She really had never enjoyed museums, though in the last five years Tony has dragged her to enough that she now appreciates them and enjoys going. And she couldn’t have been more grateful to her sister than when she and Tony sat at the small café across from the MACBA and remembered their first meeting.

What a whirlwind  of sightseeing yesterday was, the guys at one of the Delhi India hotels where I was staying hooked me up with a driver. I was whisked around to most of the bigger points of interest and sights. I thought hiring the driver for eight hours would cover anything that might come up. He was really grateful when I had him drive me back to my hotel early. I mean, it was getting dark and I was really very tired.

I got to see a temple, one where I can’t remember the name, it was a newer one and I think it was Sikh. I saw the Indira Gandhi’s museum, it was her home and it was also where she was assassinated. Next I was taken to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination place, the Raj Ghat was marked with a black marble square and an eternal flame. There were lots of flowers all around it. I think having Gandhi as a last name is somehow not a good thing.  My driver then whisked me away to the Lotus Temple, Baha’i Faith and the building was fairly new. He took me to see the India Gate, which was built after World War II, and has all the names of the lost soldiers, it’s kind of like our Vietnam Memorial.  I got to do a little shopping at two very specific places, I think my driver got payola for taking me there. I didn’t mind because I bought some saris to take back home as souvenirs to all my friends and family.

Well, I know that didn’t seem like much, but it really was. I ran out of time and money, so I was ready to call it a day. When my driver took me back to my hotel, there was some festival starting up, I don’t remember what festival my driver told me it was, but I was still too tired to participate. All I remember is it was some Sikh’s birthday celebrated by all the Hindus. I feel bad that I have a hard time remembering the names of places and festivals, but it’s all so foreign to me. I’m sure if I heard the name, I would recognize it, but until then, sorry for being vague.

Oh I know your thinking Huntsville, Alabama?!? Why on earth would we go there. Well one reason is my wife did spend some time there growing up. For a period of time, from about 7 to 11 years old she lived with her grandmother in Huntsville and now that her grandmother has passed she was feeling the desire to go and see some of the old places again.

I thought going to Huntsville meant days of driving around past places my wife wanted to see, eating and getting some reading done. After all I did not think there was anything else to do there. Well I was wrong, more wrong than I could have imagined. We had our hotel room at hotels Huntsville and of course there were the usual brochures in the lobby of the attractions in the area. WOW I thought, we should have done some planning, bit here we were no plan in site.

We ended up going to the US Space and Rocket Center opened in the 1970′s the museum is full of information and artifacts regarding the space programs. It was fascinating and informative. One rainy afternoon we spent exploring the Huntsville Art Museum they have a lovely collection of fine and decorative arts and beautiful grounds that would have been really nice to walk around if not for the driving rains that afternoon. Another day we spent the morning at the Weeden House Museum. This mansion was built in 1819 and now houses the paintings done by Maria Weeden. The house was occupied by the Weeden family until the 1950′s.

Surprised at the variety of things to do in Huntsville we didn’t even begin to get to see what we were interested in. We will have to come back and see the Huntsville Botanical Gardens, the Harmony Safari Park, Constitution Village, The Clay House Museum, Cathedral Caverns State Park, The Railroad Museum, Lowery House and the Veterans memorial Museum. Who knew there was going to be more in Huntsville, Al then reading and grabbing a bite to eat?

Bilbao has been becoming one of the great tourist destinations in the world of late.  After a period of urban renewal, it now has a fantastic transit system, and its own Guggenheim museum.  It is one of the great cultural cities, and it has a remarkable past.  The largest city in Spain’s Basque country, this port town has an appeal and mystique that adds a sense of splendor and fascination to every street corner.  Its history as a port town likewise makes it a place with a long tradition of hospitality, and this is very much evident in the luxury hotels.  Bilbao has its own heartbeat, and it’s one that you’ll certainly catch on and enjoy once you start to set foot on these gorgeous streets.

Our hotels are carefully selected so that you will have the choice of some of the finest accommodations in the region, enjoying the splendor and the comfort of being provided with the best of contemporary and classical amenities.  With spacious and sumptuous rooms, stupendous cuisine prepared by top chefs, and excellent exercise facilities, you’ll have everything you need to begin your adventures, as well as a palace to return to at the end of every day.  Bilbao is a bit of a royal city on its own.  Its colorful past accompanies you as you check out the fascinating attractions here, and it would be nearly impossible to miss the Bilbao Guggenheim.  Designed by Frank Gehry, it is a massive construction, with a strange and elegant design that has been discussed by admirers and critics all over the world.

It’s fascinating to see the sculpture of the very esteemed Richard Serra as it works in the space.  His Snake was commissioned by the Guggenheim, and Gehry even admits that he designed this particular room with Serra in mind.  Have a look for yourself, and decide if you like it or not, then go and share your opinion.  Be a bit careful, as the responses will likely be very passionate in all directions, but will surely start some lively conversations.

One of the most incredible performances I’ve ever seen took place at an international theatre festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. The performance was of a Cantonese Opera by a company from Singapore. This was about twelve years ago and I had never seen anything that came close to it since. Meanwhile, I’ve seen a lot of great Western theatre and I have a great deal of respect for performers, directors and playwrights, well everyone involved in the production. And perhaps it’s not fair to compare what I see in the United States to the Singapore company. I don’t mean to imply an inherent superiority, which I do not believe exits, I mean that at the basic level they are completely different genres, and perhaps I just prefer the other. Or, never having seen a production of Cantonese Opera by a traditional company before, I may have just been amazed by due to its newness to me.

So, three months ago, when I had the opportunity to go to Singapore on a business trip, I absolutely jumped at the possibility, because it meant that I would be able to see a production right there and in their own theatre. And that’s exactly what I did. The first night there we had something of a company dinner at one of the best Singapore hotels that lasted well into the evening hours. It wasn’t until the second night that I actually got a seat in a theatre. And it was just as I expected, absolutely amazing. The performers were incredible, and many of them study for years to be able to make the intricate and symbolic movements. It is extremely subtle yet also seems to be direct sometimes. There is an incredible harmony between movement, expression and music that completely touches me. And there is a ritualized attention to detail in all areas of the performance, from the costumes to the make up and also the set pieces. I wondered what it would be like to grow up with this art being part of my heritage and tradition for me. And while I have a tremendous amount of respect for the opera and the performers, I also realize that I have an equal amount of respect for other forms of performance and theatre. Cantonese Opera has a strong inspirational effect on me though.

While many sports fans are not thinking of the customer service they will receive once they get to the game, it is certainly plays a role in their overall experience while they are there. An eager fan who is handing over their ticket for the basketball game game will definitely notice if their is an unexpected hold up in the line due to inattentive staff, or a venue that is entirely understaffed for the event. This is only the beginning of why sporting events can serve to demonstrate the value of customer service in all fields, and the various aspects of it that often go unnoticed by the consumer.

Steven Barbarich is one of the ethical and committed businesspeople in today’s market that understands that some of the most successful attention given to customer service is intended to remain unnoticed by the consumer. These early examples of service at a basketball game or other sporting event continue through the initial stages of the experience and include purchases at souvenir shops and concession stands. This is actually more important than what a lot of people who are randomly surveyed will realize, and in the increasingly competitive world market these details and an overall perspective on costumer satisfaction are becoming even more important. This is when the efforts that will go unnoticed by most consumers become some of the most important aspects of the service they receive. This always enters into the area of service, sales or event planning.

Interestingly, at sporting event such as basketball, the players themselves have the obligation of providing the one service that fans will be most passionate about, winning the game and making great plays. With this in mind, the establishment needs to be aware that only one team will win, and some of the fans are going to be disappointed with the end result. This means that the other aspects of the experience, the aspects that the venue or sponsor does have control over, take on even greater importance.

Receiving complaints into your organization and listening with compassion is the essential first step in dealing with customer complaints.  This information can be used to improve and eventually bring the complaint full circle by using customer complaint software to capture the information and and then solve the root problem. Customer feedback can then be used to drive improvements.   This can provide the information needed to ensure quality products and services, and also provide a way to build a lasting relationship with the customer. Read more at the Everest Best Practices in Customer Service blog.

My friends told me about the Black River Gorges located in a nature park in south Mauritius. So, I bought a map at the visitor center that wasn’t too far from my Mauritius luxury hotel. I pulled out my Lonely Planet book before I made the trip, and it told me that there’s nothing in the park, so I need to pack water and food. A good purchase that book; it’s come in handy way too many times.

I go to the supermarket early in the morning and get my favorite snacks and beverages. Salty and sweet, oh, I did get water too. Alright, yes, I bought a small bottle of rum, just in case I bumped into someone interesting. With my map in hand and my car hire all gassed up, off I go.  I find the entrance to the nature park and locate the visitor center there. It was open, but no one was inside. So, I just grabbed a brochure and began to read. There were warnings about the pests of Mauritius, like monkeys, cats and an occasional big spider.

It was about 10am when I actually started to hike. I don’t fast walk for long, I slow way down, the place it absolutely gorgeous. There was a couple coming back the other way and they told me that there’s no passing the water fall. I decide to keep on walking and come across the Black River, I still see the path, on the other side and it looks even more astounding that were I am. So I cross the river, crawling over pebbles and boulders. I reached the other side and walked passed the benches and beautiful trees and a few streams. About an hour into my hike, I find that there is no more path. Not even a deer trail. Total wilderness. I get quiet to listen to the sounded of pure nature.

I pull out my handy brochure from the visitor center and read that many hikers tend to get lost and most get discouraged due to the amount of crawling over rocks and walking through rivers, which is more strenuous than they anticipated. Yes, this wasn’t just a simple hike through nature, it was a crawl, mostly. So, I head on back. I can see why my friends raved about Black River, but they should’ve warned me about the difficulty of the hike.

Our plane landed in Bangkok around 08:00 and it took going through customs hours, but it went smoothly, what was really great was that I was the first person to get my luggage, now that’s a treat, but my friends luggage was last, that was a bummer. We easily found our way out of the airport and we immediately bombarded with taxi drivers, one followed us all the way to the bus stop. Plus, exiting the airport was a bit of a shock, the heat was very tangible and it was only 010:00!

Our bus ride was about 45 minutes and my first impression of Bangkok was that everywhere I looked there was contrast. Skyscrapers next to old small houses and commercial areas next to lush green fields. The air quality is pretty poor, so I’m glad I brought plenty of my asthma inhalants. Our bus dropped us off at our destination. There are plenty of top quality hotels in Bangkok, Thailand, so we had no problem finding the right one for us.  Our check in was a breeze and we couldn’t wait to unpack and take a look to see what’s nearby our hotel.

We were located around the old part of Bangkok, so we decided to walk through the Banglamphu area. We were aware of the scam artists telling us that a site is closed right now, but to come over to a place they know because it’s much better. We were told this at every site we came across. Fun that this ruse works, because we watched so many tourists fall for it. While we walked around, I got the feeling that Bangkok is the city of a thousand scents. Just within every few steps, we’d come across a new smell, soap, food, sewer and so on. That’s why pictures don’t do Bangkok justice. Pictures don’t bombard all your senses with noise, smells and heat!

I’m a twenty year old undergraduate who is studying English. As part of my degree requirements I have to take classes, and demonstrate proficiency in science, language, math and others. I was resistant to this, not because I felt stupid or couldn’t do the work or anything, but because my major is English and I want to be a short story writer. Well, interestingly, my perspective changed last semester, which is why I’m writing this, and now I am extremely supportive of this structure.

To satisfy one of my science classes I took biology. I had absolutely know interest in this and only took it because it sounded slightly more interesting than any of the others. I ended up sitting next to a girl, who was a biology major and we ended up becoming friends. Her name is Denise and she plans on becoming a marine biologist which will keep her in school quite a while after she gets her BS. This in itself intrigued me as I knew very little about the subject. What completely captivated me was when she told me about her trip to the Balearic Island of Menorca, and the dolphins she saw there.

Denise has been on three of the four major Balearic Islands that are located in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Spain. Majorca is the largest, while Ibiza is famous for its night clubs. On this trip she only visited Menorca and stayed in one of the best Menorca hotels. She had a great time on the island and visited most of the major landmarks. She spent a day at AquaRock, which according to Denise is an incredible aquatic park. Her favorite part of the trip though, was the guided tour she took around the island, which was also a dolphin sight seeing excursion. She loves these intelligent animals and was thrilled to see them playing freely in the beautiful open water.