A relocation
induced sabbatical and here I am in a new city within the comforts of a luxury starred hotel -
The hotel stay is always exaggerated if you are the top boss’ wife. The politest
wake up call to the array of newspapers and the warm fresh lime to start your
day with. You draw the curtains and the best view awaits you! Housekeeping guys are
on their toes and so are the laundry guys. The food and beverage guys are extra
sweet – with their best smile, best service and creative cocktails. The entire
hotel goes that extra mile to ensure the GM’s family is ‘happy’. The guest
relations girl will regularly call you and take your feedback on your stay (I
want to vanish!) The kitchen stirs you your customised menu and throws in that
extra water chestnuts in your stir-fry. They will bring you green apples and
blue cheese anywhere, anytime you want it. You won’t hear that signature ‘Sorry
Ma’am- We can’t do this, we can’t do that’. You want some fresh air and the most
polite driver drives you to the nearest mall for some recycled fresh air. He
acquaints you with the city and points out to some landmarks enroute to the
mall and back. He usually talks about his family and the little children that
he is blessed with. Everyone smiles at
you and your cheek bones hurt reciprocating. I just hope there is nothing plastic about it!
Talking about hotels and this gorgeous industry – I have seen it from very close proximity from both sides of the
counter. As a hoteliers wife and a traveller now and a flight attendant for
almost a decade earlier on- I have been through those airport to hotel transports, bell hops with
paging boards, security arches , fancy
welcome drinks, stiff and stuck up or sweet as honey guest relation girls,
those elevators where all the inmates look at the digital floor indicator with sad longing faces ,presidential
suites, innovative personal bars, sky
decks, and those miniature toiletries
that makes me a kleptomaniac every now
and then. I have seen it all.
As a young
girl as I knelt in prayer every evening – I was very prompt in applying what I
had read in those ‘prayers for girls’ booklet. I looked up to the heavens and asked
Mother Mary to bless me with a good spouse if ever I wanted to ditch
the plan of joining the nunnery :) I had my Plan B in place – my pact with the
Holy Family. The genuine prayer of a little
girl does not go unheard.
My prayer was
answered many years down the line – I met this hotelier and my life was not
going to be the same. Whoever said there is nothing called the free
lunches? Aspiring hoteliers like my
husband pampered by this industry in return to the inhuman hours they put in to
ensure smooth operation day in and day out. Been a pretty good run for him and playing the boss for a decade now.
So here I am in this new city not very happy but comfortable. - kids in a new school and hubby as usual happy and
super busy with his new job. I am
settling in a new place –I am lucky to have an old friend Nidhi living in the same city. She did make my
transition easy. We will be moving into our company leased pad
very soon– my fall back is again the hotel. No glitches and no struggles when you
relocate – how great is that and a
comfortable run till it is time for the
next relocation. I sure must be lucky- the housekeeping troupe was getting the house deep cleaned and they put up curtains
and made sure every tile was sparkly and clean. The engineers worked on every light
fixtures and turned my living room into a warm chandelier lit space. As I over
see the works in the starter home I get my fix of Darjeeling tea and cookies all
packed and delivered on time at my doorstep. A guy drilled the wall decors
in place and the hotel gardener racked and cleaned the empty garden patch where
I could start my very own patch of green. I spent the days at the new pad opening boxes and transforming
the house into a home. It is almost dusk and the kids are back in the hotel
from school –splashing in the warm jacuzzi. I am done and dusted for the day and
I go back to the hotel gazing at the the slightly familiar skyline.
I slump into the cushy sofa of our plush suite – the phone
rings and the therapist from the spa reminds me of my 6 pm appointment. My body
is used to the pampering and the kneading - from Balinese to Swedish to our
very own Ayurvedic. I am a hotelier’s wife! I better get
going. Before I go my suggestion and advice for girls vying for a snug and
comfortable life –get hitched with a go- getter hotelier with dream in his eyes.Your life
will be sorted. I wonder why Indians have been harping about engineers and
doctors all this while!!! Hoteliers rock!
A
modest hotelier’s modest wife…… 🙂
not quite cut out to fit in.... :)
