First off, it might start with updating this blog a little more often.  I’ve held onto this thing for over two months now and all I have are a few entries about mundane activities that seem to take over my current life.  How to be more interesting??  I came with a small list in my head on how to improve my life and become a better person.

1. Start exercising.  Yes.  I finally started going back to the gym after giving 24 hour fitness a free $48 within the past two months I did not go.  For shame!  I am back to my exercise regimen of hamstering it up on the elliptical machine for an hour.  I will eventually include strength training as well because I need to lose a more-than-pesky 30 lbs from my body.  My petite Asian frame does not accommodate rolls very well.  I still enjoy junk food but I am consuming substantially less than I had before.  Okay, maybe with the exception of this weekend during which I gluttoned with a few of my buddies at the kbbq festival and Pink’s and then some.  (so ashamed…)

2. Sign up for a community service/volunteer program.  I’ve decided that a lot too much of my free time spent is in my pajamas watching gilmore girls or playing tetris.  A person who is successful does not waste any time; everyone lives the same 24 hours per day but it is what they do with those hours that makes all the difference.  I signed up for BBBS (Big Brother, Big Sister) program based of out LA but I got rejected due to the program being over-capacity.  Nevertheless, I am undaunted and will re-apply within 6 months and try to get matched again.

3.  Go out more often.  I am blessed with friends who love to have a great time, those who I can count on when I am bored or down.  Kbbq festivals, pink’s, random Hollywood hills adventures have been among my recent experiences.  It’s always important to go out and have fun outside the confinement of an apartment.  I have also been reconnecting with friends from high school and beyond – those I have not seen for over 5-6 years.

The list grows on and on as I live my life and find ways to make it better.  When I was in high school and even in college, I saw my life as if I had already lived it.  The illusion that I would be in class for an indefinite time in my life.  But it isn’t so…and I am only realizing now that my life is completely unwritten and it’s up to me to guide the comings and goings of my daily activities.  It’s far more exciting than I had ever realized.

I made it!!  After 12 straight grueling days of 9-10 hours of work per day, Saturday is finally here and my three day weekend begins!  Nonetheless I found myself waking up at 6am half expecting to have to get up and shower and go to work.

We had an excellent week with the interviews and things went so well that I believe they will be back again for their next event.  It’s nice to see that our hotel is doing the best out of the hotels in the area.  Just yesterday, when we thought that we were going to have an empty weekend, I received a call from a Scott Johnson, who was staying at our hotel this weekend,  looking for meeting space.  Turns out, he is the father of the Guitar Hero phenom Danny Johnson who holds the current record for the highest score in the game.  Below is the video of him playing:

Takes incredible manual dexterity to even play that fast – I wonder if Danny plays an instrument at all.  He’d have amazing fingers for the piano.

They will be hosting a gathering for people who want to come and watch him play Guitar Hero today at the hotel at 11am.  When I went up to their room to get the contract signed, I asked his mom, Lemon, what they were here for.  That was when she told me that her son was the record holder for the game Guitar Hero.  Their hotel room was strewn with game consuls, game cds and computers.  She proudly took out a plaque which read something to the effect of “Danny Johnson, World Record Holder for Highest Score” something or other.

Funny thing is I told the F&B Director about his and he replied, if that were my kid I’d smack him and tell him to go study.  HAHA.  GG.

I’m still in bed.  

Today is my 9th day of straight work.  At this point I am pretty numb,  and have come to terms with the fact that weekend is yet another three days away.  Things are going well (sort of) at work and I am just trying to keep my head above water and be patient for the weekend to throw me a lifesaver.

Because of this wretched schedule I find myself stuffing my face with a lot of junk lately.  Funyuns, yakisoba, burgers, pizza, soda, and candy are among my favorite things to inhale.  Not that they aren’t during times when I am otherwise UN-stressed..but I have been mindlessly grabbing these items and putting them in my mouth.  Sort of like how babies do it.

 15 more minutes and I’ll drag myself out of bed.  I promise.

Today as I was running around taking care of requests from our in-house group, I found myself telling the clients “No problem!” in a cheery voice every time they requested something.

Can we have our beverages set now, instead of at 8:30?  No problem!

Can we please make sure to refresh the rooms every few times throughout the day? No problem!

We need a house phone set in the registration area too… No problem!

It’s surprising how those two words just roll off the tongue so easily.  From early on during our childhood and early adulthood we hear this phrase over and over from our parents, from our peers, from our restaurant servers, that it just sticks and becomes a permanent and one of the most basic elements in our vocabulary.   

We all know our basic math principles; two negatives equal a positive.  This is true for basic math as well as basic grammar structure.  But all rules aside, the two words, no and problem, are negative words that combine to convey something thats meant to be positive…but how positive is it to say the words no and problem at all?  

I am not the only culprit; those who have worked any job in the customer service industry has said it at least three times during the course of their day.  I’ve had sales classes that remind us of this little boo-boo  and tries to coach us to begin saying “My pleasure.”   My pleasure seems a lot more alien to my tongue than No problem.  The words though carry a much more positive air than its damper counterpart.   Our goal is to always maintain a positive and can-do attitude towards our clients and guests and by choosing the words “My pleasure” over “No problem” already conveys that 1) there is no obstacle in getting the request fulfilled and 2) we are happy to do it.  

So why is it so hard to replace those two words?