so yesterday i was begged to skip class, because i'm young and i need to live my life and i need to do things and have fun. i am so glad i didn't skip class. corporate analysis wasn't held in the classroom at one of the housing complexes as usual - it was in magic kingdom. our class was split into groups of five and we had to first go on the assigned ride and answer a few questions about it. after that we had sort of a treasure hunt to find hidden mickeys in specific locations and find out the answers to trivia questions. the last part was that we had to go downstairs in the tunnel and go on a computer and research some things on a disney website. it was pretty fun, and it was nice to hang out with the people from my class in not such a 'professional' environment. (i put professional in quotes because while we have to dress professionally and we're in the corporate analysis class, our teacher is amazing and totally laid back and it doesn't feel so blah.) after class was done, we hung out for a little while longer, and then i went and visited some of my main street friends that were working and got some more pictures, which was nice. after that, i came home and we had a movie night. we went and rented four movies but only ended up watching one. i don't know why we always set such high standards for movie nights. from the time i was a little kid and a movie night was planned, tons and tons of movies would be in the lineup and only one or two would ever get watched. it was nice to have a chill night in preparation for work today.
today i worked over eleven hours. it was my first day working since my assessment. for the majority of the day i was behind the counter, filling orders and serving guests there food, and helping them carry trays every so often when they had their hands full with children or lots of food. time went super fast there because i was always, always busy. around nine thirty i got a new assignment to hep close the dining room. i have definitely not worked that hard since i have gotten here. making the whole dining room "show ready" by cleaning tables, sweeping, cleaning the garbage cans, taking the garbage to the chute, and other tasks that resulted in me feeling absolutely disgusting, not feeling my feet, back aching and over exhausted. it really wasn't so bad when i was doing it but the after-effects are killing me. but to be honest, i really don't mind. i feel after just this one day of work, i can handle anything and my future jobs will be a breeze after having this to compare it to. and i really don't mind the hard work. i was expecting hard work when i came. it's the gross garbage all the time that gets to me. but i hear i'll get accustomed to it. when i got home and got in the shower, i didn't want to get out. i could've stayed in there forever. three months of this is definitely going to be physically taxing but i know it's going to be very beneficial.
anyways, i just wanted to write a quick post to update but sleep is my priority right now. only nine and a half hours tomorrow! missing barbados' beauty every day and i am so thankful i have such an amazing place to boast about when people ask me questions. it really is pituresque and it always brings a smile to my face. sending lots of love from disney!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
hollywood
yesterday was my day off. well sort of. i had class my guest service class in the morning. but this time, it wasn't at the usual classroom we normally go to; it was at the animal kingdom lodge, which was really interesting. i got a ride with a friend of mine instead of taking the bus. that worked out great, but because we didn't know where we were going, we left super early, and got there an hour early. but nonetheless, we made the most of it and went and got a quick breakfast and sat in the lobby and enjoyed it, while the rest of the class filtered in. we went under the hotel's tunnel into a huge boardroom where a class-like setting was created for us and we just talked about different services that the different types of resorts at disney world provide. after class, i was going to do my laundry and go to costuming to get new costumes since my costumes get so disgusting on a day since i swim in garbage (pretty much.) they definitely do not last as long as they did on perfectly clean mainstreet where the garbage smells like candy and chocolates (wise words from a friend of mine, which are actually very true.) i got the costumes, but couldn't be bothered to do my laundry since plans were made to go to the movies at downtown disney to see the lucky one.
the movie was great, and exactly my type of movie. funny thing is, i only read the book because of the movie trailer, but obviously, the book was way better. but still both were amazing, and as usual, i shed a few tears. i'm such a softie these days (years.) afterwards, we walked around downtown disney, which is always one of my favourite things to do. it's so simple but everything is so beautiful. i can't get enough. i told niza i wanted to live there, and while i thought she might have been a bit sad she figured she would just get two beds instead of one. we got hot chocolate from ghiradelli, which was nice because it was freezing outside! much like it is today. it has been so chilly the past couple days and it's so annoying. it's nearly may! and silly me for thinking that i wouldn't need a coat for my new costume this time of year, right?
my assessment for training was today. work was scheduled from 9.15 in the morning until 5.45 this eveneing, which was really upsetting because 'night of stars' was on tonight at hollywood studios, which is a talent competition for all the students on the college and international programs only. our trainer today was a little old lady called gwen. she was such a trip. she was so confused and me and my other friends that i was in training with couldn't help but laugh. she was crazy. she was shorter than all of us, and had gray long hair that she obviously took the time to curl because it bounced with pride every step she took. we (i) kind of took the mickey out of her (been trying to fit that in somewhere since i've been at disney because it's just hilarious) because she was giving us a tour of frontierland and adventureland where our restaurants are (even though we already had one,) and was taking us to all the different stores and attractions and we told her we wanted to do so many things, like take pictures with pooh and tigger, and ride splash mountain and pirates of the caribbean, and she went and was talking to all the attendants asking if it was okay. she was a bit afraid to do splash mountain, and didn't want to wait in line to take pictures with pooh, so she took us to pirates of the caribbean. and i think she was excited because she hadn't been on since before it was refurbished, but she refused to sit on the end, so she sat herself awkwardly in between me and my two other friends. and since she was sitting next to me, i excitedly pointed out everything to her, as if a child was sitting next to me in awe at the ride. she teased us about getting an er (early release) because the manager's assessment usually didn't take long so we were so excited that we might have been able to get to go to night of stars, but then she broke the news to us that the assessment wasn't until three in the afternoon. even though we were a bit disappointed, she made it a little bit better by taking us to the country bear jamboree (which is the most boring show ever, but it wasn't so bad since we were technically at work.) after that she told us we needed our break, which was kind of funny because it was as if we were working hard all day. but clearly, we didn't complain and we took our break happily and ate together in the mousketeria, where we chatted and chatted, finding out about each other and each other's countries (barbados, mexico and china - quite an international group, eh?) after break, we had our written assessment, which was multiple choice and it was a breeze. we flew by that, and then the manager came in for the little chat, which was his assessment. he asked questions, and i was a bit nervous, which ended up in me being more talkative than normal, and he eventually told the others not to be afraid to talk. he then gave us a quick assignment (whereby we had to look around the restaurant and find one good thing and one bad thing tying into the basics (safety, courtesy, show and efficiency), and report back to him.) after that, he said he deemed us assessed and let us go. little miss gwen gave us our er and we still had time to make it to night of stars, which started at 6.
after the bus ride home, we got off at our respective stops and rushed to get ready and my friend met me at my bus stop a little while after with his friends. we took a special bus to the night of stars location in hollywood studios, and when we parked, we were greeted by a friendly cast member who told us that it was full. even though we didn't get to see the talent competition, we were still in hollywood studios and could still make good use of our time. it was just me and the boys, and they were astonished by the fact that i had never done tower of terror, which of course they made me do. i was so nervous waiting and the ride was insane. they kept scaring me and jumping me making me think something else was going to happen, but it really wasn't that bad. it gives you such a unique feeling and energy that i would imagine is hard to feel anywhere else. everytime the elevator dropped down, i felt my hair flying up, and my feet wouldn't even stay secure on the ground. but it was a good thrill. after that we got something quick to eat, and then we went to watch fantasmic, which is an illuminated show, with characters, including mickey, who of course is the star. the show was packed with thousands of people and we had to stand but it was okay. the show was incredible, and the music that went with it definitely triggered a little emotion, as all the disney shows seem to do. my favourite part, was when some of the princesses and their princes sail around the little lagoon or whatever it is on boats, dancing to a mixture of the princesses' movie songs. it was beautiful. afterwards, we went to do tower of terror again, but it was closed. so we headed back to the bus stop to get the bus home, which was so crowded since everyone was at hollywood studios. we managed to get on the bus, but we couldn't sit and i felt exhausted. but the day was so good. i laughed constantly and i met new people, which i always love, and i answered tons of questions about barbados and myself, which i never really have a problem with either. still, no one believes two things about me: one, that i'm eighteen. and two, that i'm from barbados because i'm so white. one guy said "i understand that you're not black, but you don't even have a little tan." that one cut like a knife. i know i can't tan! i'm kidding, i don't really care, but it's so funny because no one believes anything i say about myself. i probably could tell people anything now. i may just try that game. i continue to have great times and alongside that, i continue to miss my family and friends and i hope everyone is still safe and is laughing lots and lots. love to everyone, as always.
the movie was great, and exactly my type of movie. funny thing is, i only read the book because of the movie trailer, but obviously, the book was way better. but still both were amazing, and as usual, i shed a few tears. i'm such a softie these days (years.) afterwards, we walked around downtown disney, which is always one of my favourite things to do. it's so simple but everything is so beautiful. i can't get enough. i told niza i wanted to live there, and while i thought she might have been a bit sad she figured she would just get two beds instead of one. we got hot chocolate from ghiradelli, which was nice because it was freezing outside! much like it is today. it has been so chilly the past couple days and it's so annoying. it's nearly may! and silly me for thinking that i wouldn't need a coat for my new costume this time of year, right?
my assessment for training was today. work was scheduled from 9.15 in the morning until 5.45 this eveneing, which was really upsetting because 'night of stars' was on tonight at hollywood studios, which is a talent competition for all the students on the college and international programs only. our trainer today was a little old lady called gwen. she was such a trip. she was so confused and me and my other friends that i was in training with couldn't help but laugh. she was crazy. she was shorter than all of us, and had gray long hair that she obviously took the time to curl because it bounced with pride every step she took. we (i) kind of took the mickey out of her (been trying to fit that in somewhere since i've been at disney because it's just hilarious) because she was giving us a tour of frontierland and adventureland where our restaurants are (even though we already had one,) and was taking us to all the different stores and attractions and we told her we wanted to do so many things, like take pictures with pooh and tigger, and ride splash mountain and pirates of the caribbean, and she went and was talking to all the attendants asking if it was okay. she was a bit afraid to do splash mountain, and didn't want to wait in line to take pictures with pooh, so she took us to pirates of the caribbean. and i think she was excited because she hadn't been on since before it was refurbished, but she refused to sit on the end, so she sat herself awkwardly in between me and my two other friends. and since she was sitting next to me, i excitedly pointed out everything to her, as if a child was sitting next to me in awe at the ride. she teased us about getting an er (early release) because the manager's assessment usually didn't take long so we were so excited that we might have been able to get to go to night of stars, but then she broke the news to us that the assessment wasn't until three in the afternoon. even though we were a bit disappointed, she made it a little bit better by taking us to the country bear jamboree (which is the most boring show ever, but it wasn't so bad since we were technically at work.) after that she told us we needed our break, which was kind of funny because it was as if we were working hard all day. but clearly, we didn't complain and we took our break happily and ate together in the mousketeria, where we chatted and chatted, finding out about each other and each other's countries (barbados, mexico and china - quite an international group, eh?) after break, we had our written assessment, which was multiple choice and it was a breeze. we flew by that, and then the manager came in for the little chat, which was his assessment. he asked questions, and i was a bit nervous, which ended up in me being more talkative than normal, and he eventually told the others not to be afraid to talk. he then gave us a quick assignment (whereby we had to look around the restaurant and find one good thing and one bad thing tying into the basics (safety, courtesy, show and efficiency), and report back to him.) after that, he said he deemed us assessed and let us go. little miss gwen gave us our er and we still had time to make it to night of stars, which started at 6.
after the bus ride home, we got off at our respective stops and rushed to get ready and my friend met me at my bus stop a little while after with his friends. we took a special bus to the night of stars location in hollywood studios, and when we parked, we were greeted by a friendly cast member who told us that it was full. even though we didn't get to see the talent competition, we were still in hollywood studios and could still make good use of our time. it was just me and the boys, and they were astonished by the fact that i had never done tower of terror, which of course they made me do. i was so nervous waiting and the ride was insane. they kept scaring me and jumping me making me think something else was going to happen, but it really wasn't that bad. it gives you such a unique feeling and energy that i would imagine is hard to feel anywhere else. everytime the elevator dropped down, i felt my hair flying up, and my feet wouldn't even stay secure on the ground. but it was a good thrill. after that we got something quick to eat, and then we went to watch fantasmic, which is an illuminated show, with characters, including mickey, who of course is the star. the show was packed with thousands of people and we had to stand but it was okay. the show was incredible, and the music that went with it definitely triggered a little emotion, as all the disney shows seem to do. my favourite part, was when some of the princesses and their princes sail around the little lagoon or whatever it is on boats, dancing to a mixture of the princesses' movie songs. it was beautiful. afterwards, we went to do tower of terror again, but it was closed. so we headed back to the bus stop to get the bus home, which was so crowded since everyone was at hollywood studios. we managed to get on the bus, but we couldn't sit and i felt exhausted. but the day was so good. i laughed constantly and i met new people, which i always love, and i answered tons of questions about barbados and myself, which i never really have a problem with either. still, no one believes two things about me: one, that i'm eighteen. and two, that i'm from barbados because i'm so white. one guy said "i understand that you're not black, but you don't even have a little tan." that one cut like a knife. i know i can't tan! i'm kidding, i don't really care, but it's so funny because no one believes anything i say about myself. i probably could tell people anything now. i may just try that game. i continue to have great times and alongside that, i continue to miss my family and friends and i hope everyone is still safe and is laughing lots and lots. love to everyone, as always.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
so far so good
there must be a storm or something going on outside, because it is the first time i have heard the rain from inside my apartment since i got here. i can hear the thunder and see the lightning as well, so it must be crazy out there. thank god i got home when i did or i would've been stuck trying to shelter. currently, the weather on my computer says it's cloudy. you can see how misleading that can be, and how annoying it is when i try to find out daily forecasts.
i just completed my last day of training, and so far so good. my first day on my own is tomorrow, for just six hours and then the next day is my assessment day. the day after that, the hard work starts and i'll be working eleven hours, and ten hours the day after that. i gotta brace myself, as i've never worked that many hours at disney before. on my first day of training i was trained in tortuga, which i mentioned before in my last post. day two was counter at pecos bill. training for pecos has to be divided into three days since it's so big. the counter really wasn't as difficult as i thought it was going to be. doing the drinks wasn't that tough either. granted, every time it was time for us to practice on stage, it was relatively quiet, but that's okay. yesterday, the third day of training was the toppings bar, or what we call the fixings bar since we're apparently western themed, don't mind we're all dressed like mexicans (not to steriotype, just how mexicans used to dress 'back in the day.') today, was the dining room. today was a lot of garbage. literally. we had to learn all the trash runs, and clean the most disgusting things i have ever seen in my life. (i'm probably exaggerating a little bit, but seriously, i wish you could try what we have to do just one day so you'd understand.) also, we learned how to greet guests (when we're 'greeter 1' we have to use a puppet and a cowbell,) and how to clean the dining room after guests as well. while it seems like a horrid job, i had a lot of fun tonight with the other people i was training with, and our trainer was hilarious. i don't think he meant to be funny, but he was very stern and straight forward, but made the funniest innappropriate jokes. he was great. i laughed a lot tonight.
so far, in all my training days, i have seen friends from main street who happened to come in for food. it was great to see them briefly, and i will definitely be going back to pick up some extra shifts because i really miss it! but so far it's not as bad as everyone told me it was going to be, but i guess i haven't really started yet. but so far, so good!!
p.s. for those of you who don't know, ben got his license & i can imagine how excited he must be! he's only been chomping at the bit since the day he knew what a car was! so good job ben! i'm proud of ya. drive safe and have fun. i know you'll be more than eager to do anyone's chores and errands for them, so between now and july, i'll create a huge list of places i need you to go for me;) hope everyone's doing well! xoxo
i just completed my last day of training, and so far so good. my first day on my own is tomorrow, for just six hours and then the next day is my assessment day. the day after that, the hard work starts and i'll be working eleven hours, and ten hours the day after that. i gotta brace myself, as i've never worked that many hours at disney before. on my first day of training i was trained in tortuga, which i mentioned before in my last post. day two was counter at pecos bill. training for pecos has to be divided into three days since it's so big. the counter really wasn't as difficult as i thought it was going to be. doing the drinks wasn't that tough either. granted, every time it was time for us to practice on stage, it was relatively quiet, but that's okay. yesterday, the third day of training was the toppings bar, or what we call the fixings bar since we're apparently western themed, don't mind we're all dressed like mexicans (not to steriotype, just how mexicans used to dress 'back in the day.') today, was the dining room. today was a lot of garbage. literally. we had to learn all the trash runs, and clean the most disgusting things i have ever seen in my life. (i'm probably exaggerating a little bit, but seriously, i wish you could try what we have to do just one day so you'd understand.) also, we learned how to greet guests (when we're 'greeter 1' we have to use a puppet and a cowbell,) and how to clean the dining room after guests as well. while it seems like a horrid job, i had a lot of fun tonight with the other people i was training with, and our trainer was hilarious. i don't think he meant to be funny, but he was very stern and straight forward, but made the funniest innappropriate jokes. he was great. i laughed a lot tonight.
so far, in all my training days, i have seen friends from main street who happened to come in for food. it was great to see them briefly, and i will definitely be going back to pick up some extra shifts because i really miss it! but so far it's not as bad as everyone told me it was going to be, but i guess i haven't really started yet. but so far, so good!!
p.s. for those of you who don't know, ben got his license & i can imagine how excited he must be! he's only been chomping at the bit since the day he knew what a car was! so good job ben! i'm proud of ya. drive safe and have fun. i know you'll be more than eager to do anyone's chores and errands for them, so between now and july, i'll create a huge list of places i need you to go for me;) hope everyone's doing well! xoxo
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
new day one
yesterday me and two of my main street friends were in paradise. we went to epcot and explored even more. during the time there, we went and ate lunch (slash dinner) at an italian restaurant. lord have mercy. focusing on the menu was near to impossible as every single man working there (who are real italians) were beyond attractive. we were like kids in a candy store, beyond excited. we sat there, more than content, eating our lunch with goofy smiles on our faces. we also went to germany, where even more cute guys were hiding in the shops in the back. we were all giddy with excitement, not even caring about any other countries other than those two. but of course, the day wouldn't be complete without me embarrassing myself. multiple times. one time i yelled out "where's marco?!" who is this guy i remembered seeing in italy last time i went to epcot, and of course, as soon as i said his name, he walked right past, greeting us with a lovely "ciao, regazzi." secondly, i was looking at some beaded bracelets, and i pulled the entire shelf down. my friends obviously could have helped me, but they stood up laughing at me, while i struggled to get all the bracelts back on the shelf. thirdly, i walked straight into a pole, hitting my head. but after eighteen years, i am quite accustomed to embarrassing myself in public accidentally, that i was barely even phased. friends of mine were going out last night, and of course, the only day i had training for my new job super early in the morning was this morning, so i was a good girl, and went to bed early.
waking up at six am this morning was brutal, but i took it well, and only snoozed my alarm twice. i got ready in my new costume and headed off to my first day of training. i was early and was the only person training for peco's billl/tortuga tavern. peco's bill is the main restaurant i'll be working at, one of the top five busiest restaurants in the world apparently, which is in frontierland. tortuga tavern is in adventureland, opposite pirates of the caribbean. backstage, they are very close to each other, and i'll wear the same costume for both. today i trained for tortuga, and i started in the kitchen, where i learned to prep some very easy things that they serve. then i moved to the counter outside, where there are like four different tasks i had to learn, and believe it or not, getting the drinks orders was the most challenging. you have to be very quick and know when to clear the computer screen in time to show that you've completed an order and know how to distinguish the cups right so that everyone else knows which drink is which. that was definitely the toughest part. everything is so drastically different from main street, especially the break room. in the main street break room, there are tons of big tables, tons of vending machines and a little store to buy microwavable food and other things that you can't get in the vending machines. in the peco's break room, there are two vending machines, six little tables and a bathroom with one toilet. main street had a huge bathroom with many toilets. i'm sure i will get the hang of things soon and will like it soon. a cool thing about working at tortuga, is that we have the option to get a scar painted on our faces, to keep the theming of pirates going. i can't guarantee that i will always do that, because working in the counter gets pretty hot since all the heaters are on too keep the food warm. but it does look pretty cool.
the best part of my day was when i was leaving, i was walking in the tunnel (which is a long walk,) and a guy in a little car thing that transports goods (don't know what it's called,) offered me a ride. so that was exciting.
i have the day off tomorrow, besides a couple hours of class in the middle of the day, but i'm still nervous for day two of training, which is actually in peco's bill. but fingers crossed it will be alright. i miss main street but am looking forward to all the new beginnings...
waking up at six am this morning was brutal, but i took it well, and only snoozed my alarm twice. i got ready in my new costume and headed off to my first day of training. i was early and was the only person training for peco's billl/tortuga tavern. peco's bill is the main restaurant i'll be working at, one of the top five busiest restaurants in the world apparently, which is in frontierland. tortuga tavern is in adventureland, opposite pirates of the caribbean. backstage, they are very close to each other, and i'll wear the same costume for both. today i trained for tortuga, and i started in the kitchen, where i learned to prep some very easy things that they serve. then i moved to the counter outside, where there are like four different tasks i had to learn, and believe it or not, getting the drinks orders was the most challenging. you have to be very quick and know when to clear the computer screen in time to show that you've completed an order and know how to distinguish the cups right so that everyone else knows which drink is which. that was definitely the toughest part. everything is so drastically different from main street, especially the break room. in the main street break room, there are tons of big tables, tons of vending machines and a little store to buy microwavable food and other things that you can't get in the vending machines. in the peco's break room, there are two vending machines, six little tables and a bathroom with one toilet. main street had a huge bathroom with many toilets. i'm sure i will get the hang of things soon and will like it soon. a cool thing about working at tortuga, is that we have the option to get a scar painted on our faces, to keep the theming of pirates going. i can't guarantee that i will always do that, because working in the counter gets pretty hot since all the heaters are on too keep the food warm. but it does look pretty cool.
the best part of my day was when i was leaving, i was walking in the tunnel (which is a long walk,) and a guy in a little car thing that transports goods (don't know what it's called,) offered me a ride. so that was exciting.
i have the day off tomorrow, besides a couple hours of class in the middle of the day, but i'm still nervous for day two of training, which is actually in peco's bill. but fingers crossed it will be alright. i miss main street but am looking forward to all the new beginnings...
Saturday, April 14, 2012
byebye main street
of course a few tears were shed tonight, on my last night working on main street usa. besides me getting a little emotional on my last bumpout, when i clocked out for the last time, and during a couple conversations, today was a great day. i worked with all my favourite people (even though a few weren't there,) and even though i kept thinking it was my last time doing certain things, i still enjoyed every second. after i clocked out, i went and changed and went into all my stores as a guest, just chatting with everyone and taking pictures. i gave in my pin lanyard, and it's so weird that i won't have to trade or show guests my pins every thirty seconds. working on main street was so much better than i could have every dreamed. i've fallen in love with every single cast member i worked with and i miss everyone so much already. the halfway mark of my program has come, and it's very bittersweet - i don't know if to be sad or to be happy. i'm definitely happy with all the great people i've met, and the things i've learned, and the experience i had and i would not trade it for anything. despite all the negativity about my new role, i will remain optimistic about this new adventure in the second half of my program.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
resort hopping
today was a wonderful day. even though it was exhausting for some reason, it was completely relaxing at the same time. we went resort hopping. we woke up early, at like eight (niza woke up at eight fifteen, but made me wake up earlier because i always have to try on more than one outfit before i go back to the first thing i originally had on to start with.) the day ended a bit crappy (pun definitely intended,) since we came home to a less than special treat, of a clogged/overflowing toilet. i just thank god it wasn't my bathroom!
so. today. niza and i woke up at eight, leaving the party animal sleeping beauties to their rest and headed over to disney's animal kingdom lodge. the bus ride was so long. tons of cast members who work at animal kingdom, and i seriously thought that by now i would have gotten accustomed to their costumes, but i honestly feel sorry for them. their costumes are absolutely ridiculous, but they're so fun. (i guess.) when we got off at the bus stop for the resort, we were the only people on the bus besides an australian girl, who very kindly showed us the way to the lobby. we actually went through the back entrance that is for cast members, and she guided us to the beyond beautiful lobby. the lobby was made to have a natural feel, but it is so classy. so breathtaking. disney's animal kingdom lodge is actually on a savannah and has animals roaming around, even though we didn't really see any animals at first. we roamed around a little bit, and found ourselves downstairs we got some juice and coffee and continued to explore outside by the pool, where we saw some flamingos and ducks. afterwards, we went back inside and explored the resort. niza kept saying she was looking for giraffes, and i argued with her and told her that we weren't going to find any because it was a hotel, not a zoo. but she, being 'dora la exploradora,' kept roaming around. we finally opened a door that led to an outdoor staircase, and at first glance it looked like the regular savannah grounds again, but then when we went out on the balcony, we saw giraffes and zebras! we were so excited! after about two minutes, they all roamed away, behind another wall of the hotel, so we couldn't see them anymore, but we were very determined and we explored inside again until we saw them again, but this time through a window. we also went in the gift shop and played with all the instruments they had for sale and tried on hats and of course i wanted everything, but i didn't buy anything. self control my friends, self control.
after animal kingdom, we took the bus to magic kingdom. the bus ride was long, and not the most pleasant of bus rides, because we were forced to stand up due to the bus being packed with people! and the person i was standing in front of (who was sitting down) was a giant with huge knees, and it was highly uncomfortable. but nonetheless, we got to magic kingdom safe and sound, and we took our time, and made our way to the boat launch. one of the lovely things about today was we took our time doing everything. if we went and played in a park, we would've been rushing, and speed-walking like crazy. but it was slow paced and perfect. we took the boat over to the polynesian resort, which again was beautiful with its hawaii theme. approaching the resort from the lake, you see a volcano, which is the poolside bar, the pool and a little beach, fully equipped with beach chairs and hammocks. it looks like a nice place to chill out, but i can't guarantee that i would go in that green water. when we got off the boat, to our right was a little area where guests can rent these little boats and drive around. of course i had to ask for the information for when my family comes up in june, because i'm sure dad and ben would enjoy that. we walked into the hotel and everyone greeted us with a happy 'aloha,' which was nice. we wandered around and looked at the shops, and what the resort had to offer. the lobby also was magnificent, with a gorgeous waterfall in the middle surrounded by tons of plants and flowers. so pretty. after we aimlessly walked around, enjoying everything, we went and got a quick lunch at their quick service restaurant, captain cooks. from there, the two mariajoses and jazmin joined us. we waited for them to finish their lunch, and again we explored a little bit, niza and i leading them to the lobby since we knew the way already. we played in the merchandise stores and sang along to the music playing and it was great. afterwards we took the boat back over to the grand floridian.
the grand floridian speaks for itself. it is very grand, and very fancy. we went straight to the pool area, where we sat at the bar and had a pina colava, which is rasberry mixed with pina colada mix. it was delicious and we just sat there, enjoying each others company, feeling very relaxed and classy at the resort. after that, we went to the lobby area. as soon as we walked in, we all immediately felt royal, or as if we were on the titanic or something along those lines. it is insane. it's a bit too fancy than i like, but it is so beautiful. the lobby is huge with high ceilings and a grand piano in the middle, and a floor up, their is a band playing classical music for everyone to enjoy. we went upstairs where the merchandise stores overlook the gigantic lobby. when we were finished playing in the stores, having the time of our lives, we looked down onto the lobby, where a recently married couple were taking pictures. it was gorgeous. the bride looked like a princess.
after the grand floridian, we went over to the boardwalk resort. i actually did not know that the boardwalk was a resort, i thought it was just a boardwalk. we walked through the resort, out onto the boardwalk, which is now one of my favourite places. it looks like it could be the sixties when you walk outside, with the perfectly designed old fashioned shops and everything. i think you can automatically feel relaxed and happy when you go to the boardwalk. it is so quaint and such a fun place to just sit or walk around or do anything really. we went into the candy store, where we got ice cream. and we sat outside together chatting, and people watching. after we were finished, we walked around the boardwalk, over to the yacht club. the outside of the yacht club is so nice, equipped with a lighthouse. and obviously, in keeping with the whole nautical theme, i was reminded of my family again. we went inside to use the bathroom, and i fell in love. it is definitely the type of place my family would love to stay. perfectly suited, it was as if it was made especially for my dad. i wish i could have gone and seen more of the resort, including the rooms, but we were all exhausted, and it was definitely time to head home. after sort of getting lost trying to find our housing bus, we decided to take the bus to magic kingdom and then we would take the bus from there to go home.
we're now all home, unwinding and overcome by exhaustion, but we had such a beautiful day. we really feel like family and it was so nice to just be in each others company, laughing and joking and just being together all day long. tonight, i guarantee is going to be an early night, because i can barely keep my eyes open. happiness is definitely getting the better of me and i am always looking forward to everything else i'm going to do. kisses and hugs to everyone.
so. today. niza and i woke up at eight, leaving the party animal sleeping beauties to their rest and headed over to disney's animal kingdom lodge. the bus ride was so long. tons of cast members who work at animal kingdom, and i seriously thought that by now i would have gotten accustomed to their costumes, but i honestly feel sorry for them. their costumes are absolutely ridiculous, but they're so fun. (i guess.) when we got off at the bus stop for the resort, we were the only people on the bus besides an australian girl, who very kindly showed us the way to the lobby. we actually went through the back entrance that is for cast members, and she guided us to the beyond beautiful lobby. the lobby was made to have a natural feel, but it is so classy. so breathtaking. disney's animal kingdom lodge is actually on a savannah and has animals roaming around, even though we didn't really see any animals at first. we roamed around a little bit, and found ourselves downstairs we got some juice and coffee and continued to explore outside by the pool, where we saw some flamingos and ducks. afterwards, we went back inside and explored the resort. niza kept saying she was looking for giraffes, and i argued with her and told her that we weren't going to find any because it was a hotel, not a zoo. but she, being 'dora la exploradora,' kept roaming around. we finally opened a door that led to an outdoor staircase, and at first glance it looked like the regular savannah grounds again, but then when we went out on the balcony, we saw giraffes and zebras! we were so excited! after about two minutes, they all roamed away, behind another wall of the hotel, so we couldn't see them anymore, but we were very determined and we explored inside again until we saw them again, but this time through a window. we also went in the gift shop and played with all the instruments they had for sale and tried on hats and of course i wanted everything, but i didn't buy anything. self control my friends, self control.
after animal kingdom, we took the bus to magic kingdom. the bus ride was long, and not the most pleasant of bus rides, because we were forced to stand up due to the bus being packed with people! and the person i was standing in front of (who was sitting down) was a giant with huge knees, and it was highly uncomfortable. but nonetheless, we got to magic kingdom safe and sound, and we took our time, and made our way to the boat launch. one of the lovely things about today was we took our time doing everything. if we went and played in a park, we would've been rushing, and speed-walking like crazy. but it was slow paced and perfect. we took the boat over to the polynesian resort, which again was beautiful with its hawaii theme. approaching the resort from the lake, you see a volcano, which is the poolside bar, the pool and a little beach, fully equipped with beach chairs and hammocks. it looks like a nice place to chill out, but i can't guarantee that i would go in that green water. when we got off the boat, to our right was a little area where guests can rent these little boats and drive around. of course i had to ask for the information for when my family comes up in june, because i'm sure dad and ben would enjoy that. we walked into the hotel and everyone greeted us with a happy 'aloha,' which was nice. we wandered around and looked at the shops, and what the resort had to offer. the lobby also was magnificent, with a gorgeous waterfall in the middle surrounded by tons of plants and flowers. so pretty. after we aimlessly walked around, enjoying everything, we went and got a quick lunch at their quick service restaurant, captain cooks. from there, the two mariajoses and jazmin joined us. we waited for them to finish their lunch, and again we explored a little bit, niza and i leading them to the lobby since we knew the way already. we played in the merchandise stores and sang along to the music playing and it was great. afterwards we took the boat back over to the grand floridian.
the grand floridian speaks for itself. it is very grand, and very fancy. we went straight to the pool area, where we sat at the bar and had a pina colava, which is rasberry mixed with pina colada mix. it was delicious and we just sat there, enjoying each others company, feeling very relaxed and classy at the resort. after that, we went to the lobby area. as soon as we walked in, we all immediately felt royal, or as if we were on the titanic or something along those lines. it is insane. it's a bit too fancy than i like, but it is so beautiful. the lobby is huge with high ceilings and a grand piano in the middle, and a floor up, their is a band playing classical music for everyone to enjoy. we went upstairs where the merchandise stores overlook the gigantic lobby. when we were finished playing in the stores, having the time of our lives, we looked down onto the lobby, where a recently married couple were taking pictures. it was gorgeous. the bride looked like a princess.
after the grand floridian, we went over to the boardwalk resort. i actually did not know that the boardwalk was a resort, i thought it was just a boardwalk. we walked through the resort, out onto the boardwalk, which is now one of my favourite places. it looks like it could be the sixties when you walk outside, with the perfectly designed old fashioned shops and everything. i think you can automatically feel relaxed and happy when you go to the boardwalk. it is so quaint and such a fun place to just sit or walk around or do anything really. we went into the candy store, where we got ice cream. and we sat outside together chatting, and people watching. after we were finished, we walked around the boardwalk, over to the yacht club. the outside of the yacht club is so nice, equipped with a lighthouse. and obviously, in keeping with the whole nautical theme, i was reminded of my family again. we went inside to use the bathroom, and i fell in love. it is definitely the type of place my family would love to stay. perfectly suited, it was as if it was made especially for my dad. i wish i could have gone and seen more of the resort, including the rooms, but we were all exhausted, and it was definitely time to head home. after sort of getting lost trying to find our housing bus, we decided to take the bus to magic kingdom and then we would take the bus from there to go home.
we're now all home, unwinding and overcome by exhaustion, but we had such a beautiful day. we really feel like family and it was so nice to just be in each others company, laughing and joking and just being together all day long. tonight, i guarantee is going to be an early night, because i can barely keep my eyes open. happiness is definitely getting the better of me and i am always looking forward to everything else i'm going to do. kisses and hugs to everyone.
Monday, April 9, 2012
halfway around the world
i've spent the last few days laughing and laughing and laughing. work has been great, as usual. but for some reason i have just been having so much fun and everything is hilarious. it's probably because the people i work with are amazing. i have tomorrow and wednesday off, so i only have three working days left on main street. i seriously get so emotional when thinking about the role change. i adore everyone i work with and i always have the best time at work and it's going to be so sad to have to leave there. i've definitely made some great friends in the first half of my program.
for a while, niza and i have been talking about barbados and i've been telling her that she has to come, and she kept agreeing with me and told me she really wanted to. a couple days ago, her and i were just sitting in our room talking about barbados again, and then she said she had enough money to buy her plane ticket now. so she called her mum, and asked her if it would be okay, and with her mum's permission, we went and bought her ticket so she's coming to barbados when i come home! we are SO excited! it happened so casually and after we just wanted to scream with happiness. i still can't believe that she's actually coming! i keep telling all of my friends that they need to come to barbados. in fact, i always speak as if it's a happening thing, and i say "when you come to barbados, we'll do x, y and z." i seriously want everyone to come and see how amazing it is. i'm so lucky to live in paradise.
this easter was definitely spent much different to how i usually spend it at home. normally we would go to church in the morning, after seeing what the easter bunny left for us, and then spend the rest of the day with the rest of the most amazing family in the world. this year, a friend of mine and me went to epcot. we did wear bright colours, kind of in keeping with the easter theme. we did a couple rides in the future world, and then made our way halfway around the world. (i say this, because we only got half of epcot covered since we had work that night.) along with that, we even saw the easter bunny and mrs bunny, and got our picture taken with them. we started in canada and made our way around, taking our time, enjoying the different cultures of the places, and going in all the stores in each country, taking pictures of everything like such tourists, including all the flowers. epcot is in bloom this time of year, and many disney characters are sculpted using flowers, and it is absolutely beautiful. nan would love to see the flower festival, it's so gorgeous. being at epcot was so much fun, and there was something there that reminded me of everyone. in england, of course everything reminded me of my dad. (also hayley, in one of the stores in the uk, they have SO many beatles stuff and it obviously reminded me of you.) then in france, when we had little pastries outside of a little cafe for dessert after our fish and chips in the uk, the quaintness of it all made me think of how much mum was going to love it. and of course, all the delicious food everyhwere reminded me of ben. i also thought of aunty annalee and aunty serena, just thinking how much they would love it, especially how pretty everything in morocco and china was. we ended our day in italy, where not only were the things gorgeous, but so were the fellas who worked there (who are in fact italian, let me just say. and while on that topic let me say that the guys in france weren't so bad either.) but it definitely was a different easter, even though my family was in bequia, living it up, having a grand time on family vacation without me. but i'd say my day wasn't too shabby.
i would like to mention, just by the way, how proud i was of myself the other night at work. i spoke spanish to guests on stage four different times. it was four different guests. granted, it was very, very, very basic spanish but i am so proud of myself. i feel so accomplished. and speaking of being proud, i should mention how proud i am of ben. he had his first sailing regatta this weekend down in bequia (which is why my family went,) and his team came third overall which is amazing. i am a proud sister. also proud of mum for actually utilizing the pictures she takes with her camera and putting them on facebook! it was so nice to hear from the family on sunday night, even though they were with another one of my favourite families, and they clearly had in one or two drinks, so many things were repeated, yelled and sung. but it was wonderful, and even though i was just a tad bit emotional afterwards, it was so great to hear from everyone.
tomorrow we're going resort hopping, so i'm looking forward to see what some of the other resorts look like and have to offer. even though i was wide awake, bursting with excitement an hour ago, i am exhausted now, which i'm thankful for because i usually don't get tired in the night anymore now that i am accustomed to staying up until ungodly hours working. but an early night sounds like perfection right about now. i hope everyone had a great easter and enjoyed their time with all their loved ones. i missed mine terribly, but still had a magical day.
for a while, niza and i have been talking about barbados and i've been telling her that she has to come, and she kept agreeing with me and told me she really wanted to. a couple days ago, her and i were just sitting in our room talking about barbados again, and then she said she had enough money to buy her plane ticket now. so she called her mum, and asked her if it would be okay, and with her mum's permission, we went and bought her ticket so she's coming to barbados when i come home! we are SO excited! it happened so casually and after we just wanted to scream with happiness. i still can't believe that she's actually coming! i keep telling all of my friends that they need to come to barbados. in fact, i always speak as if it's a happening thing, and i say "when you come to barbados, we'll do x, y and z." i seriously want everyone to come and see how amazing it is. i'm so lucky to live in paradise.
this easter was definitely spent much different to how i usually spend it at home. normally we would go to church in the morning, after seeing what the easter bunny left for us, and then spend the rest of the day with the rest of the most amazing family in the world. this year, a friend of mine and me went to epcot. we did wear bright colours, kind of in keeping with the easter theme. we did a couple rides in the future world, and then made our way halfway around the world. (i say this, because we only got half of epcot covered since we had work that night.) along with that, we even saw the easter bunny and mrs bunny, and got our picture taken with them. we started in canada and made our way around, taking our time, enjoying the different cultures of the places, and going in all the stores in each country, taking pictures of everything like such tourists, including all the flowers. epcot is in bloom this time of year, and many disney characters are sculpted using flowers, and it is absolutely beautiful. nan would love to see the flower festival, it's so gorgeous. being at epcot was so much fun, and there was something there that reminded me of everyone. in england, of course everything reminded me of my dad. (also hayley, in one of the stores in the uk, they have SO many beatles stuff and it obviously reminded me of you.) then in france, when we had little pastries outside of a little cafe for dessert after our fish and chips in the uk, the quaintness of it all made me think of how much mum was going to love it. and of course, all the delicious food everyhwere reminded me of ben. i also thought of aunty annalee and aunty serena, just thinking how much they would love it, especially how pretty everything in morocco and china was. we ended our day in italy, where not only were the things gorgeous, but so were the fellas who worked there (who are in fact italian, let me just say. and while on that topic let me say that the guys in france weren't so bad either.) but it definitely was a different easter, even though my family was in bequia, living it up, having a grand time on family vacation without me. but i'd say my day wasn't too shabby.
i would like to mention, just by the way, how proud i was of myself the other night at work. i spoke spanish to guests on stage four different times. it was four different guests. granted, it was very, very, very basic spanish but i am so proud of myself. i feel so accomplished. and speaking of being proud, i should mention how proud i am of ben. he had his first sailing regatta this weekend down in bequia (which is why my family went,) and his team came third overall which is amazing. i am a proud sister. also proud of mum for actually utilizing the pictures she takes with her camera and putting them on facebook! it was so nice to hear from the family on sunday night, even though they were with another one of my favourite families, and they clearly had in one or two drinks, so many things were repeated, yelled and sung. but it was wonderful, and even though i was just a tad bit emotional afterwards, it was so great to hear from everyone.
tomorrow we're going resort hopping, so i'm looking forward to see what some of the other resorts look like and have to offer. even though i was wide awake, bursting with excitement an hour ago, i am exhausted now, which i'm thankful for because i usually don't get tired in the night anymore now that i am accustomed to staying up until ungodly hours working. but an early night sounds like perfection right about now. i hope everyone had a great easter and enjoyed their time with all their loved ones. i missed mine terribly, but still had a magical day.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
trains & fro-yo™
i spent the last two days continuously laughing. the fosters came and visited from miami and it was wonderful. i took the bus to saratoga springs, which is a resort pa would love. i actually didn't realize it was all horse themed until today, when we ate lunch at the turf club and there were jockey shirts displayed throughout the halls. not to mention there were structures of horses around the gigantic property. anyways, when i got to the resort, uncle derek, aunty t, j, eri and mark walked into the lobby at the exact same time as me. we said our hellos and went to check in. immediately after that, we went up to one of our rooms, offloaded our things and headed over to the bus stop to go to magic kingdom.
magic kingdom was packed! working at magic kingdom is completely different to being there as a guest. thousands of spring-breakers and families on easter vacation filled every street and walkway throughout the whole park. after jeremy and mark had to stop for ice-cream almost immediately, we found our way to tomorrowland where we got our fast passes for space mountain. we must have gotten them around two pm, and we couldn't return until 6.40 in the evening. while waiting for space mountain, we found things to do to occupy ourselves. we watched the parade at three and afterwards we took the train to fantasyland, because jeremy is 'really into trains right now. trains and fro-yo,' and he only mentioned it about seventy-eight times at least. when we got off in fantasyland, we braved the line for goofy's rollercoaster, which is definitely the shortest roller coaster. ever. after that, we headed to frontierland to go to splash mountain. we were hungry, so we went into a restaurant to eat some lunch. we didn't know where we were going, and it just so happened that we walked into the restaurant i'll be working in come april 15th, pecos bill. the costume is beautiful. it's a blue skirt that comes midway between my knees and ankles, covered by a green and yellow floral apron-looking thing, with a white puffy blouse, trimmed in the same green and yellow floral patten tucked in. really gorgeous.
after lunch, we headed to splash mountain. the wait time said two hours, but again, we braved it and waited patiently. it really did not take two hours to get onto the ride, but it was so fun when we did. mark and jeremy got absolutely soaked from the big drop. they were so wet that when the ride was over and we pulled back into the stop for other people to get on, everyone stared in disbelief. one kid even mumbled 'holy crap,' under his breath, clearly very nervous for his turn after seeing them. i got pretty wet too, but my shirt dried super fast because of the material it was. my pants, however, stayed damp for hours. and being denim, they got very heavy. i had to walk around holding them up. i must've looked ridiculous!
we still had time to kill before our appointment with space mountain, so we went to do the pirates of the caribbean ride. we were in line waiting, and there was a family in front of us. the two boys were so wicked, so we were laughing. the eldest boy looked at jeremy and said "hey what are you laughing at mister? you want me to unleash my fury?" of course we laughed even more, clearly entertaining him, making him carry on. we could tell his mother was getting angry so we tried to stop. she made him apologize, and he told j "hey you know i was just kidding right?" it was so funny. he then did something to the people in front of him, and again, we overheard him apologize again. his brother wasn't as hyper as him, but we spent the rest of the wait time talking to him, which sort of distracted him from being naughty.
after that ride, we went on over to space mountain. finally! we felt like such vips walking past all the hundreds of people waiting in line. we went straight on and it was exhilarating, as it is every single time. the pictures at the end were quite entertaining. after that, we took the monorail over to the contemporary (which is SUCH a cool hotel,) and from there we took the bus to downtown disney, where we met up with uncle andrew, aunty gina, jason, melina and big-boy lucas. we had a lovely dinner at the irish restaurant, complete with an irish waiter and then eri and i departed to go watch the electrical parade which was at 11. we were definitely cutting it close as we left downtown disney around 10.30. we took the bus back to the contemporary resort. i suggested we walk to magic kingdom because it's walking distance, but we ran upstairs to the monorail just to be told that walking would be shorter, because the monorail made various stops on the way. so we pelted back downstairs and power walked to magic kingdom. and it felt as if it took much longer than the seven minutes we were promised. we raced inside and got there EXACTLY as the show had started. perfect timing. after that, we were exhausted, but we went to meet the princesses anyway. we saw sleeping beauty, belle and cinderella. then we took the bus back to our resort. we had no idea which stop to get off on, so the bus driver got out with us on the first stop and helped us out. the people on the bus must have been a bit angry about the little delay we created, but we were so grateful, because saratoga springs is huge and we would've been walking for hours to find our way back to our room.
we got up to the first room, got our stuff and headed over to the second room we had. we passed a power scooter (with the key still in it) on the way to our room and thought of the fun we could have had with it, but decided against it in case i got in trouble, but we guaranteed each other that when jeremy and mark got home they were definitely going to ride it (because they had stayed at downtown disney drinking and smoking cigars with some fella they met.) eri and i got inside, pulled out the pullout couch for them, showered, and fell asleep almost immediately after our heads hit the pillows. it felt like we were sleeping for two minutes when the two boys came in the room, in full form, of course. they complained about a thousand times about having to sleep on the pull-out bed and jeremy was quoting step brothers, and i was trying my hardest not to laugh so i wouldn't encourage them, but i couldn't control myself. i just laughed and laughed while they complained about having to sleep on a two by four; about why there was a piece of wood sticking in their backs; how jeremy lost his horse; how 'yall don't say that!'; while wondering if the bird making noise outside the window was real, among many other things. (and just to mention, i am in absolute hysterics at the moment thinking of everything.)
we got woken up this morning by a very anxious phone call from uncle derek, saying we were going to breakfast. we all got ready, except mark who was still complaining about having the worst sleep of his entire life. breakfast was quick, and the mickey waffles were so good. after breakfast we headed to downtown disney, via water taxi. we walked around for a bit, but then decided we'd go do something else. when we got to the resort, we sat in a lounge area, and we instantly got super lazy, not wanting to do anything. so we went to the turf club, and had lunch together. needless to say, i was laughing until i cried throughout lunch. it was so much fun. after lunch, they dropped me back 'home,' and we said our goodbyes. it was so nice seeing family again in less than a week! i'm really going to miss everyone. but it was such a good two days, and i can't believe i'm still laughing.
my parents are now en route to bequia, where they'll be on vacation. ben sailed twenty hours there from yesterday evening and dad said he loved it. i'm still upset they are all on vacation at easter time without me. totally unfair, right? i'm kidding but i'm definitely going to be missing my family this weekend. first easter apart. woah. sending lots and lots and lots of love to everyone! xo
magic kingdom was packed! working at magic kingdom is completely different to being there as a guest. thousands of spring-breakers and families on easter vacation filled every street and walkway throughout the whole park. after jeremy and mark had to stop for ice-cream almost immediately, we found our way to tomorrowland where we got our fast passes for space mountain. we must have gotten them around two pm, and we couldn't return until 6.40 in the evening. while waiting for space mountain, we found things to do to occupy ourselves. we watched the parade at three and afterwards we took the train to fantasyland, because jeremy is 'really into trains right now. trains and fro-yo,' and he only mentioned it about seventy-eight times at least. when we got off in fantasyland, we braved the line for goofy's rollercoaster, which is definitely the shortest roller coaster. ever. after that, we headed to frontierland to go to splash mountain. we were hungry, so we went into a restaurant to eat some lunch. we didn't know where we were going, and it just so happened that we walked into the restaurant i'll be working in come april 15th, pecos bill. the costume is beautiful. it's a blue skirt that comes midway between my knees and ankles, covered by a green and yellow floral apron-looking thing, with a white puffy blouse, trimmed in the same green and yellow floral patten tucked in. really gorgeous.
after lunch, we headed to splash mountain. the wait time said two hours, but again, we braved it and waited patiently. it really did not take two hours to get onto the ride, but it was so fun when we did. mark and jeremy got absolutely soaked from the big drop. they were so wet that when the ride was over and we pulled back into the stop for other people to get on, everyone stared in disbelief. one kid even mumbled 'holy crap,' under his breath, clearly very nervous for his turn after seeing them. i got pretty wet too, but my shirt dried super fast because of the material it was. my pants, however, stayed damp for hours. and being denim, they got very heavy. i had to walk around holding them up. i must've looked ridiculous!
we still had time to kill before our appointment with space mountain, so we went to do the pirates of the caribbean ride. we were in line waiting, and there was a family in front of us. the two boys were so wicked, so we were laughing. the eldest boy looked at jeremy and said "hey what are you laughing at mister? you want me to unleash my fury?" of course we laughed even more, clearly entertaining him, making him carry on. we could tell his mother was getting angry so we tried to stop. she made him apologize, and he told j "hey you know i was just kidding right?" it was so funny. he then did something to the people in front of him, and again, we overheard him apologize again. his brother wasn't as hyper as him, but we spent the rest of the wait time talking to him, which sort of distracted him from being naughty.
after that ride, we went on over to space mountain. finally! we felt like such vips walking past all the hundreds of people waiting in line. we went straight on and it was exhilarating, as it is every single time. the pictures at the end were quite entertaining. after that, we took the monorail over to the contemporary (which is SUCH a cool hotel,) and from there we took the bus to downtown disney, where we met up with uncle andrew, aunty gina, jason, melina and big-boy lucas. we had a lovely dinner at the irish restaurant, complete with an irish waiter and then eri and i departed to go watch the electrical parade which was at 11. we were definitely cutting it close as we left downtown disney around 10.30. we took the bus back to the contemporary resort. i suggested we walk to magic kingdom because it's walking distance, but we ran upstairs to the monorail just to be told that walking would be shorter, because the monorail made various stops on the way. so we pelted back downstairs and power walked to magic kingdom. and it felt as if it took much longer than the seven minutes we were promised. we raced inside and got there EXACTLY as the show had started. perfect timing. after that, we were exhausted, but we went to meet the princesses anyway. we saw sleeping beauty, belle and cinderella. then we took the bus back to our resort. we had no idea which stop to get off on, so the bus driver got out with us on the first stop and helped us out. the people on the bus must have been a bit angry about the little delay we created, but we were so grateful, because saratoga springs is huge and we would've been walking for hours to find our way back to our room.
we got up to the first room, got our stuff and headed over to the second room we had. we passed a power scooter (with the key still in it) on the way to our room and thought of the fun we could have had with it, but decided against it in case i got in trouble, but we guaranteed each other that when jeremy and mark got home they were definitely going to ride it (because they had stayed at downtown disney drinking and smoking cigars with some fella they met.) eri and i got inside, pulled out the pullout couch for them, showered, and fell asleep almost immediately after our heads hit the pillows. it felt like we were sleeping for two minutes when the two boys came in the room, in full form, of course. they complained about a thousand times about having to sleep on the pull-out bed and jeremy was quoting step brothers, and i was trying my hardest not to laugh so i wouldn't encourage them, but i couldn't control myself. i just laughed and laughed while they complained about having to sleep on a two by four; about why there was a piece of wood sticking in their backs; how jeremy lost his horse; how 'yall don't say that!'; while wondering if the bird making noise outside the window was real, among many other things. (and just to mention, i am in absolute hysterics at the moment thinking of everything.)
we got woken up this morning by a very anxious phone call from uncle derek, saying we were going to breakfast. we all got ready, except mark who was still complaining about having the worst sleep of his entire life. breakfast was quick, and the mickey waffles were so good. after breakfast we headed to downtown disney, via water taxi. we walked around for a bit, but then decided we'd go do something else. when we got to the resort, we sat in a lounge area, and we instantly got super lazy, not wanting to do anything. so we went to the turf club, and had lunch together. needless to say, i was laughing until i cried throughout lunch. it was so much fun. after lunch, they dropped me back 'home,' and we said our goodbyes. it was so nice seeing family again in less than a week! i'm really going to miss everyone. but it was such a good two days, and i can't believe i'm still laughing.
my parents are now en route to bequia, where they'll be on vacation. ben sailed twenty hours there from yesterday evening and dad said he loved it. i'm still upset they are all on vacation at easter time without me. totally unfair, right? i'm kidding but i'm definitely going to be missing my family this weekend. first easter apart. woah. sending lots and lots and lots of love to everyone! xo
Monday, April 2, 2012
suspenders & salutatorian
the last few days were amazing. i was so happy the entire time. it was go, go, go all weekend long but it was great. now that i've stopped for a second to breathe, i am absolutely exhausted! thursday i dragged mariajose and niza to animal kingdom so i could meet russell and dug from the movie, up. i was so excited, i was like a little kid again. while we were waiting in line, we were just watching them, and i fell even more in love with them, even moreso from when i fell in love with them originally in the movie. the line was long, and we were in the sun but it didn't matter. there was a store right across from russell and dug, so i decided to go and buy an autograph book. it definitely was an unneccessary purchase, but i NEEDED their autographs! when it was finally our turn, i wanted to cry. i was just so happy! each of them gave me a hug, signed my book, and took a picture. it was great. while walking to another attraction, there was a sign pointing to where pooh and tigger normally are, meeting guests. despite having met them already, we needed to go again, because eeyore was with them! i don't believe eeyore is normally there, so i ran to their little spot and waited patiently in line to get pictures and more autographs (i was so glad i bought that book!) afterwards, we went and watched finding nemo the musical because majo had never seen it. and then after that, we had planned to go on everest, the roller coaster, but we didn't have enough time, so we'll just have to go back and do it another day. i came home, and had a nap, and then worked, until the morning hours, and then headed home to try and get some sleep for the upcoming weekend.
friday morning, uncle paul, aunty mo and sammy came and picked me up and we drove to winter park. driving in the car with them was great, because when they're up here, they only listen to the country music stations so i was in my glory, singing my little heart away to all the songs. winter park is such a cute area. being there i felt like i was in a book or a movie. we parked by lake osceola, where we waited for our boat tour. the lake was beautiful and flat, and surrounded by tons of trees and the most beautiful houses. when our 'skipper' came to us, we couldn't help but laugh. his name was daniel, and he was an elderly man. the size of his stomach made him look like he could be related to humpty dumpty, and to top it off, he wore suspenders that had the pattern of a measuring tape. he was quite the character. so us, and four other gentleman got on the little water taxi and off we went. daniel was very informative, in his monotone and he cracked the corniest jokes, which of course, i thought were hilarious. the lake was gorgeous, and even though he told us snakes and alligators lived in it, there were people fishing, in their boats, and we even saw one guy paddleboarding. every house we rode by i loved, and i want to have a house on that lake so badly. i think it's breathtaking, everything is so perfect. after the boat tour was finished, and we got off on the dock, we went and ate lunch at a restaurant, taking in the surroundings and thoroughly enjoying the people watching. after that, we went back to the hotel, where we got ready for sammy's graduation from full sail. we were aware that sammy was going to be getting a couple awards, and i felt so proud that i was able to be a part of such a special occasion, even though she says it's not so special because full sails coordinates graduations (that's right, plural,) every single month. i was taken away by full sail. it so did not feel like a school. it was so cool. i saw a couple rooms and hallways and couldn't believe it. everything was awesome. after waiting around for a while, we went into the auditorium where the graduation was being held (after the previous graduation ceremony had finished.) there were four classes graduating at that time, and sammy's was the biggest, with about ninety people, five of which were girls. a couple people on the board spoke, and it was short and sweet. they called out the graduates names, and stating those who had won awards, and of course the valedictorians and the salutatorians (one right under valedictorian, so that person has the second highest gpa in the class.) sammy was a couple people away, and me, aunty mo and uncle paul got up, focusing our cameras in order to get some good shots of sam up on stage. after they called her name, they listed her awards. now we were a bit taken back, because she got THE MOST awards out of everyone in her class, including perfect attendance award, which is near to impossible to get. not only that, but she was chosen as salutatorian, which no one had any idea about! the three of us all gasped, and looked at each other in shock! it was amazing! unfortunately, due to our excitement, most of our pictures came out blurry. we got so emotional, and of course i was tearing up. i am so happy for her! after the graduation, we met a couple people, took a couple pictures and then headed back to the hotel, where we got ready for dinner. we went to ruth's chris and i felt like i was on a cruise ship when i walked in, but that was probably just because of the carpeted floor. it was probably the best steak i had ever had, and we were stuffed afterwards! after that, we went to a music store where sammy needed to buy a guitar case, and then we went to target for just a little bit. we went back to the hotel, and went to sleep preparing ourselves for the exciting day at universal on saturday!
we woke up on saturday morning, went downstairs and got our quick breakfast and headed off to universal. we got tickets for pleasure island, and went straight there. walking there, it was such a cool vibe going on and i loved it. before heading to pleasure island or universal studios, the area is kind of like downtown disney, which i love. once we got into pleasure island we headed straight for the harry potter ride. the line was long, but it wasn't too bad. i felt fine about going on the ride, up until we were right about to go on, where i started to feel nervous. uncle paul didn't come with us, so it was just the three of us girls. the ride was insane! i felt as if my shoes were going to fall off and there were so many scary creatures coming right up in our faces, that i had to cover my eyes. in fact, the picture of us at the end of the ride had me covering my eyes. the ride was exhilerating though. i will definitely do it again. when we walked out, uncle paul was waiting for us and we went and did the other harry potter roller coaster. he said that this one was little so he could do it. when it was our turn, we were so excited. he and aunty mo sat in front of sammy and i and off we went. the roller coaster wasn't bad, but it was a little more 'exciting' than anyone thought it was going to be. we were all in hysterics at uncle paul because i think he felt a little ill. i couldn't even scream because i was laughing so hard. i think that people who saw him must've thought he was insane. it was great. after that we went and bought some ponchos to prepare ourselves for the jurrasic park ride. sammy kept trying to convince us that we wouldn't get THAT wet, but i am so glad we got those ponchos because we got SOAKED! we decided to do the other water roller coaster because we were already wet and that one was even crazier! it was awesome. surprisingly, even uncle paul did those two and i was quite impressed. after that we went for lunch in jurrasic park and while eating, it got quite overcast. but because we were in jurassic park, i felt like the weather wasn't real. i felt like we were supposed to be in overcast weather so they just made it to seem like that. but trust me, the weather was very real. by the time we got into the harry potter area, it poured. and it poured and it poured. we were lucky to find an eve of a window of a store to huddle under. people were running from the rain and everyone was soaking wet. after a long time, it eased up and we left. it was sad that our day got cut short but it was still great. the rain was insane, but we got cozy in the hotel with hot chocolate and cookies. after a little while, we went to the movies to see 21 jump street. that was hilarious! i laughed throughout the whole thing.
on sunday morning we went to the prime outlets. sammy wasn't too pleased, but i was excited. we were on a mission to find things for stephie, but we all got a couple things for ourselves too. we spent all day there and then they dropped me home, with just enough time to get ready and leave for work. i was so not motivated to go to work because once i stopped going i was so tired. my eyes were burning from sleepyness last night while i was working, and my bumpout time couldn't come fast enough! i was really looking forward to a sleep in this morning, but of course they were power washing our building. but it's okay. i got up and went to company d so i could buy park tickets for when the fosters come to visit on wednesday! so much to look forward to! i'm a happy, happy girl:)
friday morning, uncle paul, aunty mo and sammy came and picked me up and we drove to winter park. driving in the car with them was great, because when they're up here, they only listen to the country music stations so i was in my glory, singing my little heart away to all the songs. winter park is such a cute area. being there i felt like i was in a book or a movie. we parked by lake osceola, where we waited for our boat tour. the lake was beautiful and flat, and surrounded by tons of trees and the most beautiful houses. when our 'skipper' came to us, we couldn't help but laugh. his name was daniel, and he was an elderly man. the size of his stomach made him look like he could be related to humpty dumpty, and to top it off, he wore suspenders that had the pattern of a measuring tape. he was quite the character. so us, and four other gentleman got on the little water taxi and off we went. daniel was very informative, in his monotone and he cracked the corniest jokes, which of course, i thought were hilarious. the lake was gorgeous, and even though he told us snakes and alligators lived in it, there were people fishing, in their boats, and we even saw one guy paddleboarding. every house we rode by i loved, and i want to have a house on that lake so badly. i think it's breathtaking, everything is so perfect. after the boat tour was finished, and we got off on the dock, we went and ate lunch at a restaurant, taking in the surroundings and thoroughly enjoying the people watching. after that, we went back to the hotel, where we got ready for sammy's graduation from full sail. we were aware that sammy was going to be getting a couple awards, and i felt so proud that i was able to be a part of such a special occasion, even though she says it's not so special because full sails coordinates graduations (that's right, plural,) every single month. i was taken away by full sail. it so did not feel like a school. it was so cool. i saw a couple rooms and hallways and couldn't believe it. everything was awesome. after waiting around for a while, we went into the auditorium where the graduation was being held (after the previous graduation ceremony had finished.) there were four classes graduating at that time, and sammy's was the biggest, with about ninety people, five of which were girls. a couple people on the board spoke, and it was short and sweet. they called out the graduates names, and stating those who had won awards, and of course the valedictorians and the salutatorians (one right under valedictorian, so that person has the second highest gpa in the class.) sammy was a couple people away, and me, aunty mo and uncle paul got up, focusing our cameras in order to get some good shots of sam up on stage. after they called her name, they listed her awards. now we were a bit taken back, because she got THE MOST awards out of everyone in her class, including perfect attendance award, which is near to impossible to get. not only that, but she was chosen as salutatorian, which no one had any idea about! the three of us all gasped, and looked at each other in shock! it was amazing! unfortunately, due to our excitement, most of our pictures came out blurry. we got so emotional, and of course i was tearing up. i am so happy for her! after the graduation, we met a couple people, took a couple pictures and then headed back to the hotel, where we got ready for dinner. we went to ruth's chris and i felt like i was on a cruise ship when i walked in, but that was probably just because of the carpeted floor. it was probably the best steak i had ever had, and we were stuffed afterwards! after that, we went to a music store where sammy needed to buy a guitar case, and then we went to target for just a little bit. we went back to the hotel, and went to sleep preparing ourselves for the exciting day at universal on saturday!
we woke up on saturday morning, went downstairs and got our quick breakfast and headed off to universal. we got tickets for pleasure island, and went straight there. walking there, it was such a cool vibe going on and i loved it. before heading to pleasure island or universal studios, the area is kind of like downtown disney, which i love. once we got into pleasure island we headed straight for the harry potter ride. the line was long, but it wasn't too bad. i felt fine about going on the ride, up until we were right about to go on, where i started to feel nervous. uncle paul didn't come with us, so it was just the three of us girls. the ride was insane! i felt as if my shoes were going to fall off and there were so many scary creatures coming right up in our faces, that i had to cover my eyes. in fact, the picture of us at the end of the ride had me covering my eyes. the ride was exhilerating though. i will definitely do it again. when we walked out, uncle paul was waiting for us and we went and did the other harry potter roller coaster. he said that this one was little so he could do it. when it was our turn, we were so excited. he and aunty mo sat in front of sammy and i and off we went. the roller coaster wasn't bad, but it was a little more 'exciting' than anyone thought it was going to be. we were all in hysterics at uncle paul because i think he felt a little ill. i couldn't even scream because i was laughing so hard. i think that people who saw him must've thought he was insane. it was great. after that we went and bought some ponchos to prepare ourselves for the jurrasic park ride. sammy kept trying to convince us that we wouldn't get THAT wet, but i am so glad we got those ponchos because we got SOAKED! we decided to do the other water roller coaster because we were already wet and that one was even crazier! it was awesome. surprisingly, even uncle paul did those two and i was quite impressed. after that we went for lunch in jurrasic park and while eating, it got quite overcast. but because we were in jurassic park, i felt like the weather wasn't real. i felt like we were supposed to be in overcast weather so they just made it to seem like that. but trust me, the weather was very real. by the time we got into the harry potter area, it poured. and it poured and it poured. we were lucky to find an eve of a window of a store to huddle under. people were running from the rain and everyone was soaking wet. after a long time, it eased up and we left. it was sad that our day got cut short but it was still great. the rain was insane, but we got cozy in the hotel with hot chocolate and cookies. after a little while, we went to the movies to see 21 jump street. that was hilarious! i laughed throughout the whole thing.
on sunday morning we went to the prime outlets. sammy wasn't too pleased, but i was excited. we were on a mission to find things for stephie, but we all got a couple things for ourselves too. we spent all day there and then they dropped me home, with just enough time to get ready and leave for work. i was so not motivated to go to work because once i stopped going i was so tired. my eyes were burning from sleepyness last night while i was working, and my bumpout time couldn't come fast enough! i was really looking forward to a sleep in this morning, but of course they were power washing our building. but it's okay. i got up and went to company d so i could buy park tickets for when the fosters come to visit on wednesday! so much to look forward to! i'm a happy, happy girl:)
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