Sweet recognition.

Today was an awesome day.

Highlight of my day? Work. I know, sad huh?

It started out good though. As soon as I checked in at the front desk, Vaite, our temporary supervisor handed me an envelope that said "To Faye =) From a guest" on it.

I was really excited. I've worked here for nearly 6 months now and have heard of people getting thank you letters (sometimes gifts and money) from their guests but never ever received any. It's about time!

In the envelope enclosed a printout of a forwarded email which read:

Dear PCC

My wife (Janet) and I (Derek) having recently visited the PCC would like to pass on our thanks for a wonderful time we had. Your services and hospitality were second to none. We would like you to pass on our special thank you to our guide for the day a young lady called Faye. Please let her know that with her help she gave us a thrilling experience we will never forget. Congratulations also go to all the young men and women at the PCC who entertain and help out during the whole day. We didn't have a pen at the time so we didn't fill in the form that was given to us. All we can say in answer to all of the questions is Excellent!

Thank you once again

Kind Regards

Derek and Janet McCarten
(from England, UK.)

PS Plesase let Faye see this.

One of my "policies" is to learn and remember my guests first names and where they're from when possible. I'm glad I took the effort that day. I know exactly who gave me the letter and if I ever ran into them again, I would be able to recognize them and call up their names.

Such a simple gesture, but it really made my day. I should write more thank-you-notes. Lots of people deserve to get one more often.

I got another letter later today from President Orgill. It read:

October 26, 2004

Fei Min Chong
c/o Guest Services

Dear Fei,

We have recently received and email of thanks from Mr. and Mrs. McCarten who recently visited us, and were guests in your tour group. They had a wonderful time and specifically expresses their thanks to you, as their guide, for giving them a thrilling experience. The email also thanked "all the young men and women at PCC who entertained them and helped them throughout their visit." This has been forwarded to PCC for all to enjoy.

Thank you for your dedication and effort to fulfill our mission statement which is to demonstrate and radiate a spirit of love and service to all who visit this special place. Please accept this coupon for a free ice cream as a token of our thanks.

Sincerely,
Von D. Orgill
President

Along with the letter came also a Milky Way candy bar. I thought the recognition was far sweeter.

As if that wasn't enough to make my day, I got to train Cory today. He's a newer guide who usually works the other shift. Oh my GOSH is he hot. He was supposed to follow David, another guide, on an ASL tour today but they didn't show up so David got sent home and Cory was put under my care. I was thrilled.

On top of getting to work with a real-life Ken doll today, I had an awesome tour group. They took care of each other, cracked jokes all the time, listened well, and just knew how to have a blast. I haven't had so much fun taking a tour in forever.

Cory turned out to be a really good guide and it was really neat being able to hand it over to him and have him do the talking. He had a good sense of humor too and knew exactly how to respond to jokes from me or the guests. It was just a great day.

Now don't you go getting any ideas about Cory. He's cute and all, but that's about it. I like eye candy - but just to look at. I'm glad he works the other shift, I would go crazy if I got to see him everday.

After work and a quick dinner was swing club. My partner and I arrived at nearly the same time and actually got most of the moves down. I'm really pleased with our progress. I'm glad Tyler is really determined to be good. He may not be the BEST dancer but, but at least he's dedicated. Nearly even more so than I am. I guess you could say that I got lucky.

Next I hung out with Jared at his study group again and I showed him the DVD my family sent Su for her birthday. It was cool because Jared could appreciate the little things about my family more than any other friend here could've (besides my sister, of course). Yeah. He definitely is my best friend.

Carrera and Emily were with us there doing their own thing but when Jared was ready to clock out, we all headed to Hale 4 together. Why? Well because there is a gravitational pull that draws me to that dorm every Wednesday evening and everyone just followed. Besides, Carrera wanted to see the RA on duty about a footswitch he was selling. I didn't even know what I was doing there. When he appeared, I gave him something of an "Oh hi". He said hi to everyone and gave me a hug. One of those loud clap on the back ones. Ugh. What - did I have "that look" on my face again?! ARGH!

I spent most of my time there talking to the people we ran into while standing in the courtyard like JD, Max, Judge and Reed in aimless bliss. When the RA was done with his work, he came out and told me that he'd be back out again. Oh? Ok... I wasn't sure what either of us expected. I was by then having a whole lot of fun just chilling and being myself. He did come back out to join us but I didn't say but 3 senctences to him the entire time. He did crack a joke about widescreen being made by Asians for their eyes. It was really funny.

We were getting kind of loud. Not a good thing standing outside the dorm Mom's window so I suggested we take it somewhere else. It ended up being everyone's cue to leave and so Jared walked Emily and I home. It's nice being able to talk to Jared about da kine and having him help me figure it out.

Da kine came online today. We talked briefly, but it was so poetic and cryptic, I still don't understand what he was saying. I meant to save the chat so I could tear it apart later but I forgot. Oops. It wasn't that important anyway. Less room for misinterpretation this way.

I think I'm finally ready to move on. I'm just not been given enough material to work with here. I remember seeing huge potential once. I think I've lost that vision. Too much frustration clogs up dreams. I don't mean that I'll drop it completely yet, because as soon as he gives me any attention, I know I'm going to melt. But till then, I'm happy being in this bitter phase.

Every sucessful break up I've had required that I go through this angry period where I would use my frustration, bitterness and anger to detatch myself emotionally from my current ex. I don't need to break up with da kine or anything but I'm going through a similar phase. It helps. Maybe it's just PMS. But either way, I feel like I'm out of patience. I never should have to try this hard to get something if it belongs to me. Like Jared says, I'm barking up the wrong tree. I told Su's ex boyfriend (an old friend of da kine) about it and he said I should forget him and just go after my regular Haole (white) boys. I'm more than convinced that they both have a point.

Part of the problem is how I have this mentality that things are either ALL or NOTHING. I'm treating this like a dichotomy and it gets confusing when I'm being kept around as a friend. Makes me feel used in a way. I don't know why.

I say that I would love to just be friends. And really, I would. I just don't know how. Until I learn to get over this obsession with relationships, I need to keep my distance.

I think the reason why I had such a good day is because I learned to shrink this down to porportion (or closer to it anyway) and enjoy the other things in life. For once, my day did not revolve around da kine.

Today, I had freedom. It was a great day.