October 27, 2024 - Week 40
What a week.
On Thursday, I accompanied the two classes of Housekeeping students (all 17 of them) in a coaster van up the windy yet scenic road through the Blue Mountains to St Mary's to visit a resort. One student felt particularly car-sick, but the rest were excited and guffawed as we swerved to avoid the never-ending potholes and narrowly avoided oncoming cars. This route is definitely not for the faint-hearted.
Big ups to Couple's Resort Tower Isle for being the only resort that received our students and accommodated their needs. They were patient with our students and allowed us to walk through the resort freely, proudly showing off the resort offerings. We saw the route of housekeepers, the back stairs, the linen and laundry rooms. All the students were extremely excited to not only see a resort and the beach (for some this is the first time they've seen either) but also to one day potentially work at such a beautiful resort. It was touching to see a student fawn over the housekeeping uniform and the Housekeeper smiling back proudly at them.
Three things stood out for me at this resort: 1) No tipping policy 2) Emphasis on the environment with recycling and filtered water stations on each floor 3) All staff were extremely friendly to the students.
We were provided with a lovely meal at the worker's mess hall but some of the students wanted to pack up their lunch to eat later and I was extremely confused by this. The teacher then told me that it was common on school trips for students to get KFC - no wonder a student kept asking me if we would stop at KFC! Unfortunately for them, we would not be making a stop there.
On the way back the driver decided to play dancehall music, to which the teacher objected and so we ended up listening to a few albums of Celine Dion. And the students knew all the lyrics!
Friday came and everyone was dressed in gold, green and black to celebrate a belated Heritage Day. I was Jeopardy Master and was mightily impressed that the students could recite their national pledge and sing their national anthem without mistake.
Saturday ended with an impromptu visit to Portland's Winnifred Beach through the rain and some flooded roads. But it was worth the trip as I ended up visiting Miss Edith's Jerk Cafe and Bar on the way back.
