9.15 AM
The day has started at a fast pace. Today is the day I have been living up to for weeks. The Traditional Travel Trade Christmas lunch day. All my most important clients will be here to have a lunch with the hot shots of Hilton International
and I had to arrange it. With some help of my lovely colleague Scott of course. Right now I am still experiencing the silence before the storm but I am pretty sure that only in a few moments, all hell will break loose.
10.30 am
Still going well, last arrangements made, picked up all the name cards and menus to put on the table. No last minute cancellations at all.
11.00 am
Table setting: check! Candles: check! Flowers: check! Pianist: check! Bar (including gallons of champagne): check! I am ready to go.
Almost at least. Two of my guests showed up, believing I had checked them into a room and since I had no idea what they were talking about, we made a sprint to Christian in Guest Relations. I admit, this was not my favorite time to practice my sweet talking skills on someone of the staff (certainly not the ones who fancy men) but I had no choice! And since Christian is one of my friends, he didn’t mind.
11.10 am
And they’re in a room!!
Phew.. save!
11.50 am
Where are they going with my neatly printed menu cards? When I follow, I get yelled at to stay away but after ten minutes my colleagues re-appear with the menus. Chef made last minute changes so the menu did not correspond with the dishes! Thanks for picking that up guys!!
1.30 pm
One cancellations and two add-ons! My covers on the table: I don’t have enough.
Some quick rearranging of the table settings, printing a name card and some running and we are all set for an extra cover. If I had just thought about the table planning pinned to the board.
Back in the office I decide to do some of the work that has been lying around for weeks now and I realize (thankfully) there were no desperate cases awaiting my attention. It makes life just a little bit easier.
3.45 pm
I went down to see how everything was going, whether anything needed some tweaking or probing. I came in on time to hear the speech of one of the guests from our Head Office and she even mention ME!! Jippy! Thanks and everything, people clapping,me feeling very happy – too bad I couldn’t drown myself in the wine like some of them to
celebrate.
6.50 pm
I want to go home!!! Well, almost then.My last check on the group,who have now moved
to the bar downstairs for some more excess drinking. The merry singing and laughing
sound in my ears as I arrive and I in my mind I can see someone dancing on the table, swinging his hat. But they are all neatly on their chairs, sipping their drinks.
7.15 pm
After the necessary smooching and hugging and shaking of hands I finally make my way back to the office to grab my coat and make my way home. It’s been one hell of a day and when I come in the next morning I have at least a dozen of ‘Thank you’ emails,which makes all the effort worth it!
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