Letting go

Hola tú, cómo te ha ido? Yo estoy bien, mejor que nunca y, sin embargo, aún despee´s de tanto y de todo, tu recuerdo vuelve a mi algunas veces.

No s´por qué, si al final de todo nada quedó, todo se destruyó. Sé que una relación se construye de a dos, pero fall´desde el principio. Traté de ser algo que no soy, y poco a poco me cansé; no de ti, sino de aparentar ser otra cosa, y por ahí empezaron las peleas.

De vez en cuando me pregunto por ti. cómo estará tu vida? Eres feliz? La amas? Espero que todas las respuestas a esto sean excelentes, pues en verdad me gustaría que encontraras a alguien que no tenga que aparentar nada y te haga feliz como se debe.

De vez en cuando te pienso, te siento, huelo tu perfume y recuerdo momentos, y sólo pienso en todo lo bonito que sucedió entre nosotros, y como lo mandamos todo tan fácil a la mierda.

Written around 2010

The Winner Takes it All

New York Times June 6 1970 and June 6 1990. Browsing the paper’s edition on both dates I came across two articles that dealt with the proposition of new environmental practices. On 1970, President Nixon’s proposed the creation of an antipollution agency. On 1990, the Italian Green Alliance pushed a referendum on hunting and pesticide practices. Even though they won the referendum, the process turnout was only 43% and the results were annulled.

Both articles were pieces in environmental proposals and they both addressed the process of turning those suggestions into realities. Political processes are extremely intriguing; a particular idea on the 1990’s piece kept me thinking: How is it possible to win an election and still lose? This prompted a research on the history of referendum processes in Italy, with a focus on understanding the impact of not voting in referendum processes.

After World War II, referendums in Italy gradually started to be part of the country’s political life. The use of this participatory tool was at its peak between 1970 and 2000, when about 53 issues were put before the Italian electorate.

According to Uleri (2002), the Italian referendum boom took place from 1970 to 2000. This period can be classified in three phases: The ‘No vote’ phase began in 1970 and lasted until 1985, the ‘Yes vote’ phase comprised the years of 1986-1993, and the ‘Non-vote’ phase ran from the second half of 1993 until May 2000. During the referendum these three decades, 36 issues had an affirmative response and 17 were rejected. It is important to highlight that on four occasions, voter turnout was below the required 50%, and the results on the remaining 18 issues were rejected.

According to Hadjar (2010), “The percentage of people who abstain from voting has gradually risen from 30% in 1979 to 57% in 2009” (522). This increase on non-voting can be seen as a social problem since it can mean a lack of democratic representation.

Even though the reform proposed by the Green Alliance was part of the ‘Yes vote’ period, it didn’t reach the required turnout, making the results voided. This happened mainly because the Green Alliance underestimated the power of the groups opposing the reform.  The groups opposing the Green Alliance’s proposal opted to respond to it with what Uleri calls an “opinion non-formation” campaign, where the opposing group enticed voters to utilize their right not to vote.

This, as other referendums, was used as a tool to intervene in the political agenda. When referendums have such objective, the role that the parties take in the mobilization of the electoral masses is critical to the results of the process. In the case of the referendum on hunting and pesticide use, the non-mobilization campaign of the opposing party reached and influenced 57% of the voting population, leaving the issue to be – ultimately – annulled.

This proves the point that Uleri (2000) makes by saying “Indeed, Svensson (1996: 38-40) remarks that; ‘experience shows that the larger parties may jeopardise constitutional amendments simply by remaining passive… The existence of a voter quorum distorts free and democratic competition.’”

In addition, Hadjar (2010) makes reference to the concept of political efficacy, which “refers to the degree a person believes in his or her own ability to understand politics and is convinced that the individual political action does have an influence on political processes” (526).

On the environmental referendum of June 1990, the opposing party took advantage of this concept and turned it around; they made voters understand that their votes do make a difference and enticed them to make this difference by not voting. This was a smart move because the voters against the reform joined the group of voters that did not have a strong opinion on the subject, resulting in a 57% of non-voters.

Perhaps if the opposing party had encouraged its members to vote the result could have been different; perhaps voter turnout would have exceeded 50% and the votes would have still favored the Green Alliance and the referendum would have gone through.

The opposing party played it smart, they realized that the concepts of political efficacy and opinion formation could be turned around to emphasize the impact that not voting can have in an election. As this case shows, not voting can have a more profound impact than voting when it comes to referendum processes.

Works Cited

Kenworthy, E. W. “Nixon to Propose Pollution Agency.” New York Times (1923-Current file): 1. Jun 6, 1970. Research Library:  ProQuest.  New York University Libraries, New York, NY.  7 Oct. 2013 <http://www.proquest.com/&gt;

Haberman, Clyde. “Greens Alliance Set Back in Italy.” New York Times: A.5. Jun 6, 1990. Research Library:  ProQuest.  New York University Libraries, New York, NY.  7 Oct. 2013 http://www.proquest.com/

Hadjar, Andreas, and Michael Beck. “Who does Not Participate in Elections in Europe and Why is this?” European Societies 12.4 (2010): 521-42. ABI/INFORM Global.  ProQuest.  New York University Libraries, New York, NY.  14 Oct. 2013 http://www.proquest.com/

Uleri, P. V. “On Referendum Voting in Italy: YES, NO Or non–vote? How Italian Parties Learned to Control Referendums.” European Journal of Political Research 41.6 (2002): 863-83. ABI/INFORM Global.  ProQuest.  New York University Libraries, New York, NY.  14 Oct. 2013 <http://www.proquest.com/&gt;

Written on October 28, 2013

A Drink or a Wink

There are many options for single people wanting to enter the dating scene; two of those options are going to a bar or making an online profile. Although these alternatives may seem completely different, the process of finding a potential follow a similar pattern on both. After all, love can be found anywhere, it is as matter of good timing; it is a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Prof. Biederman –an adjunct faculty for the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management– told me once that he had met his wife at a bar in London, and that standby plane tickets were the best part of working for Trans World Airlines because these –the tickets– led him to meeting his wife. He said, “So, you can meet your future spouse in a bar, it is possible”. To this I say that you can also meet him/her online. As I said before, it is only a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

The first thing to do in the quest of searching for a partner is to put yourself out there; but where does one want to start searching? To answer this question, one needs to browse the different options and choose a place that fits your personality. On the bar scene –for example– if you are not a fan of dancing, it is most likely you will choose a bar over a nightclub. It is the same with online dating: there are millions of dating sites, and the point is to select one that fits you. For instance, if you want a free website, it is likely you will prefer a free membership on Ok Cupid over paid memberships on websites such as Match.com.

Prof. Biederman met his wife at a bar in London, but how did he end up there if he lived in New York City? He and his colleagues from TWA decided to take advantage of the standby plane tickets the company offered; the group met at the airport on a Friday night, without a clue of where they would end up going.  After deliberating, they decided that London would be their weekend destination. As with travel, it is important to be open and spontaneous when hitting the dating scene, love can be waiting in the most unimaginable place.

After choosing where to go, one must get ready for the night; choosing an outfit and taking care of the little details are important factors in this phase. You must make sure to present the best version of yourself to the world. On the dot-com world, these factors are also important; after all, you are selling yourself both on the bar and the online world. Everybody knows that first impressions do matter, and attractiveness makes people take a second look.

Now, how do you choose whom to approach at the bar or the website? Well, one start by screening the people at the bar or people’s profiles on a website. You are looking for something that catches your attention; maybe that someone is good looking, or perhaps their profile says they like your favorite book. After screening and selecting whom to approach, one might ask to buy that person a drink or, on the online world, send that person a message. If the person agrees, the ‘getting to know each other’ phase starts.

Following that initial talk, both subjects may decide they want to continue getting to now each other and could ask to go on a formal date. After a couple dates, one might realize that the person is a total mismatch for you, or he/she is nice but not your type, or that you actually like that person and decide to give it a try.

Dating is a lot like traveling; some destinations will bring you great experiences to share, while some other might not be as good as you thought. It is like two experiences Prof. Biederman shared with me; you can go to the Easter Islands and have such a beautiful experience that “if you go there, you’ll tell your friends and you’ll tell your grandchildren” or you could not like the destination at all.

But whatever the case, you should take Prof. Biederman’s advice and “ try find something fulfilling about every destination”. So no matter what happens, learn from the experience and enjoy, eventually you too will find love.

 Written on October 28, 2013

Moments of Truth at the Hilton Lake Buena Vista, Orlando, FL

I decided to make my paper on my experience during my stay in Orlando, since I stayed at this hotel for 3 days, this paper will focus on the most important moments of truth that I had during this trip. I arrived with 3 other friends early on February 21 and the first thing we noticed was the entrance. It was clean and organized, the valet personnel were busy helping other guests and we got down of our van with the help of our driver, we carried our bags to the hotel without any help but, since I am used to doing this when I go on trips, it did not have any negative impression on me. As we moved into the lobby, we noticed a sign that welcomed the guests in several languages, the hotel was completely full and the line to check in was quite large but it move quickly. As we approached the front desk, the guest service agent informed us that we could not check in yet because the reservation was under our professor’s name but that they would be more than happy to take our luggage while we waited for him. This left a very good impression on me because, even if they could not assist us with giving us a room yet, they took care of our luggage so that we could go explore the surroundings.

Around 10:00AM, I had to go and print some documents that were needed for the conference, I ran to the business center where I found a nice surprise; both using and printing at the business center were free! This left a great impression on me because most of the places I have stayed previously usually charge you a fee to use the equipment. Also, the computers looked brand new and were Mac, which gave me the sensation that the hotel does worry about having the best things available to its guests.

After about two hours, our professor and arrived and we proceeded to do the check in. Although there was a line it ran quickly and the room assignment was done technically in no time, it was good to see how efficient they were even when the hotel was as booked as it was. However, when we got into the room, it smelled like cigarette. We immediately went down to the front desk to let them know and they said housekeeping would be back to clean the room, but even after four hours the smell was still sharp. This was a very disappointing for me; first, because no room in a nonsmoking hotel should smell like cigarette, and second because it was a Hilton, and I have very high expectations from the Hilton Worldwide team.

On the other hand, one experience that did leave an excellent impression on me was the one I had with the bell service personnel. A bell man in training called Carlos took our luggage to the room. He was very efficient and friendly and let us know about the different services that the hotel offered.

To end the first day of my stay, we headed to the conference opening session, where a couple of minor issues took place, these issues were present during all of the sessions held at the conference; the first issue had to do with the microphone: it kept turning off and the sound wasn’t as good as it should have been, the second issue – and to me the most important – is that the room temperature was too low, everybody was cold during the sessions. This, to me, left a neutral impression, I know technical issues happen but I believe something could have been done to prevent it or solve it when it first happened.

Moving forward to the second day, I ran into a housekeeper named Barbara, we talked about how the hotel had been sold out for a couple of days and I told her about the issue with my room, she explained that the people that stayed there before were veterans and smoked inside the room. These people checked out right before we checked in and housekeeping tried to get rid of the smell, but they couldn’t and had to wait until we checked out to do a thorough cleaning. Barbara was so friendly and understanding of the situation that, when she explained it to me, I did not care about the problem anymore, she left and excellent impression on me and I hope Hilton continues to hire talent like her.

As my stayed continued, I had another excellent impression. I was helping out with the banquet centerpieces and it was great to see how attentive the hotel’s team was. They assisted us with every request, from staples to rolling carts; they always made sure we had everything we needed for the conference to run smoothly. However, the food for the banquet was not really good; it was cold and it lacked flavor. Also, there were two dessert options and no guest were asked which one they wanted, these two factors left a very bad and disappointing impression on me.

On the contrary, two things that left a great impression were the fact that the arcade was opened 24 hours and had enough variety of games to play, and the fact that the concierge was so helpful when we asked for information regarding how to buy park tickets and where to go eat.

To conclude, I would like to touch on my last experience, it wasn’t a very pleasant one because the bell service gave me a wrong bag and couldn’t find mine, after a few minutes, I realized it was on the counter and asked for it. After they asked me what it had inside – which I thought was good for security purposes – they gave it back to me and apologized.

The overall experience was pretty satisfactory, even though there were some “bumps” during my stay; I would definitely go back, because the good experiences made up for the bad impressions.

Written on March 5, 2013

Special Interest Travel: Ecotourism

I decided to make my paper on ecotourism. According to David Weaver, ecotourism was first defined by Ceballos-Lascuraín in 1990 as “…tourism that consists in traveling to relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated natural areas with the specific objective of studying, admiring and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural manifestation (both past and present) found in the areas.”

Many definitions of ecotourism have been used throughout the years. The definition changes and adapts to the demands of society; currently, it is hard to find a definition of ecotourism that does not make reference to sustainability which, according to Weaver, means “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

I consider that ecotourism is a very important segment of special interest travel because, if done properly, can aid in building environmental awareness on people while also protecting and sustaining our planet. On the other hand, if ecotourism is done without emphasizing the importance of sustainability, there is a high risk of damaging the region, its flora and fauna, and its culture.

To understand and segment the market that is interested in ecotourism, it is important to define what an ‘ecotourist’ is. According to Weaver, an ecotourist is “tourist seeking nature-based learning experiences and behaving in an environmentally and socio-culturally sustainable manner.” The ecotourism market displays a wide range of motivations, behaviors and traits; to effectively segment the ecotourism market, we must first know how it differs from regular tourism and then identify the unique groups within ecotourism. Market segmentation in ecotourism takes into consideration all of the following categories: Intensity of the ecotourism practiced; is the ecotourist a ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ ecotourist? – e.g.: Will he go for an excursion on the jungle or will he just go bird watching? How environmentally committed is the person? –, group size – is it an individual, a small group or a big group –, how frequently does this person engage in ecotourism activities?, which activities is the person looking forward to do?

All of these intertwine, creating the market segments for ecotourism travel. The ecotourism market has plenty of room to grow, according to Weaver, 10 to 15% of global tourism is related to some sort of ecotourism activity. Also, some ecotour operations have expanded their customer base by 15 to 25% a year, this shows how steadily and rapidly ecotourism is growing. In addition, many ecotourism activities have shown an amazing growth percentage in the past decade; bird watching, hiking, backpacking, downhill hiking and primitive camping show more than a 50% growth.

Regarding how to market ecotourism services, I consider that there are a few ways in which ecotourism can be marketed effectively: Ecotourism destinations and its benefits to the environment can be marketed in environmental fairs and holidays such as earth day. Also, soft ecotourism activities, such as bird watching and can be marketed to attract baby boomers and senior citizens.

Ecotourism has a global reach, we find activities related to this special interest travel segment all over the world; safaris in Africa, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, whale watching, jungle expeditions in Costa Rica, etc. It seems like there is an activity that can be developed into an ecotouristic attraction in every corner of the world. For this reason, I believe that the market is not saturated and that ecotourism as a practice has still plenty of room to grow. In addition, if proper measures are taken to ensure the sustainability of the touristic attractions involved in ecotourism, we can aid in the protection and continuation of Eco-touristic projects throughout the world.

Written on April 22, 2013

Tulsi Vivah and Pujas at Durga Temple, Fairfax Station VA

At first I was uncertain regarding which religious tradition to use on my paper because I was interested in exploring all of the traditions we have discussed in class. However, I decided to focus this project on Hinduism because I feel it has a lot of features that I can easily incorporate to my own religious beliefs. After locating a temple near my location, I visited it three times before actually going to the service just to get more familiar with the tradition. Then, I looked at their online calendar and decided to go on the day the Tulsi Vivah ceremony was taking place. It is important to highlight that I could not stay during the whole ceremony, and that I observed both part of the Tulsi Vivah and people doing private pujas and prayers.

The temple I chose for the project is The Durga Temple, located in Fairfax Station, VA and it is the first temple dedicated to goddess Durga in the U.S. In addition, deities such as Vishnu, Shiva, Parvati, Ganesh, Krishna, Lakshmi and some others are also housed at this temple. Besides being a place of worship, The Durga Temple holds a variety of educational and cultural activities that help people get a better understanding of Hinduism.

Moving forward into the ceremonies, the Tulsi Vivah and the pujas were held inside the temple. For the pujas people approached the different deities’ altars, where a priest guided the family through the ritual, offering of incense and coconut. For the Tulsi Vivah, an altar was placed in the center of the temple; it was decorated with red fabric, plants and flowers – it resembled a garden –. At the center, there was a portrait of Krishna and Devi – one of his wives –, a statue of Ganesh and a Tulsi plant, adorned with white cloth and flowers. Three priests were leading this ceremony; one chanted the mantras, another one assisted the main attendees – an engaged couple and their parents that prayed for good fortune on the future marriage – with the offerings, and the other one assisted the rest of the participants.

The participants were seating quietly on the floor – with the exception of seniors, who were seating on chairs –, facing the altar. There were approximately thirty people on the temple; around twenty of them were participating in the Tulsi Vivah, while the other ten were offering pujas and praying to the different deities on the temple. In addition, there were noticeably more female attendees and only two children. Most participants were wearing regular clothes, only about five people were wearing traditional Hindu outfits and they all seemed to be medium or upper working class.

The general atmosphere on the temple while performing this ceremony was respectful and joyful, as the ceremony progressed; one could feel more joy and happiness among the participants. During the Tulsi Vivah there was an extensive period of mantra chanting and pujas to Krishna and his wife. Also there was a puja to Ganesh and one of the participants told me that, even though that is not a part of the ceremony, they incorporated it because the main participants were devotees of that particular deity. In addition to that, one of the priests told the story – in Indian – of the origins of the ceremony, which commemorates the legend of Vrinda, and her marriage to Vishnu. The ceremony incorporated the use of bells, incense, food – especially bananas –, a red thread – that the priest used to make bracelets for the participants – and vermillion – which he used to paint a red dot on everyone’s forehead –. These two elements were used to represent the union between Vishnu and Vrinda, regarding the bracelet, men had to use it on their right hand while women had to use it on their left hand. The dot on the forehead was worn by both men and women

At first I decided to only observe the ceremonies; I sat down with a friend and took notes on what was happening and how people were behaving. However, my friend and I eventually became participants when one of the priests approached us to paint a dot on our foreheads and make a bracelet out of red yarn. When the priest approached us I felt happy, even though he knew we were not part of the community, he made us feel welcomed and part of the ceremony. It was an amazing moment that I will treasure in my memory.

Throughout my visit at the temple I felt at peace and welcomed, all of the participants were engaged in their own religious experience and nobody interfered with anyone’s personal experience. I was truly fascinated with the traditions this community displayed. Also, I was very surprised with the fact that, even when a main ceremony was taking place – the Tulsi Vivah –, some people still visited the temple only to pray to a particular deity.

I learned many things from visiting The Durga Temple; people that participated on the Tulsi Vivah ceremony have a strong connection with their religious tradition, and they believe that participating in this ceremony bring prosperity to their families, especially to those people who are getting married soon. In addition, the community of The Durga Temple has a great sense of sharing and contribution; The altar used for the Tulsi Vivah, as well as all the offerings were made and brought by different members of the community. Moreover, the community is extremely friendly and welcoming towards non-members; regardless of your religious beliefs, they are happy to have people visit the temple and take part in the different religious and cultural activities they offer.

The temple has two stories, the worship salon and a cultural hall; they both express the Hindu values and stories, they are both designed in a very simplistic way. On the cultural hall of the Temple, there are various posters that introduce the visitor to the Hindu religion and its deities. In addition, the Temple has its own library and they schedule cultural and religious activities such as Sanskrit and meditation classes, introduction to Hinduism and so on. Moreover, the worship salon is filled of altars for the different deities; some of the altars are decorated opulently while others are decorated in a simpler way. There are six altars that are bigger than the rest in the temple because the deities portrayed in those altars are worshipped more often (Krishna, Shiva and Parvati, Ganesh, Hanuman, Durga and Rama).

I believe that people are part of this community for many reasons. First, it allows people to reunite with others that share their traditions, both religious and cultural. Also, it gives the people a sense of belonging; it can be difficult to live in another country, and places like The Durga Temple allow people to still practice their beliefs in an environment where they feel confortable.

In addition, participating in the activities that The Durga Temple holds, aids in reinforcing the participant’s faith, and it provides children and teenagers with an environment where they can learn about their traditions even when they are far from their land. I strongly consider that being part of a religious community such as The Durga Temple has multiple positive outcomes, not only religiously but socially as well; it allows participants to share their experiences and support each other.

Written on November 27, 2012

Lorien Hotel & Spa: An Insight to Managing the Front Office Department

• · Introduction:

Although my first plan was interviewing the Front Office Manager at the Westin Alexandria, she never replied to my emails and I failed to contact her despite my many tries, and I decided to give it a try in interviewing a Manager in a smaller property. I arrived at the Lorien Hotel & Spa on Monday, October 22^nd at around 10:00 A.M and introduced myself at the front desk, asking the front office clerk if his manager could give me a few minutes of his time for an interview on Front Office Management. He stated that his manager had just gone out but that he should be returning soon and added that I could wait for him at the lobby. After about ten minutes, Mr. Peter Diorio – the Front Office Manager of the Lorien Hotel & Spa – walked in and gladly gave me a couple of minutes of his time. The interview was conducted in the hotel living room at about 10:10 A.M, it lasted approximately ten minutes. Since Mondays are always busy he provided short, but valuable answers to the questions asked. His answers were mostly focused on his personal experience and provided examples of challenges and skills of the Front Office Staff that differ from the general anecdotes heard in class.

• · Property description:

The Lorien Hotel & Spa is part of the Kipmton Hotel & Restaurant Group and it is located at the heart of Old Town Alexandria (1600 King St.). According to the hotel’s website, Lorien Hotel & Spa is the newest hotel spa in the area as well as the only one in Alexandria, VA. The property showcases a total of 107 rooms and suites, as well as up to 3,000 square feet for traditional meeting space and up to 4,000 square feet for suite-level meetings. Also, it offers its guest two “destination restaurants”; BRABO by Robert Wiedmaier and BRABO tasting room.

The Lorien Hotel & Spa has been awarded recognitions such as the 2012 Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor, Best Massage 2012 by Northern Virginia Magazine and the Conde Nast Traveler’s 2011 Readers Choice Awards List of the Best 200 Hotels in the United States. In addition to these awards that supports the hotel’s reputation, Lorien Hotel & Spa has accessible features that comply with the ADA and is a pet and eco – friendly property.

Some of the amenities that can be found in the hotel are: Wireless and high speed internet in every room, full-service concierge, 24 hour valet parking, complimentary electric vehicle charging stations, complimentary newspapers, coffee and tea in the hotel’s living room, 24-hour fitness center and a complimentary hosted evening wine reception.

• · Front Office Manager Biography:

During the interview, Mr. Diorio was asked when he had realized he wanted to work for the industry and how he started working in Hospitality. Regarding the first question, Mr. Diorio stated “I was in high school, working on a restaurant and coaching little league baseball. I was college hunting I thought Hospitality would be a good fit versus the typical cubicle life”. Moving forward to the next part of the question, Mr. Diorio claimed it was easy to start working in the industry. He first worked as a waiter and got several internships in line-level positions while he was in college. In addition to that, Mr. Diorio worked in the on campus hotel that his school had, eventually grew contacts and “worked hard, found an opportunity, seized it and kept it.”

• · Front Office Manager Challenges:

Regarding the various challenges a Front Office Managaer faces, Mr. Diorio went over some of them and stated that there is a difference between the challenges found in a small hotel versus the ones found in a larger operation. He believes that one of the largest challenges Front Office Manager face in a small operation is finding time to do their office and administrative paper work versus being on the lines. Regarding the challenges on a large hotel, he states are reversed from the challenges on a small operation, and that finding time to actually be on the line might be one of the issues.

In addition, he was asked if his Front Office Personnel had training in handling situations when a guest needs to be walked out of the property due to overbooking. Mr. Diorio replied “we don’t really train on walking a guest, is more of something we talk about and make the team aware of. It is an unofficial training, I guess, but we handle each day differently and it really just comes down to making sure the team is aware of all situations, and that I’m working with the revenue team to oversell the hotel to a certain degree or to really not oversell to a certain degree.”

• · Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Mr. Diorio was asked about the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to be a Front Office Manager. He stated that a Front Office Manager needs to be organized, must follow- up and “have dedication to not only the hotel but to your own employees to see that they are developed so that in any of your absences everything remains the same.”

In addition, Mr. Diorio was asked what he looks for in people when hiring Front Office Personnel. His answer was short and precise; he stated that the first thing he looks for is personality, followed by commitment and dedication. He said he basically looks for people with “the ability to make something out of nothing”.

To conclude the interview, Mr. Diorio was asked what his advice would be to someone trying to pursue a Front Office Manager position. He stated, without hesitating: “Clear your schedule. Make sure you are able to be available, at least for the first few months, so that you are comfortable with your team and your team is comfortable with you. And you can spend more time in those first few months, you are putting a lot of hours essentially, to make sure that everything is good with you at the hotel.”

• · Personal Observations:

When I first got this assignment, I went to the Westin Alexandria and tried to contact the Front Office Manager of that operation. The day I went there she was not available and a very helpful Concierge gave me her business card, encouraging me to contact her via email. I sent her two emails and showed up at the hotel two more times, but she never replied. I found this episode quite frustrating, not so much for the fact that I could not do the interview at the hotel I chose first, but for the lack of hospitality from the Front Office Manager. I believe she could have – at least – replied my emails saying she was not available for the interview.

However, I was able to find a hotel with staff willing to help; the Lorien Hotel & Spa makes you feel at home. From the moment to arrive to the property you feel the pleasant atmosphere, the property’s staff is extremely friendly and well serviced-oriented, I talked to a total of three staff members; a Valet, a Front Office Clerk and the Front Office Manager, and they all helped me out and treated me like a guest (in the sense that they tried to fulfill my needs promptly) even when I was not.

The hotel has a very intimate design that goes along with the spa concept; the background music on the common areas is relaxing and allows the guest to get in the proper mood. Instead of a regular lobby, it has a living room which décor is based on a combination of turquoise and pale beige. The living room gives the hotel a sense of uniqueness and coziness that makes it stand out from the other hotels in the area and, regarding cleanliness, the hotel areas that I had the pleasure to observe were impeccable.

The experience to actually interviewing a person that works in the Front Office has allowed me to gain more insight on how the department operates, and Mr. Diorio was extremely helpful and answered all the questions I had for him. This process also gave me excellent information on what Managers look for when hiring employees and useful advice on how to get ready for a managerial position in the industry.

Also, the interview reaffirmed two concepts that many faculty have said to be essential in the hospitality industry; networking and follow up. These to concepts are of extreme importance in the industry and should be taken into consideration if one wants to be a successful professional.

I believe that this research has helped me get to know the industry a little bit better, making me more aware of the needs and sacrifices that working in the industry entail. The information collected in the interview process will be useful when selecting internships and interviewing for a potential job and also when deciding which university to choose from my transfer options.

Written on November 22, 2012

Errors as a Guiding Force in Life

Throughout history, individuals have held diverse thoughts regarding errors. Certain people believe that errors allow us to grow and move forward while others think they are undesirable and even sinful. I strongly believe in the first point of view; without errors we would have never accomplished most discoveries that help us live life as we know it today. Errors shape our life and direct us in the right path of discovering the truth.

Even though I hold an optimistic view of errors, I am aware that some of them can be amiss –like theft or murder-, but can those faults be classified as errors or were they done on purpose? I recall reading in Schulz’s essay, “Two Models of Wrongness”, that people who want to eradicate mistakes often cross the line –without noticing– and end up trying to eliminate people that hold beliefs different than theirs.

Like Hitler who, for example, wanted to exterminate a group that he assumed was harmful and wrong, but was it really? Or was he just frightened about the differences between Jews and himself? We all know that the Holocaust was completely wrong, but did he know this? Anyone who has read Mein Kampf, knows that Hitler believed it was the right thing to do —it was his “truth”. His experiences throughout life led him to think he was doing the right thing, not only for himself but for mankind.

This makes me ask myself a few questions: How do we judge what is right or wrong? Do we judge according to what is best for us or our family? According to what is beneficial for society or even for the environment? And also, how do we tell if we are judging appropriately? We judge errors and circumstances based on ethics and values. That is how we distinguish right from wrong.

Also, I realized that my perception of errors has been linked to the notions of right and wrong, but they are neither of them. Errors are relative. What is considered a fault today it might not be a fault tomorrow. Flaws lead us to our reality, even if we have to fail a few times before reaching it.

What can be a mistake to you could be someone else’s reality. For instance, we have two individuals -one believes in God and the other one is an Atheist- these are their particular realities and, even when they differ, they must be respected and accepted.

Think for a moment, how did Fleming discovered the penicillin, or how was the microwave invented? These discoveries started because of a slip; a slip that intrigued the researcher, made them dig deeper and, ultimately, made him discover a new “truth”. How science is constantly rediscovering concepts and new ideas is one outstanding example of this process, as Schulz states “…the scientific method is essentially a monument to the utility of the error.” (398).

And this process not only occurs with prodigious discoveries, each individual’s life is shaped by the mistakes he/she makes. I think that errors, particularly the little ones, shape us into what we need to become. It is like a sculpture: Life is an artist and errors are the chisel; life uses errors to remove parts of us that we do not need, molding us into something more beautiful, carrying us closer to our truth. Error allows us to make room for our little Renaissance man full of doubts, releasing the Shakespeare, Galileo, Audrey Hepburn or Sinatra that lives within ourselves.

Yes, errors shape us and sometimes the process can be cruel and shameful, but one has to learn how to dance in the rain, knowing that the rainbow will come afterwards, and we will discover our very own pot of gold. For that reason, I hold errors as high as I hold motivation in my life. To me, they are the two central forces that guide people through life. Without them, existence becomes ordinary, without them one cannot find his/her true passion, without it one cannot set goals. Think about it, where would you be if you have never made a mistake in your life? Would you be the same individual or would you be someone completely different?

Written on September 17, 2012

On Technology and How It Is Destroying Human Interactions:

Wherever one looks, there will always be someone interacting with an electronic device. People nowadays are connected with the world, but (at the same time) they are disconnecting themselves from their community, lowering one-on-one interactions. Technology and its effects on how people interact is a field of study that recently caught my attention. While seeing my younger sister gathered with her closest friends, I realized that everybody was constantly checking their smartphones and all they talked about was related to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I believe that we have all experienced these episodes (sometimes even more frequently than we would like), and that is the reason I am expressing my concerns on where technology is leading our social interactions. As a member of the “digital generation”, I strongly consider that technology is destroying human’s one-on-one interactions and the social skills linked to them.

Reliance on technology has set our brains under a permanent state of alert and stress. The world as we know it requires us to be connected as much as possible – if not always –. In fact, people expect us to be connected at every moment, and some individuals actually get upset when a text is not replied within a short time frame. That constant activeness has made us stay in a never-ending state of alert. Gary Small (2008) has helped us define that state; he claims that the technology-driven world has created a condition of continuous partial attention or CPA (the terms continuous partial attention and CPA will be used interchangeably during this essay). He also emphasizes that when in a state of continuous partial attention we move from activity to activity looking for, and I quote, “every type of contact at any given moment”. In other words, continuous partial attention is a cry for attention, not only from the person jumping from e-mail to e-mail, but also from the person who sends them.

Moreover, the state of continuous partial attention affects both screenagers and nonscreenagers (according to de Encyclopedia of American Studies (2010), the term screenager is used in reference of the generation that was born with a personal computer in their homes). For example, a business person receives multiple texts while he/she is writing an e-mail about the next corporate meeting as he listens to music. With this CPA state affecting business people, a new door has opened for them: Technology allows them to take work with them wherever they are (including home), increasing the continuous partial attention state and deteriorating the amount of time, attention or quality of the interactions between family members. Moving forward to how CPA affects the younger group; a teenager is constantly checking her phone to see who is following her on Twitter as she video chats with her best friend, while they both do homework and watch the new Justin Bieber’s video on Youtube. The continuous partial attention condition is present in everyone who is “connected” to the technological revolution, making one-on-one interactions reduce greatly in terms of time and quality.

I have also noticed that, technology is a distraction in social gatherings. The constant arrival of information makes us check our cellphones more often that we should and this may lead to uncomfortable situations: such as being available when you do not want to be, or not being “available” to share with your friends because you are available online. On an interview to José Márquez, he was asked if he believed that technology had contribute to isolate people and shares a personal anecdote: One day he asked his two younger children what they wanted for dinner and, to his surprise, their answers came via Whatsapp (a mobile messaging application compatible with most smartphones, similar to Blackberry messenger). It is, the minute I come across these situations, when I fear for the future of human interactions; I fear we are forgetting how to interact with each other without a screen in front of us.

Others may say that technology aids in making life of students and business people more efficient, however, overexposure to technology can weaken the brain areas that control social interaction. According to Small (2008), technology is shifting the way our brains operate. Small claims that our brain is focusing on the technological skills and is leaving social skills behind (like finding the emotional background of a gesture). In addition, he affirms that a healthy brain needs a balance between non-human stimulation and personal interaction. In regards to continuous partial attention, Small declares that the brain sets itself in a sharp state of stress and, if this stress is lengthy, it can result in anxiety, tiredness, depression and bad temperedness (he defines this as Techno-brain burnout). Small concludes stating that “While the brains of today’s Digital Natives are wiring up for rapid-fire cyber searches, the neural circuits that control the more traditional learning method are neglected and gradually diminished. The pathway for human interaction and communication weakens as customary one-on-one people skills atrophy”.

With as much exposure to technology as we have nowadays, my main concern is how we can build the social aspect of our brain (with less intervention from computers) so that a healthy level between human interaction and other stimuli can be reach once more. Unfortunately, I do not have the answer to that question without involving technology, and I start to think that (if we continue this way) soon enough we will be living like the humans on Walt Disney’s movie, Wall-E (2008). Technology has helped us destroy our social interaction’s skills, widening the generation gap between screenagers and non-screenagers. In addition to that, the fast “rewiring” of our brain may cause newborns to lack – or forget – at early ages, fundamental social skills.

In conclusion, technology has dragged us down the continuous partial attention path, making us ramble from task to task and demanding attention from other “onliners”. Although technological advancements have aid us in making multiple aspects of our lives more efficient, it has also help fade the social interactions in our lives and this is not healthy. Our brain is shifting so quickly that a study on Small’s book (2008) show that an emoticon is now activating the brain areas that control nonverbal communication. There is no doubt that our brain is evolving rapidly thanks to technology, and that our social interactions are changing forever. At this point in time, I believe we could take Aristotle’s famous quote that says “man is by nature a social man” and transform it to suit current times, saying that man is an iSocial man.

 Works Cited and Consulted

Aristotle. La Política: Argentina: La Editorial Virtual, 2007. Print.

“Cyberculture.” Encyclopedia of American Studies. : Johns Hopkins UP, 2010. Credo Reference. Web. 9 Oct 2012.

Márquez, José G. “On Technology and Isolation.” E-mail interview. 09 Oct. 2012.

Small, Gary W., and Gigi Vorgan. IBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind. New York: Collins Living, 2008. Print.

WALL-E. Dir. Andrew Stanton. By Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, and Jeff Garlin. Prod. Jim Morris. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2008. Film.

 

Written on October 15, 2013

A Not-So-Surreal Perspective of War

When I saw Magritte’s The Liberator (1947) in my English book I wished I could see the painting in colors, so when I got home I looked it up on the Internet and the feeling was simply wonderful. I was so confused by the painting, but at the same time my mind fell in love with it. The canvas was made in 1947 –two years after World War Two ended- and I believe the image holds a close relationship with the war and its implications. The title –The Liberator– may be an allusion to being freed from the chaos of war.

The painting presents the torso of a man sitting down on a rock. There are a couple of interesting components in this figure: The “empty” space with symbols where his upper body should be, an ornament with eyes and a mouth in his right hand, a cane in his left hand, and a suit case on the floor to his right. I believe each of these elements are important for an accurate understanding of the painting, therefore I will explore them individually in the following paragraphs.

Starting with the main figure, the man is sitting down and his humble clothes make me assume that he lives in the countryside. But the particularity of this figure rests on the fact that he has no upper torso, instead we find four symbols: a key, a cup, a bird and a smoking pipe. The space where they are painted resembles a bird cage, maybe they represent repression or some kind of restriction that was imposed by war; maybe it represents the attachment to material things or even maybe the longing of freedom, the desire of the war to end and go back to a normal life.

We also notice that he is holding two things: in his right hand he holds an ornament that has two eyes and a mouth resembling a face; it could be considered a symbol of wealth. On his other hand, he holds a cane; it could be representing the elderly or the wisdom they possess. These two items might even seem contrasting; the ornament seems fancy while the cane is very simple; maybe portraying the difference between an individual’s lifestyle before and during the war.

Lastly, I want to highlight the presence of a suitcase on the right side. It represents the migration of people during the war, not only to other countries but to the less populated areas within their particular nations. When people migrated they had to take only the essentials with them, leaving most of their belongings behind.

The more I analyze the individual components of the image, the clearer the canvas is to me. This painting illustrates the struggle of people during migration. People had to leave their homes in the city and move to the less populated areas, leaving their material belongings behind, learning how to live with the basics and hoping that, someday, they could go back to the live they once knew.

Written on September 17, 2012