Best Job final chapters part 2.

Our "Anthony Hopkins" suite had a beautiful view of the Santa Monica pier and the lights from that huge ferris wheel was beautiful to behold at night.

The foreshore during the day was full of "beautiful" people and the road alongside (between the hotel and the foreshore) lined with palm trees was breath-taking. I saw this road in many movies....the Santa Monica pier in other movies...and I never imagined being here myself in person.

Our first day was "rest and recuperate" from the long trip, many of us were jet-lagged as it was our first long-haul flight and it was very taxing.

I was groggy from my self induced coma for the rest of the afternoon, but by evening I was ravenous and ready to tackle one of the many restaurants in or around the hotel. It was to be an early morning call the next day (I was determined to be one of the first ten in the lobby at 8.30am to collect my special early bird gift) so we decided to have a meal at one of the restaurants in the hotel. I cant remember the name of the restaurant but it had heaps of photographs of all the movie stars who had dined there....if anyone knows the name of this restaurant...please tell me.

I did not make it for the first "early-bird" meet at the lobby, but that's okay...it is difficult to be on time when you are sharing a suite with three other women...lol.

For the next five days, it was a hectic sight-seeing, shopping, eating, resting in between, few drinks at bars after dinner then back to the suite for a good night's sleep before the next day's outing. Of course, when you have four women sharing a suite, sleep is not the easiest to come by...our chats never seemed to end..and one night I remember still being up when the sun was coming up at dawn.

We went to Disneyland...I think there was at least 10 coaches to take us all....and we spent the whole day there...and it wasnt enough. Some of us decided to go back on one of our free days to cover what we didnt get to see. It was the most amazing place I have ever been to in my life....I felt like a 10 year old kid....I got autographs from Mickey and Minnie, and Goofy, and Eeyore, and Cinderella or Snow White..lol...I was too excited to care who it was.....and quite a few other "celebrities" walking around.

Magic Mountain was everything I dreamed it would be.....the many rides we went on were awesome....but I couldnt get in the tea-cups or rides that made me feel sick....motion sickness....uuggh!!!

Another day was a full day at Universal Studios....we went into the set of Earthquake (I think it was) where we were in a subway (undergroud set) and a mock earthquake would happen...and I have to tell you, it scared the poop out of me...it was soooo realistic!!

The other thing that was scary but so thrilling, we went on a boat where the shark from Jaws was swimming around...and this shark (was his name Bruce?) came up out of the water and tried to attack us!!!.....I just about needed a change in underwear, I have to tell you....lol.

We also saw the set of the movie Psycho...and we got to see the Mom's house on the hill and that was really cool too.

I was disappointed that the set of Waterworld (you remember that movie with Kevin Costner?) was under repair or refurbishment and it was closed to the public at the time. It looked like it would have been an awesome thing to see.

We bought heaps of souvenirs for our girls back home...from Disneyland and Universal Studios...things like pens, keyrings, little mugs, little stuffed toys, beautiful little diaries, and all sorts of other cute/gorgeous little things.

At night, back at our suite, we'd spread all our souvenirs on our beds and would check out each other's purchases.

We had a day trip where we took a tour through Beverly Hills and homes of some movie stars....I loved Lucille Ball's house....and I was amazed at Johnny Weismuller's house which had a moat around it where he used to swim??? (I had to ask who he was...lol...but I also found out he used to be an Olympic swimmer...which was pretty impressive.)

Another day, we went to Sunset Boulevard...and Graumann's Chinese theatre...Rodeo Drive...(shopping there was not an option...not even for the smallest, cheapest souvenir for myself....a little pair of (bikini) undies was $10.00 and there was barely 4 square inches of fabric to it...lol.)

On one of our free days we (about a dozen of us) went to Venice Beach...others went back to Rodeo Drive...others wanted to hunt for movie star sightings...and others just stayed at the hotel, too exhausted to move.

Day 7 was the flight up to San Francisco....only an hour and a bit if I recall, so I didnt bother with the valium..lol.

San Francisco.....oh my GOD!!!. This city is unbelievable!!! I fell in love the first day we were there. We stayed at the Sheraton on Pier 39 and it was amazing. The walks on the Pier, the restaurants, Bubba Gumps was a favorite..being a Forrest Gump fan...and the most amazing clam chowder served in a real crusty bread bowl from one of the side stalls on Fisherman's Wharf, I swore I must have died and gone to HEAVEN!!!

We went to Farmer's Market one day, and one of our managers got lost. She was also from my distributorship in Perth, so we were really franctic. We were supposed to meet back at the car park where the buses were at 3pm....and 4.30pm we were still looking everywhere for her. By 6pm she was nowhere to be found so we headed back to the hotel, not knowing what the Tupperware staff were doing about this incident.

At 8.30pm that night, she walked into the hotel to everyone's relief....and she had no excuse or reason for her disappearance. She decided to go it alone and make her way back to the hotel herself, and that's what she did. I dont know if she got into trouble for it or not, we were just mighty glad to see her and no harm done.

The following day was a trip to Alcatraz...what an amazing place. We got to meet a guy who used to be a long term inmate there before it closed, I cant remember his name unfortunately, but he's written a couple of books on his life at this prison. This place was fascinating yet spooky at the same time. I walked into one of the cells and in less than ten seconds I had to walk out again...I dont think I'd survive a day in one of those cells...lol.

The next day we took buses across the Golden Gate Bridge...which is not gold at all....it's the most yucky orange color....lol. But we crossed it very early in the morning and there was a mist covering most of the bridge and you could only see the very top of it. But it was a beautiful surreal experience because once again, I've seen this bridge in countless movies but never thought I'd be here crossing it in person.

We went to Salsilito, and this is the place I want to someday spend the rest of my life in. If I can retire and see my old age here, I will die happy.

San Francisco had a very strange effect on me. From the first day we arrived, I felt as though I've been there before...no, not in movies....but in person. I had many dejavu experiences like I've lived there in a past life or something. I found it very difficult to leave, I had this feeling inside that I've finally come home and this is where I wanted to stay. I was very depressed on the day we had to leave.

We did the cable car rides, a trip to China town and a ride down the most crooked street in the world....Lombard Street, it was just beautiful.

We saw beautiful museums, gardens...and a place outside of the city, called Cliff House on Point Lobos and there were lots of sea-lions there at the time. The ones on Pier 39 were awesome too, but they were just a bit smelly....lol.

We ate at the most beautiful restaurants and had our final dinner at Ghirardelli's where we were all given gifts like a cable car on a wind-up base which turned around while it played "I left My Heart In San Francisco"...and a very beautiful book on San Francisco. I chose some pages in this book where other managers could write something to me, in remembrance of this fantastic trip, and the fantastic people I met. I actually have that book here with me in Jakarta....I will try and scan one of those pages and see if I can post it here.


To be Continued......the next post will be photos...I scanned some from the San Francisco book...including a couple of pages where the other managers wrote a message to me.