Saturday, March 11, 2006
Spring Break in Puerto Rico - 8:47 PM
Dear Shiyun,
I am back in East Lansing, Michigan where the weather is...hmmm pretty OK I guess. But coming back from a warm and sunny place like San Juan, NOTHING is good enough. So, I shall dissect every part of the trip for you.
First of all, the people who went: Me (Singaporean), Miki & Maria (Japanese), Angela & Mira (Korean), Sean (Taiwanese), Victor (D.C Hispanic), Geoff & Leah (Michigander), Steven (Jew, Chicago), Parimal (Auction CEO, Indian, North Caroliner), Bhavin (Auction CFO, cousin of Parimal, Indian, South Caroliner), Ann & Husband (my TA), Devon (Black, son of our Career advisor).
As you can see, we are a pretty good mix of Race and Nationalities. But NO FEAR! We lived in peace (most of the time). Heh.
Day 1: Angela, Victor and I (basically the ones who live in the dorms), took Parimal's car to the Detroit airport at 4:30 FREAKING A.M. in order to catch our 8:30 flight. Most of us had either not slept, or slept for 3hours due to the OSCARS (heh). Anyhow, we make it there in 1 piece. We reached San Juan at about 4P.M, with Steven and Bhavin meeting us there (they had gone there a day early) in this huge ass Ford Expediton. We later found out that they had rented them for us so we didn't have to take cabs! What a nice start to our break, huh?
We went to a Cuban restuarant near the hotel for dinner which was pretty ahh.... not nice? Haa. And then we were all tired, and went to the beach by the hotel to drink. Wah, Shiyun I tell you, I really can't drink. My Rum with Coke was 90% Coke and 10% Rum and I couldn't finish it.
Day 2: Our day started off at 9am. Headed over to Old San Juan to the Puerto Rico Tourism Company who gave us an overview of the country's Tourism economy. Later, we enjoyed a MAGNIFICIENT lunch at the El Convento (a 355 yr old convent-turn-boutique hotel). At the courtyard of the hotel, we found joint tables, big umbrellas to shade us from the sun, silverware and wine glasses waiting for us. Lunch was awesome, OBVIOUSLY. (by then, we already knew that we were getting NOTHING but the best while we're there). Oh Shiyun, don't be jealous. I know you're salivating and telling me how much you hate me. GET OVER IT!
At night, we had dinner at this sub-standard Mexican restuarant and headed over to the Old San Juan area for some LANCING. Oh my... Hong Ruoying no dance. Hong Ruoying CAN'T dance. But still, it was great fun seeing people dance. Old San Juan is the hip place of San Juan. It was PACKED with people - what you would see at Chinatown on CNY eve. We later found out that the locals have a big party every first Tuesday of the month. So we lucked out. But hor, locals at the dance club didn't seem to have seen Asians before. They were like trying to dirty dance all over us. Was quite disgusting. The 4 guys who went with us had to shield us from them. But it was still fun. And all of a sudden we heard this Indian music being played. Bhavin and Parimal belong to the Indian Association at MSU where they have annual dance performances. And it happened to be the exact same music they danced to for last year's show. And so they were doing their thang and EVERYONE was crowding over us and looking at them. It was so surreal u know? Like, in the movies. ANd then we headed to one more bar and one more club and headed back for rest.
Day 3: Started the day off meeting the executive board of the Courtyard Marriott where we were staying. I can't remember most of it except that we have successfully brought down their Average Daily Rate cos we weren't paying for our rooms. Haha. For lunch, we headed back to El Convento's Tappas restaurnat. OH MY GOD. Reuben (MR Andrew's assitant) was our host for the entire trip and he planned and paid for everything. We had shrimp, calamari, lamb, chicken, beef, shrimp again, and lotsa stuff. And then he ordered 4 giant cakes for 5 people. There was 10 of us, so it was effectively 8 giant cakes for us. We were so stuffed. And then we did a site visit of the El Convento and met the GM and all.
Wednesday night, we went for dinner at this Indian-Fusion restaurant in Old San Juan. Food was pretty good though a tad pricey (but its Old San Juan prices). THey had a belly-dancer shaking her way through the diners and kept us very well entertained. (Mann I look at the way she shakes and I feel so.inadequate.i.tell.you.) The guys smoked the HOOKAH - that flavored thing. But I didn't try. I'd probably choke. or something. Later on, we went to an American club - Signor Frogs (this chain of clubs that were found in every Spring Break destination). GROSS!!! Americans can't dance! They were just like bumping and grinding each other. NO CLASS AT ALL! I saw this couple dancing. At one point, the girl was sitting on the couch with her legs slightly apart while the guy was dancing between them. THATS CALLED DANCING MEH? GEt a room, people! So we left pretty early and headed back to 'College Avenue' - the street that was buzzing with life the previous night. But we didn't know that it only happened every first tuesday of the month. That place was REALLY quiet, and so we left.
Day 4: 9am AGAIN! Visited 2 of Mr Andrew's new properties that were still under construction. Both multi-million projects that already had people queueing up to buy them. the Vanderbilt and the La Concha. Condo-hotels by the ocean. THE place to be in 2007. Lets just hope that they invite us back then. HEHE. Lunch again was woohoo. Enough said.
Finally, it was time to hit the beach! Realise we didn't get to do anyting recreational at all during the first 3 days? And so we finally went to the beach just to laze in the sun. Dinner was at a rather upscale Italian-Puerto Rican restaurant within walking distance from the hotel. But it was no good. Food didn't come at all and people were getting drunk cos they were bored. Taking care of people when they're drunk is no fun. BOOO. Worst night of the trip. We wanted to go to the EL San Juan hotel cos we heard its really fun, but 2 of the girls were so drunk that we had to take care of them. And so we left after a few rounds of puking and persuading while the guys paid $12 to go into the dance club.
Day 5: GUESS WHAT WE DID? We went out to sea!! Reuben actually rented a huge BOAT to take us out to enjoy the breeze!!!!!!! how great is that. If thats the life the rich and famous are leading, I DON'T EVER WANT TO BE POOR! Like, fei hua right? But it was how great? We were wined and dined every afternoon and BROUGHT OUT TO SEA ON A BOAT? GET OUT!!!! Reuben said he's gonna be very sad when we leave cos he himself can get used to this life too. And then we laughed. Lots of people got drunk on the boat. I mean, when you take alcohol and start smearing it to ur hair and say its gel, YOU ARE DRUNK, OK? When you dive into the ocean holding a can of beer, YOU ARE DRUNK, ok? When you drink about 10 cans of beer and some other liquour in 5 hours, YOU ARE DRUNK, ok? When you start drinking at 8:30am in the morning and don't stop... woo. you are hardcore, man. But its still great fun.
Dinner was at this restuarant in Old San Juan where they boast to have international CREATIVE cuisine. Its definitely CREATIVE. Curry with Shanghai noodles? mmm.... cold Soba noodles with chopped chili? But it was pretty good I must say. I went for the seafood risotto with shrimp and scallops. MMMMM. And then we were all tired and went back. Our last night in Puerto Rico ended with a very unhappening -BANG-. But all was good. IT was fun.
Day 6: We left bright and early at 630AM. Byebye, San Juan. You have been very kind to us. Mucho Gracias, Hope to be back soon!
Shiyun, if you remember, I had gone to Puerto Rico with a little apprehension and alot of hope: Apprehension because I'm not all that familiar with everyone who's going on the trip, and thus makes them and their behavior unpredictable for me...Hope that I will enjoy myself, hope that I will get to know my fellow coursemates a little better, hope that people will like me. And I think I got it - everyone loves me. THey think I'm super funny cos I'm a silent but deadly killer. I don't say much, but when I do, I kill them one by one. I haven't been that in a very long time. And I'm happy to announce that the old Ruoying with witty comebacks have returned. But now I'm back in my own pathetic little hole in West Mcdonel Hall...I guess when I bidded farewell to San Juan, I had said goodbye to my natural self as well.
Its rather sad to know that alot of the people who went on the trip are graduating Seniors. This is not Singapore where we can meet up randomly at Orchard Road. Now, I already know about 2 of them going to San Francisco, 1 to Philadelphia, 1 to New York City, 1 to Kansas City (don't ask me why) and 1 to Rhode Island. Our paths may never cross in our lifetimes, ever again. But I tell myself that at least Puerto Rico, Spring break 2006 is something that we will always remind us of each other.
OK and so now I shall calculate how much I spent on the entire trip:
Air tickets: $422
Dinner: $100 or so
Cab: $20
Accomodation: Free
Drinks: negligible
Experience: PRICELESS
And so thats how I spent Spring Break. And now I'm depressed. If you would excuse me, I have to look for a dance instructor. Reply soon!
Ruoying