Retired VIP Guest Hospitality Specialist: Land Trustee-PS
A pure Hawaiian of rare birth,
living a life somewhat carefree,
fed farm animals by this squirt,
sticks and stones were real toys indeed,
set trash ablaze, be on alert,
a barefoot country kid, that's me,
a runner on trails made of dirt,
plucked berries from brush, fruits from trees,
built sandcastles--swam first of seven seas.
"I was young when we all left this behind ... (Cat Stevens)"
I was called by the islands University & Community College of Hawaii in Hilo, concurrently, meaning at the same time, thanks to the wisdom or rare ethnic obligations, such is the stamina of a strong Liberal State. IQ test, score withheld for three decades. At the time I asked--being so young--thought I was being coy, so I indulged in their manipulations.
4 yr degrees in 2 all except one--Hotel Mgmt, Mrkt & Econ/Linguist/Minor in Sociology
VIP Guest Hospitality Specialist: It's a One-on-One, Two, or ... (Not misconstrued as a Concierge who works from a finite level) contractual hire for two hotel chains on a concurrent level:
My First VIPs were The Jackson Five in 1976, Oakland, CA., and Tom Hanks should have won an academy for being a bellman at The Hilton. Graduate of Skyline High School in "74, the same year as me.
My First domestic dignitary was Pres. Jimmy Carter
My First foreign dignitary was a twosome SF Bay; (morn/yacht) quite sgl Prince Charles (eve/dining) Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Forty years at the helm of the Five-Star Hotel's nomenclature, USA, The Caribbean and Canada. I whisk to Points-of-Call wherever my skills may benefit the industry, persons of interest--basically, ordinary people that happen to have a following of some great number.
So many in-betweens, curlers for Madonna ... wake-up call for Richard Burton with Elizabeth Taylor telling me, "Make sure he answers the phone." Whether they'd be Dolly Parton, Joan Baez, (Ricky Nelson, Berkeley, CA. 1980), (Kris Kristofferson & Geraldo Rivera--wait for an elevator that never opens/it's 4 am and it's unmanned--HELLO, press the button guys?)
Touchy moments too when a couple of dignitaries' flight when Burma fell to Myanmar.
You can't make this up people. Life as I worked it like with John Madden of the then Oakland Raiders Superbowl "77. The Hilton was the 'Home of the Raiders'. Bell staff (Tom Hanks) had the dubious honor of putting that banner up on the front lobby roof whenever they had a game and stayed at the hotel. As a skilled linguist, I'd clear misunderstandings like two elderly Germans unacceptable king-sized room, whereto, I explained to the front desk clerk that they were not husband and wife, but brother and sister. Brazilian soccer players directions around the city, or a busload of fresh-unloaded Japanese tourist of sights to see in and around the bay.
[Personal SHOUTOUT] John 'The Tooz' Matuzak, was a Def. Lineman for the Raiders and was an actor. Ice Pirates, Caveman, and notably, 'Sloth' was a character he played in the movies, 'The Goonies'--"Hey you guys!" He lived in So. Cal. and was in Oakland for games and practice. I was his friend/chauffeur taking him to his mom Audrey in the hills. My work car was a Datsun 510 Hatchback [I laugh every time--he gets mad] "JUST DRIVE!" The guy's HUGE! He died a few months before Dad, he was 38, from head trauma--'twas the football talk at the time for guys who play the line--[PEACE MY FRIEND]
Mom is my nom de plume; multi-talented, songwriter/lyricist, musician, singer, pastor, missionary, prayer warrior, exorcist, evangelical minister, tent revivalist, etc. Dad, realtor, businessman, fighter/boxer
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Hilo Poet
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