When I have to work in the shipyard in Malaysia, I stay at a hotel called Orient Star. They claim to have three stars. Besides of the one in the name, I can't see any other. Sadly for me, there are hardly any alternatives in the area. However, this is brilliant for the Orient Star, because there tag line seems to be We Don't Care. They did not aim too high.
Close to midnight on Wednesday, after a 17 hours work day at sea, I came back to the hotel. I was knackered, my head spun, my body was not yet used to solid ground under the feet, and I was soaked with sweat (it's hot in Malaysia). All I wanted, was to have a shower, take a call from my beloved Toño, and crash into my bed. Disappointingly but not unsurprising, the door lock refused to open and did not let me enter my room.*
The receptionist said that the technician went home, and that I have to stay in another room. I replied that I have to leave for work at 6:30 am and that I have neither cloths to change nor a toothbrush without entering my room. She asked, if I haven't got a colleague who could help me out. Thinking of future salary talks, I reckoned, it's not a wise idea to interrupt my boss' night rest in order to ask him for a toothbrush and a pair of his undies.
All help I got from the receptionist was a "Sorry" accompanied by a deal-with-it smile. It did not really cheer me up that my replacement room had a broken phone and an air conditioning that was blowing straight to my head while sleeping.
Did I mention that I haven't received my newspaper for two days?
* Once, the same happened to me in Birmingham. There I was put in the bar with all drinks on the house. The duty manager himself broke the lock. All my things where brought to a better room, in which I could stay for the same rate.
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