Looking Back My Hotel Work

When it comes to working in a hotel, you must face a lot of things which are funny, weird, unbelievable, terrible, pleasant, sad, happy.....etc. (I think any adjective can fit here.) Today I will tell you about a weird experience I had while working for a hotel many years ago.

One day a man in his 50's came to the hotel with his wife from the UAE. They stayed in the hotel for a week. The man asked me to arrange a taxi so that he and his wife could go sightseeing. I asked him and his wife to have a seat while I made a call to the taxi company. While making a call, the man saw my name tag that had my name and title. He was very surprised to see me (a foreigner) working there. What was more, he told me when he had been in college in America 30 years before, he had dated a girl of my nationality. He then said, "I am very emotional after seeing you. I suddenly remember my girlfriend. She was such a wonderful lady and we really had a good time in America.You have a resemblance to her." So, I said to him, "Have you met her ever since?". "Yes, I met her when I visited **** (my country) 10 years ago. She is married now and a mother of 2 children." With his wife right in front of me, I didn't want to make further questions but he was talking about his girlfriend so openly that I assumed that his wife was quite fine with his past. I felt a little bad talking to the man only, so I turned to his wife, asking what she was interested in doing during her stay in the hotel, when I found out she didn't understand English. Her husband was an interpreter for me and his wife.

We had a pleasant time talking to one another but in the end our conversation ended in the weirdest way!! He said to me, "Seeing you, a girl from **** (my country), I remember that great time I had with my ex-girlfriend in America. I feel I want to take a ***** (my nationality) girl with me when I go to Europe next month. Don't you know anybody? All expenses will be paid and she will have to be with me for 3 months." I was shocked to hear him saying that so casually. As a hotel staff, I should never be rude with any kind of questions from a guest, so I politely said, "Oh, I am sorry, sir but I am afraid I don't know anybody." If his wife sitting next to him had understood what he said to me, do you think she would have been all right? I don't think so. I can't believe that he had a nerve to mention it in front of his wife. For me he was just taking an advantage of her not being able to understand English. I give him the benefit of the doubt and think he just wanted someone from my country to accompany him to Europe (Nothing more but "accompany him" only), I still don't think it is normal for an ordinary married man to do . I just felt his wife was not respected much. She was in her black hijab and abaya, AND even niqab. I think this lady deserved more respect from her husband.

More weird stories to follow in my next blog. Next will be a young Iranian man who came with his father and proposed to me out of the blue!!