Another Eve in the apple

The thing about my life: it's full of surprises.


In the most unexpected turn of events, I had to get on the first plane to New York yesterday morning. It's been barely more than 24 hours, but here's a quick list of the notable things:

1/ How quickly I went through immigration. Last time, in September 2005, the conversation went like this:
- Where are you coming from?"
- London."
- You're French."
- Yep."
- Born in..."
- Abu Dhabi."
She pauses. I smile my most innocent smile.
- When was the last time you were in the United States?"
- 2001."
- Which month?"
- September."
She looks up. Stares at me as if I'm doing it on purpose. Bigger smile.
- Put your right finger there."
- ...
- ...
- What's going on?"
- I, er... Wrinkly fingers you see. Hyperhydrosis. One percent of the population..."
- Wait here, please."
She didn't seem that comfortable handing me my passport. Thankfully this time, the guy had better things to do than background checks on small four-eyed girls.

2/ The hilarious hotel my company put me in. W is the Starwood brand of boutique hotels - meaning designer places with lounge music in the lobby, elevators, rooms and people wandering in the hallways acting superhumanly cool. For some reason I've had to stay in a few boutique hotels this year: Hôtel Duo in Paris, Gallery Hotel Art in Florence, The Zetter and The Great Eastern in London. All different... All perfectly identical. Notice the recurrent "W" theme on this one...



Having said this, and as hard as I am to impress, this one has me with a big grin on my face. My room (probably "just" a Wonderful, as opposed to the Fantastic, Fabulous, Spectacular and Extreme Wow suites) is a corner room on the 42nd floor with view on the river.


3/ The blissful Bliss Spa line of soaps and lotions with the coolissimo retro design of a supermarket brand that leave my face smelling of bubble gum and the skin on my elbows and knees smooth like a baby's bottom. All this carried by the hotel and renewed... Everyday.


4/ HBO in the room AND a full DVD library!

5/ The memory of myself as an eleven-year old girl, at the bottom of a building here in New York, clowning around with my folks, making them laugh as I pictured myself as self-important business woman who would travel the world with a briefcase and a suit. There I was yesterday, on my way to the office straight from the airport, driving by that same building, on a business trip, without the briefcase or the suit. Thinking, damn. I'm someone I once imagined I'd become.