I just came back from a weekend at the beach.
No. I didn't go to vacation. I went to work. I scored another gig with my aunt's travel agency. They were managing the operation for the Royal Princess from Princess Cruises and as always they needed responsible English-speaking hard working young people and they pay well and cover all travel and living expenses while we work so it really isn't a bad gig at all. The only problem with it is that these gigs are kind of spread out and kind of rare so getting it is a pretty good deal. I got assigned to managing the hospitality desk, which is basically the first thing that the passengers see when they get off the ship and the place where we un-confuse them. Not bad. I've done it before so I know how to run it and all you really need to do is smile a lot and be quick on your feet to answer questions or solve problems.
Film production is much more stressful and much faster so dealing with passengers is a breeze.
Anyways, Sunday, which was the day of the operation, was a busy and tiresome day. I got back to the hotel sometime around 6:30 pm after a 12-hour work shift and kind of decided I was going to plunk down on the hammock in the room balcony (my aunt always puts her whole crew up in a nice hotel and I was rooming with her so we had a balcony with a hammock) to read "The Wheel of Time: The Eye of The World" that I had started the previous day. Of course I got a hankering to go check my email on my iPhone before I did that and so went to the cafeteria. On my way to the cafeteria I ran into the rest of the guides sort of relaxing in the pool and was convinced to take a small dip in the water with them.
I think it was a good idea.
I kind of went back to the rooms after that and fell asleep until my asthma kicked in.
Anyways, the next day, I woke up at 10:00 am after 8 hours of Benadryl-induced sleep (that asthma attack turned into a full-blown allergic reaction which was only calmed down when I took some Benadryl that had the unfortunate side effect of putting me right to sleep) and went with my aunt to do all of her closing-day errands. Meaning, I went with her to see how she paid everyone for their services from the previous day. I found it really educational because the woman runs her operation like a tight ship and she believes in paying well and making sure everyone is comfortable and well-fed because she knows that if your employees and your providers are unhappy then the operation will jot run smoothly. It was so nice to see someone who understands that when producing an operation, whether it be a film or a tour operation, keeping the people that work with and for you happy is essential. Stuff like this is like running an army and is very hierarchical. And as much as we would like to say that an army runs on ideals, what it it really runs on is it's stomach and its physical condition. So if you invest s little more on really feeding your little army well and giving them a comfortable bed to sleep in, they will keep their spirits high and go to hell and back for you. I guess it is the idea of buying loyalty, which also buys you control and control over quality. A lot of producers or people involved in operations and logistics dont really realize that. The human factor is essential, and sometimes at the expense of cutting costs, it gets ignored or pushed aside and the only thing that ends up suffering is the final product.
Two other tips I picked up from my aunt: pay the full price and tip well. You'll accumulate good service and favor for the next time you run an operation in the area....and you will run another operation in the area. Also it keep you ahead of your competitors as your providers will keep loyal to you.
Anyhoo, getting a bit of a lesson on running a big operation proved really useful I think because there are a lot of things I can easily transfer into my knowledge of running a film production that could make things a lot easier or efficient. But one of the most poignant moments of my day had nothing to do with job training.
You see, my aunt has her little side projects sort of scattered all over the place. One of these is a little traditional adobe hut in a town near Manta where she takes the passengers to observe the process of weaving straw into Panama Hats. The lady who does the demo also owns the house which has a lovely sort of charm to it. My aunt and her minions (loyal followers...) have all pitched in to slowly improve the site more and more. As I said, it is a really simple little hut, but it has very nicely kept fences and a charming little garden. And the people living in it are quite lovely simple people too.
On top of really helping with the house's upkeep, my aunt pays the lady and her family a "rent" for her demo and for allowing all of the tourists to come onto the property and mill around and see a traditional adobe house. So we went up there midday Monday to pay the woman and to help her out with a few other legal things concerning her property registration and whatnot. As we were talking, her youngest boy, Miguel (of about 13 years age), came up to the house with the family donkey carrying a bunch of things. My aunt, having known Miguel since he was a toddler, was surprised to see him at home on a school day. She asked his mother what he was doing home.
Reluctantly, his mother admitted that they had gone to register the boy in the High School but when he got his class assignments, he had 7 teachers, each of them requesting a very long list of school supplies that they wouldn't be allowed into the classroom without. The mother said that despite everything, she couldn't afford all of the supplies being asked for, and it had been difficult to tell her boy that he couldn't go to school anymore because he couldn't afford it. She told us that it had been a huge downer for Miguel and the family, as Miguel had been planning to learn English and wanted to eventually go to university, and having to scratch those plans because of not being able to afford the school supplies had been a huge blow.
My aunt, being my aunt, stepped in immediately and told the woman to march herself into town and re-register Miguel in school. She said that she would personally take care of the costs of the school supplies for his entire high school career provided that he did well in school and committed to it. Excited, the woman called Miguel over and told him the news. The expression on that kid's face was just...indescribable. My aunt gave a kid and a family the hope for a better future, and had just promised to make sure that it happened provided that he did his part as well.
I damn near choked as I held back my tears.
Schooling...so many people are denied access to this basic right because of stupid reasons such as a teacher not allowing a kid into a classroom if they can't afford the school supplies. Such a simple thing, so easily fixed...can ruin a child and a family's livelihood and hope for a better future. Miguel's problems put my life back into a bit of perspective, which is always good. I received a world-class education both in High School and College. I worked for it, and I worked really hard for it, and I took advantage of it - but in a certain sense, considering the kind of family I was born into, a good education was something I always took for granted because that was what we treasure the most. Not going to college was never an option, dropping out of high school would have not even crossed anyone's mind. Education was always there, just available. If I wanted to learn more, I could always learn more. Sometimes I forget that getting that is not available to everyone.
I believe in Education as being the doorway to freedom - of mind and spirit. It teaches us to question, to understand, to explore. It helps us advance and revolutionize and create. It is a tool we should all have access to, because at the end of the day, they can take everything from you except your education - your ability to experience the world and revolutionize it.
Seeing what my aunt did for Miguel reminded me that I should be thankful for my schooling, and that I should do more to help others have access to it. Many people tell me to become a teacher, but I have too much respect for teachers to go down that path. I know I don't have the patience for it and would not be a very good teacher. There are other ways to help out - so I'm mulling over what those could be.
For now, I am extremely proud to be my aunt's niece...she just gave one kid and one family their hope for a better future back. In this vast world, one more light shines on.
