The strange case of the missing towels

The hotel I'm staying at in NY (The Paramount) is amazing. Located just half a block from Times Square, this is the ideal location to enjoy sightseeing, fine dining, great shows and a fabulous atmosphere.

I don't have a bad word to say about anything. The room is spotless, the location great, the staff super friendly, the wi-fi really fast... except... I have been missing towels for a week now.

For some strange reason every night I come back from my day out and I have to call in at the front desk and report that the towels are missing from my room... And every night, just about 5 minutes after my chat to the front house manager a housekeeper knocks at my door with a warm set of fresh towels...

Still, it is beyond me how I had to ask for them for 6 nights in a row.

I'm annoyed, frustrated and to be honest also a bit baffled at this continuous lack of attention from the housekeeping department.

Have I upset anyone in such a way I deserve to be left without towels? Is my room under a spell and it becomes invisible when the housekeeping girls replenish the towel supply? Do they think I only need to shower once a week????
I'm puzzled to say the least!

Last night I even heard the front of the house manager speak to the housekeeping manager and giving her strict instructions on how to make sure I have towels in my room at all times... So why do I never have them?!?

Tonight again I'm towel-less when I return from a hard day out shopping, so I go and speak to lovely Amanda, the manager. I am not amused but keep it decent as I know it's not her fault. There MUST be a problem somewhere, I can't believe this is happening in such a hotel and after so many reports.

Five minutes later the housekeeper brings in new towels, five minutes after that Amanda shows up at my door to inspect the room and with her there is a guy from room service bringing in goodies to help quiet my frustration (ice-cream and hot chocolate, a girl's dream!!!)

Look here, look there and the towels are nowhere to be seen... Until... Amanda walks to the very end of the bathroom, looks straight in the mirror, tilts her head slightly to the left side and says: "Oh, but they are here!"

Here? Here where? Where in the name of goodness are these towels?!
"Here -she says- behind the mirror!"

BEHIND THE MIRROR?!?!

Yes, behind the mirror... and I:

1) Feel like an idiot for every single time I went to complain for the lack of towels in my room
2) Cringe at the potent laughter I know this post will raise with my followers
3) Know that I may look like a numpty to everyone present in the room at this moment but cradle my shattered ego in the concept that how in the world was I supposed to find the towels behind the mirror anyway?
4) Can't wait for everyone to leave me alone with the goodies they have brought up because, even if I possibly don't deserve them, I am fairly pleased I got them
5) Think that maybe tomorrow I may go down and see Amanda at the front desk asking for towels just so I don't lose the habit!

Bodies - The Exhibition

During my little break in NY I find out that the famous (or infamous...) Bodies - The Exhibition is here and decided to go and check it out... After all it is something not to be missed if, like me, one is fascinated by the marvellous machine the human body is and especially if one is a med-student such as I!

I get in with a friend who doesn't belong to the medical environment. Luca is my friend Laura's husband, and he is just curious to see what is inside and maybe a bit apprehensive at the idea to be face to face with our innermost part, in the literal sense of the words.
This said, he follows me in... I'm delighted, it will be interesting to see the reactions of someone who hasn't been is such such close contact with bodies in this way, someone whose knowledge of anatomy is probably superficial compared to that of a med-student.

From a medical point of view I resolve to keep an eye on him just in case he feels a bit woozy looking at some of the stuff on show... After all not even I know what expects us inside.

The entrance is spacious, completely silent, and already from here before even seeing anything there is a sense of wonder... In a while we'll face our inner selves and that must count for some of the way I'm feeling now.
Bright lines projected on a wall welcome us and a sign explains that these images we'll find all the way through the exhibition are a representation of what the cells look like in different tissues of our body... very interesting... I imagined them to be quite different...

What follows are several areas where superbly preserved body parts and full size bodies are exposed. The skin and the fat covering the internal organs of these bodies have been dissected out and they are placed in different positions (eg. one of them is holding a basket ball and it seems ready to try a hoop) trying to emulate a movement chosen to highlight the particular function of a specific group of muscles.

I stand in awe in front of them... They have nothing to see with the cadavers we dissect at university and yet, they were once alive just as I am now...

I find out that the bodies of this exhibition have been prepared using a process called polymer preservation. In this process, tissue water is first removed by submersion in acetone. Then the acetone too, is removed in a vacuum chamber. During this step in the process, known as impregnation, the tissue space within the specimen, formerly filed with acetone, become filled instead with liquid silicone rubber. Lastly, during a step called curing, the silicone rubber is treated with a catalyst and hardened. The end product is a rubberised specimen that can be easily examined without any chance of deteriorating due to the natural decay.

I remember to ask Luca how he feels and what he thinks about the exhibition. He answers with an enthusiastic smile and a genuine interest in his voice when he answers: "I find everything fascinating!"
Fascinating is a word I love, that renders perfectly the idea of what the human body is, of what we know we are but that still can't be completely explained as we're a bit of a mystery and there is so much to learn.

I read the signs close to each specimen and add little bits here and there, things I think Luca may find interesting though I have to say that the exhibition is very well done and, even if someone doesn't have much of a clue about anatomy, everything is explained in that sort of detail that could benefit someone who isn't an expert helping to understand every body process in a substantial way but without ever being too specific, boring or difficult.

The exhibit is divided into body systems, every area deals with a specific aspect of our physiology, from the musculo-skeletal system and the support our bones and muscles provide, to the respiratory system and the importance of the lungs with a very interesting section showing the damage smoking does to the airways. Here I find out that a single cigarette shortens your life in average of 3 and half hours... Smoking kills, literally!

Luca is affected by the black lungs of a smoker in one of the displays and this makes me hope the specimen may help people understand the self-inflicted damage to their bodies...

One of the most impressive parts of the exhibition is the one concerning the cardio-vascular system. Here the shape of the body is defined by blood vessels that have been injected with chemical dyes (blue or red depending on whether they are arteries or veins) hardened and then all tissues around have been melted and flushed away so leaving only a very thick network of blood vessels, the result is simply breathtaking!

Even the part dedicated to the birth is outstanding with specimen of fetuses ranging from 4 weeks to complete delivery. Unfortunately, as sometimes happens in our bodies, something went wrong and some of these specimen are a strong reminder of how volatile our human condition is... A sign at the entrance of the room warns visitors that if they prefer not to enter they can bypass this area by exiting through a side door. Luca and I decide to brave it... We get in and what welcomes us is an outstanding display of little ones whose bones and organs are just beginning to form, and even those less pleasant to look at anyway put into perspective the miracle we are.

So, once arrived at the end, what is the verdict?

This exhibition most probably affects people in different way according to their background and knowledge of our basic physiological processes and anatomy but in essence, according to my humble opinion, this is something that everyone should go and see.
Too many people abuse their bodies with too much alcohol, a wrong diet, too little exercise, drugs... These abuses carry with them serious consequences such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, some types of cancer which are mostly avoidable...

As a doctor in training I am convinced that the best medicine that can be prescribed to get to the root of some of these problems is a good dose of body education.
"Bodies" has been created with this idea in mind and both Luca and I, from a medical and non-medical point of view, agreed that a visit possibly would change the relationship you have with your body in a radical way - A definite must see!

With too much time on my hands...

Well, I made it to Amsterdam on a quite uneventful flight, or so it seemed since I slept the whole time. I got told form an announcement on board that there was no way I'd make my flight so I took it easy and let the rest of the crowd run ahead before I made my way to the transfer desk... to my dismay there was not a single soul on site.

Are you kidding me, KLM?!? After all your flights are delayed on arrival you don't have any staff at the transfer desk?!? I sighed and decided to give a chance to one of the 30 automatic check-in stations lined up in front of me... which turned out to be a brilliant idea.

Not only the machine read my passport without any problems (that's a first!!!) but I also got my new boarding pass, a voucher for 15 Euros for lunch, 10 Euros for a phone call and 2000 points to be credited on my frequent flyer card and all of this just because I missed my connection flight... can't really complain! Today was just meant to be travel day anyway so it doesn't matter at what time I ultimately make it to NY.

I find myself with loads of free time on my hands now though... My flight is not until 17.45 and it's barely 2pm so the first thing I need to do is to get food.
You guessed it, I went to look for the sushi place and found it. I had a good go at it... My vegetarian meal was loaded on a flight I won't be on so, unless I make the best of this voucher, I'll be starving all the way to the big apple!

Next is duty-free shops browsing... There is a lovely local Delicatessen one with all sorts of cheeses and wild salmons, wafers, truffle oils and more chocolate than my brain could ever take in so I decided that's not safe for either my shape or my wallet and decide to do elsewhere...

My next stop is a Flowers and Bulbs shop, I am definitely in Holland! Too bad I will not be passing through Amsterdam on the way back from NY, I was considering getting a vase of tulips for my flat... Both my cats and I love tulips... alas, not for the same reasons!!!

Then something caught my eye... this booth called Back to Life... What could it be? A charity? A service dealing with people traumatised by traveling? Back to Life from where?! I had to go and check it out... Trying not to look too suspicious I approached the booth and had a look around; it turned out to be a massage parlour! Aaahhhh.... I didn't dare ask what kind of massage would bring someone "back to life" but the place was empty and I had been noticed so I decided it was time to keep on exploring and casually made my way back to the main area from where I came.

I ended up buying a pair of sparkling earrings and hair clips at an Accessorize shop... nothing really out of the ordinary since that's the same exact shop I go to in Scotland but I have decided to save my money to shop in NY.

I'm quite tired now, I just made it to the gate and still have about 2 hours to go before I can board. My eyes are closing and a few people sitting around me are desperately trying to see what I'm furiously typing on my keyboard but I won't let them!

Time to say goodbye now, I'll rest a bit before getting on the plane and then enjoy the movies on board...

More to follow from the crazy city I'm heading to... unless this plane throws a tantrum too!!!

New York bound...

So, I've been absent for quite a while from my blog and have now resumed writing during this little peaceful break from university.
Life has been hectic as it usually is for me and with a few surprises... Some not that welcome but I usually manage to cope with anything so I'm sure it'll be just the same this time.

At the moment I'm sitting at Edinburgh airport waiting for my flight to New York. It was supposed to take off an hour ago but I'm still here waiting for it to arrive from Amsterdam where apparently it broke. Just my luck!
As in all situations though, there is a positive side to it and I struck up a conversation with this lovely older guy who is originally from here but planted in Chicago since 36 years.
He told me how he spent most of his life in the army and even pulled out a black and white picture older than I am of him in uniform with kilt and all... how sweet!
I found out that his daughter is in the Navy, that he's going home after having visited his brother for his 65th birthday and that he just got to meet his first great grandson who is just 18 months old.

I feel refreshed by the conversation.I can see the pride in this man's eyes as he speaks about his family. Coming from a tight family myself, I'm loving this!

In a bid to keep myself entertained in this small departure lounge I wander to W H Smith and start looking for a book to read. It doesn't matter that I already have one in my handbag and another three in my suitcase, a book never goes to waste, sooner or later I'll get to it!
So I fond this one called "What's up Doc?" by a certain Dr Hilary Jones who turns out to be a guy (despite the Hilary name!) and I decided to get it since "what best to buy when you're a baby doctor yourself?". Hopefully it will provide insight and inspiration and if not, at least I hope it'll make time pass.

I get myself a skinny caramel latte at Costa as a little treat and settle in the chair at the gate waiting for my plane to land... except that the board is flashing a green banner saying "Boarding" and the plane isn't even here yet...
Does that mean that they are boarding in Amsterdam? Or at some other gate? the departure board still displays gate 3 which is where I'm sitting at the moment so I should be ok... Maybe I'll even make my connection in the Netherlands as the staff will come and get me like a celebrity at the plane with one of those ridiculous carts that are quite useful when you're late but really should only be allowed on golf courses they are that ugly!
In such a case I doubt that: 1) my bags will follow me swiftly, 2) I'll be treated like a celebrity and 3) I'll look fashionable on the ugly cart but I'll suck it up in the name of the connection flight!
Worst case scenario they have a lovely sushi restaurant so I'll stop there for my favourite snack.
It has been a hell of a month and I'm desperately looking forward to a break with one of my best friends in NY and to some cool American medical training (chances of me turning into a real life Dr. House?!?)

Oh... plane has finally landed... I'm off... But I'll be back soon, I promise! ... Most likely from Amsterdam where I'll definitely miss my connection!!!