Today, I spend more time travel planning.  It’s time consuming because after every question I have for the travel agent, I have to wait for her to reply before I can make a decision, and many times it requires another question.  I’m making progress, but it’s taking a long time.

I decide to visit the Courtyard Marriott to check it out for the kids’ visit this summer.  It’s cheaper than the Marriott, and more accessible to our apartment (less traffic issues between the apt. and the hotel). I make the walk over to the Marriott for my swim.  Afterward, I talk to the sales dept. at the Marriott about the rooms and dates I need.  When I finish, I taxi over to the Courtyard Marriott.  I give them the same info, ask to visit a room, and then eat a burger to check out the restaurant (great excuse, huh).  The room is really nice, the food is good, and the price is way better than the Marriott, so I book it for summer.  Yea!  Something is marked off my list.

The taxi trip home is short & quick, and I celebrate the success of the day with some ice cream.  Judy gets home earlier than usual, and joins me in ice cream heaven, talking about her day.  Deb and Graham, the Australian friends who’ve shown us the ropes on food in Beijing, just got back from a job fair in Bangkok.  Deb got a job at a school in Cambodia, and is really excited.  Shannon, Judy’s friend who just got the job as the Elementary Principal for next year, keeps Judy informed about all the trials and tribulations involved in hiring new staff.  It’s tough to find the right people, and you know you’ll be working with them for at least two year, so you better get it right.