Teej's Secret Box

This is just a random thought process I had observing the country as a whole:

*  Aruba is in the middle of one wicked windy spot on Earth.  It’s part of the reason why most resorts are on the south-west corner of the island — to buffer against the wind, and have a beach away from the fierce ocean currents.

*  Sun is the rule for Aruba — despite the humidity thanks to the hot air sucking the ocean dry, the stiff winds tend to push the cloud away, and onward toward Panama.  Rainfalls are very rare for the island, and did not even happen while I was there.

*  People are actually very nice, and seemily happy during the day.  Very rare do I see a frowning native while walking around.

*  Despite the wealth, security guards are still hired to guard stores at night.  Apparently, crime and crazy tourists have been enough of a problem to force visible security measures to discourage said idioticy.

*  Tap water is better than bottled water.  Seriously.  The desalination plant does a fantastic job, and the pipes seems to be new enough to transport water without much of a mineral leeching.  This is quite unusual with Latin America countries, some which implore you to not drink their tap water due to different sanitary methods (bacteria that US natives are not used to having in their stomach.)

*  There were several hundred of striking government workers outside the Parlament building, as they have for the past few weeks, demanding better pay and benefits (no raises since 2003, apparently.)  Aruba’s Government is in the midst of trying to have a balanced budget by 2009, so this is a tough situation, as they are trying to ensure self sufficiency as a nation (yes, they’re formerly a dutch colony, but they are even more independent than Pureco Rico.  Here’s hoping they both can find

*  Sales tax is actually tiny if not non-existing.  In the meantime, service fees are commonplace.

*  Aruba apparently mandate having inspectors at all of the entrance to the casinos on the island.  However, despite said inspectors, age restrictions are not strictly enforced (drinking is 16, gambling is 18.)  Even more funny, I keep seeing older teenagers stand at the entrance of those casinos, peeking in, and probably wondering if they could actually sneak in to play their allowance of $10.  Silly kids.

*  There are more billboards in English than there are in Dutch or the local Aruba’s language combined.  They love America, ja ja ja!  (If you actually get the reference, let me know, I got a prize for you – seriously.)

*  Riding in the back of a boat in open ocean brings you great risk of being wet thanks to spraying water slamming onto you thanks to stiff winds.  Riding on the front of the boat bring you great risk of back injury as the boat bounces up and down over wakes.  Your call.

*  Apparently, when you ask the hotel concierge if they provide a private table massage service, they would misinterpret it as finding you a provider of happy endings, and thanks to their conservative Catholic upbringing would refuse to even dignify a response to you.  Lady, my back hurts for attention, not my nuts!

*  Even despite this being an island with known roads, a taxi driver STILL can get lost taking you to the airport.  Insane, but true.

*  VIP Lounge at the airport only open from 2pm to 10pm.  Apparently, nobody who fly out in the morning or early afternoon is important in any way, no sir!

*  Aruba have better taste buds than Costa Rica.  Sad, but true.  It is absolutely insane how one place would have plenty of tasty spices to add to anything, especially rice, and another nearby worships rice and bean without any extra spices.

*  Aruba’s zoning law is screwed up.  Where else would you find FOUR… FOUR grocery stores right next to each other?  It is as if someone said, “Okay, only grocery stores go here, and only banks go there, and only restaurants go over there…”

*  Apparently, a beachfront property is not good enough, so they must have a big fat mosquito-infested pond right in their backyard.  Yeah.  Not pool.  Pond.  BIG pond.  Bigger than my back yard.  No pretty fountains.

*  As seen at the hotel’s channel listing:  US TV channels – Sex, violence, profanity, and more!  Venuzula TV channels – Chavez reading his missives for hours on to the end.  I bet Directv is making big bucks selling US TV channels to long-suffering citizens of Venuzula.

*  No matter how high I am, I can’t see Venuzula, much to my disappointment.  I can see the dozens of oil tankers, although they may be taking their turns at Aruba’s oil mines.

*  Taxi cabs do not have parking meters.  All fares are set by the government.  Nobody was willing to show me the list of fare pricing.

The one unusual experience I had with security in Aruba is particular to the departure.

Just before arriving in Aruba, we were given custom forms for both Aruba and the US, as Aruba utilizes the same security system as Canada, in order to focus the customs on the departing airport instead of having to require customs on the designation airport handle security (which can be an expensive proposition if you are talking about several dozens of designation that airlines have from Aruba.

However, unlike Canada, once you clear the initial security inspection on the Aruba side, do not pack up tight — there is a secondary security inspection on the US side.  I could not believe that I have to be checked twice, especially as the duty free shop is between the Aruba security location and the US security location.  Imagine buying a hundred dollar bottle of vodka only to have it denied entry.

Ridiculous.

Tucked alongside the street passing the bus station (a historical building in its own rights), and opposite the currency museum full of a dizzy array of international coins.  There, you would find a true Aruba gem.  I had to grill my hotel concierge before she was willing to mention that place, having wrongly pegged me as the typical American who eats fast food (despite my pretty good physical shape, grr.)

This gem is known as The Old Fisherman.  Unlike the other places with seafaring names, this place knows their stuff.  In between the tourist fare of steak, chicken, and other stuff for the silly Americans, their seafood selections are fabulous.

From the outside, it is not much to note, but inside, it is a warm and cozy place, where you are greeted and offered tables.  A variety of waitresses would come by to take your order, bring your food, and banter with you.

I sat down and told the waitress to give me an authentic Aruba meal, and she pointed to the catch of the day along with Creole sauce.  The first time I went, it was mahi-mahi.  Unfortunately, I don’t remember the second fish I had — yet it was good.  However, the mahi-mahi was by far the most delicious one I have ever had.  The problems with restaurants are their cooking style — they would overcook the fish, drying it out far too much.  It doe snot matter whether the fish is fresh or frozen (you do realize most of your sushi have been previously frozen?), the cooking effort make or break the meal.  They nailed it both time, to my utter delight.

For appetizer, I was given a sliced and cooked corn bread (”Pan Bati” – a local Aruba delicacy) littered with shredded gouda cheese.  Add gravy to it, and I would have not been able to identify it any differently than poutine.  However, the taste is far better, and I would find the bowl empty far too soon for my liking.

The main course compromise of the fish, rice, a few sides tastefully placed, and quite delicious.  Both times I went; the sides were as different as the catch of the day, lending itself to a good variety that would encourage multiple visits to this restaurant by tourists.  The Creole sauce is pretty good, but as I got the plate the first time, I was offered to kick it up a notch with “Pipi di Papaya” aka Papaya Hot Sauce.  Apparently, the Papaya fruit is mixed with a hot pepper plant, “Madam Jeanette,” to produce a fabulous yet highly spicy mix.  If you would mix it with the Creole sauce to taste, you would have a delicious and spicy dip for your fish.  Now rest assured, I could eat the fish straight, it was that good.  The sauce just adds to the perfection.

The beverage of choice is Balashi, a pilsner beer that is very smooth, light, and perfect with the fish.

I am already missing the restaurant; sadden by the lack of good seafood restaurants here in St Louis.  If Aruba wasn’t so expensive, I would have gone back next weekend, but until I do, it is a fond memory that I strongly suggest anyone going to create.

I spent my time at the Renaissance Resort and Casino.  It is probably the only resort within the actual capital of Aruba (Oranjestad), and located right next door to the Parliament building.  There are three components, the Marina tower for adults only, another hotel for the family, and the Renaissance Island.

Both hotels have shopping districts pretty much geared toward the tourists, including stuff that are clearly imported, and pretty much the same stuff you can find at a nice luxury mall in a major city or a Las Vegas casino.  There is a buffet restaurant serving decent food, a crepes spot serving Dutch-style crepes, and other places (including the mainstays of American chain restaurants such as Pizza Hut, Sbarro, and so on forth.)  Rarely would a picky American eater go hungry in Aruba.

The casino, however, is a massive disappointment.  There is a casino near my home in Laveen that I have always considered to be a pretty crappy spot.  It is better than any of the casinos I have been to on the islands.  I have indeed been spoiled by Las Vegas, but when you have to hail a cab to get to a poker room, something’s wrong here.

Speaking of cabs, you need to hail a cab to get anywhere outside walking distance, even to the airport.  It is probably a policy Aruba has, but there is no Renaissance bus picking you up and dropping you off at the airport.

Aruba is very unique among foreign countries I have been to in where they are actively pushing you to use dollars instead of Florins.  It even got to the point where if you would use the ATMs owned by the Caribbean Mercantile Bank to withdraw dollars, it’ll be free.  If you would try to withdraw Florins, you will be nailed with the international fees in many forms depending on your bank.  Considering that over 60% of the tourists to Aruba is from America, it is not surprising, but it is indeed odd, when a good number of folks from Holland do visit.

Renaissance Island is just southwest of the airport, yielding a fantastic vantage point of the runway and planes landing/taking off.  At one certain spot, there is a hooked up radio allowing one to hear the pilots and the tower communicate with each other as they use the runways.

On the island, widely considered as the best spot for tourists and reserved for hotel guests (and others for a big fee), there are two separate beaches, one designated for family use, and one for adult use.  On the adult side, you would see topless sunners on occasion, a clear sign of visitors from Europe.  The island is pretty much overrun with Iguanas of many sizes.  There is even a designated feeding spot where several heads of lettuce is provided for the larger ones.  Pelicans and smaller birds do visit the islands frequently, but the popular ones are the Flamingos taking up root on the adult side of the beach (I suppose they don’t appreciate kids approaching and hassling them.)

It was a good stay at the Renaissance, with one caveat — do not expect miracles to happen.  It is what you make of it.

Greetings from Aruba!

While I am enjoying the weather here, I was priviledged to read an associated press article on Aruba Today (a pretty nifty daily newspaper) concerning Tiger Airways Australia, a subsidiary of Tiger Aviation out of Singapore.  This airline is pretty brand new, having flown their first flight on my birthday – November 23, 2007.  They are considered as one of those LCC (Low Cost Carriers), with their business designed for lowered cost in flying passengers (not low fares, as some would say.)

Apparently, one of their policies are to prohibit people with hearing loss (not just Deaf people) from flying solo.  No, not solo as in being a pilot (although that would still offend quite a few of those Deaf pilots I know of), but as a paying passenger.  The article did not mention whether the airline spokesman Matt Hobbs had a look of a deer in front of a spotlight, but the denial were strong and strident:

But airline spokesman Matt Hobbs denied that the airline had such a policy, and said he was investigating why air crews and call center staff in the Philippines were telling passengers otherwise.

Fair enough, eh?  Well, a bit of a further inspection online discovered this interesting article from an Australian newspaper, Herald Sun.  Within this article, Matt Hobbs had something else to share for us Deaf folks:

A spokesman for Tiger Airways, Matt Hobbs, told the Herald Sun the policy was in place to protect the safety of all passengers in case of emergency.

Mr Hobbs said Tiger was not looking at revising its policy to let fully capable deaf adults travel without an aide.

“The carer issue is a standard practice, and it is there to protect the safety of all passengers, and without it, the safety of passengers could be jeopardised,” he said.

Then apparently he had what we call the “Oh Shit!” moment:

But Mr Hobbs rang back five minutes later saying the Tiger policy was actually to allow deaf people to travel without a carer.

Tiger would now address Mr Doyle and his travel companions.

“We are happy to apologise to the people involved for the inconvenience and embarrassment they might have experienced,” Mr Hobbs said.

Too late, Mr. Hobbs.  Much thanks to Jane Metlikovec for her detailed reporting, going much further than the Associated Press.  One other interesting thing to note within this article is that this is not quite an isolated case:

“There have been endemic problems in airlines over the past few years where people with disabilities have been refused carriage because of their disability,” Mr Innes told Sky News.

Mr. Innes is the Australian’s disability discrimination commissioner, someone who would have an acute awareness of this issue, not just limited to Deaf folks (many who would claim that we are not “disabled” yet are viewed by hearing folks as so.)  To put such a high priority on hearing (which could be quite a problem in case of a very noisy environment, such as the infamous Aloha jet breakage — how could one hear another scream in the middle of such deafening wind noise?  Skydivers understand this effect very well, relying on hand signs since they are unable to communicate verbally and hear each other while in open air.

As an aside, Aloha Airlines shut down business, as part of a tragic series of many airlines folding or declaring bankruptcy in the past two weeks. (Champion, ATA, Skywest, Skybus, Oasis, and Frontier).

Fortunately, US Airways does not have this policy or I would be out of a job.  In fact, many airlines do have specific procedures they do follow to help you if you are deaf much to my annoyance.  “Are you sure you don’t need us to help you to your seat?” one Northwest travel agent asked several years ago.

Yet none requires that I hire an interpreter to tell me, “Oh shit!”

Maybe we should start teaching flight attendants that sign, just in case.