“I checked into a motel, my room it was so small, Everytime I tried to smile, my teeth would touch the wall…”
So goes an old Homer and Jethro song that spoofed Elvis’ “Heartbreak Hotel.” Well, the song pretty much describes my hotel room at the Makuhari Prince Hotel. It’s the tiniest hotel room I’ve ever stayed in.
How small is it? The closet is so small that I can’t even put my suitcase in it. Instead, most of my stuff is piled up on the slender couch by the window. The room is so small that I don’t need a remote to change the channels on the TV from my bed. It’s so small that when I eject a DVD from my PowerBook, I have to step out in the hall. (Well, okay, so maybe I’m exaggerating on the last one.)
Another thing that doesn’t sit well about the hotel is there’s no room service. It’s not that I’m so pampered that I have to have my food brought to me. But I work so hard at these trade shows that I often work while I eat. Room service lets me write stories while I chow down. And sometimes those room-delivered pots of coffee keep me going on a caffeinated high.
I guess I’m just complaining because I’m sick. Whether a sinus infection or severe head cold, I feel pretty miserable. And it’s no fun being miserable when you’re far from home and working long hours. Oh well, if it was easy and fun, they wouldn’t call it work, right?
Tomorrow I hope to get out and about and see some more of the area around the convention center. It should be a good day for it. The weather here is sunny and in the 50s. Also, I’ve discovered that there’s a StarBucks that’s about a 10-minute walk from my hotel. And they make a pretty good mocha. And although I prefer to sample local cuisine when I’m abroad, an occasional hot mocha is a sort of comfort food to this ailing reporter.
I also may have committed a faux pax while at the StarBucks. After getting change from my order, I left the change behind as a tip, as I’m accustomed to doing in the States. However, the change was returned to me with a smile. To tip or not to tip here in Tokyo, that is the question.