The Condo Shaped Like a Cruise Ship

If you just read my previous entry, I actually just finished it a minute ago and decided to write another one....so yep, still sitting on my bed. Walking around in circles for a bit helped my butt feel better though (for those of you wondering.)

Here is the update on my living situation...If you read my early entries, you'll remember that I was initially living in a room with barely a window. (Can you say: not a happy girl!...moving to the tropics to be in the sunshine, yet living in a practically windowless room! Not this woman!) So at the time, I was on a mission to find my own place on the beach....and there are tons of them!! The beach is miles long and covered in condo buildings and vacation homes...that mostly sit empty! And that kills me! All these fabulous beach front condo rooms, owned by the rich whom are too busy making money to take a vacation in their vacation home. And then there is me...dying to find the right person who wants to rent their place to me. Seems like it should be easy enough, right?

So I've been snooping around a bunch of these places and all of them have security guards at the entrance who don't speak a word of english. They just smile. I smile. I stop for a moment and wonder if I should just walk away or pass right by them...I've done both. I try to find the front lobby but there usually isn't one. So then I go back to the security guard and somehow try to communicate the word, 'rent?' There is this one building I have particularly had my eye on for weeks. As I sit up on the roof of my present building, I always look over at it longly, with drool running down my chin. The rooftop is decorated with palm trees and what seems like a huge open terrace, perfect for lets say, a fantastic party that I could organize (assuming I have friends here, that is. I don't exactly have the social calendar that I had in Seattle!).

Anyway, this is one of the places that after I smiled at the security guard, I just walked right past, with that hello-sir,-just-going-to-go-visit-my-friends-that-live-here attitude...and it worked. Now that I was on the property, I've realized the building is incredibly narrow and yet reaches incredibly far back from the beach. The name of it is The Royal Princess Carribean. I found the elevator, and pressed the button for the rooftop, of course. Holy cow batman! There isnt just palm trees and an open terrace up there...but a swimming pool that runs the entire length of the building! And no one is up there!! So what did I do? Jumped in, of course!

I swear, it was longer than even an olympic sized swimming pool. As I was doing laps, I almost felt like I needed to take a snack break before reaching the other side. After about 3.5 laps, I was pooped and decided to hang out up there a little longer. The terrace gardner suddenly appeared but didn't seem to mind my presence at all. So I just found a lounge chair and lounged for a while. As I looked around, I realized that this building was shaped like a cruise ship. The entire building, hallways, etc were stark white. The 'bow' end which faced the beach narrowed into a sharp V and towards the 'stern' was a chimney/exhaust thingy painted blue, just like you'd see on a big ship. I headed up to the 'captain's deck' and it looked like a deserted party room from the 70's...a dusty pool table, some very dilapidated gym equipment leaning against the wall, a few badly sun bleached photos barely hanging by one last nail...it actually felt pretty erie and so I decided it was time to go.

Headed back to the beach. Walked by another condo complex and noticed some folks speaking english! Yes, English! This is very exciting! "Hello!" They kind of give me that look like, 'Are you talking to me?' "Hello! I'm Jody and ....." So I give them my email and just say, "so if you hear of anyone who is interested in renting their condo out to a very responsible and clean 35 year old single woman, please pass my email along. Thank you!" And I actually got an email the very next day!...and just went and saw the place this past week. Besides the fact that it costs as much as I make in a month, (but its two bedroom) it was very nice....but out of my price range.

Anyway, as I've mentioned in a previous entry, I luckily heard a while back of another staff room that actually had sliding glass doors and its own tiny little balcony....and so I jumped on that right away and have been here ever since. I still dont have the coziness of a home per se, and living on work property is not the greatest but the convenience of this place cant be beat... 30 second walk to the cafeteria. 8 second walk to the gym. 3 minute walk to work. Furthermore, not spending a dollar on rent is quite heavenly as well. So for now, I'm here to stay!