Confession (Of The Month)

Now that I'm past the statute of limitations of any ice show fines they could hand out, I can fess up. And since I have a dozen or so confessions, I thought I'd turn it into a monthly feature. So, here goes ...

When I skated one show in Japan, I stayed in a tiny hotel room of the hotel we were skating for. Did I say it was a small room? It was so tiny, I could almost reach three of the four walls when I stretched out on the bed. Anywho ... since we were not hotel guests we did not get regular maid service, regular towels, or regular treatment.

In fact, I think the maids we had were from the Japanese Retired Cleaning Association that got together once every two weeks or so for tea and then a random cleaning of the skaters' rooms in our hotel. Usually three or more of these tiny people (lots of things are small in Japan) would swarm into our room to clean them, unnanounced at any time of the day, forcing the skater to get out the room - usually swearing and fuming.

It was funny to watch the skaters get so mad. Luckily, my room was at the end of the line, so I got enough warning to change out of my pajamas and even help the old cleaners a little. And you know what? When I did I started getting the regular towels and new sheets that paying hotel guests got. And I helped out some more and tried to practice my Japanese on them. Then I started getting lots of towels, instead of the rationed few the skaters usually got and slippers to boot.

Then one day I went too far. I left a little gift for the maids. Big mistake.

They were compelled to give me a bigger gift and then I needed to get them another bigger gift and so on and so on. This my friends is the gift-giving-arms-race of Japan. Be weary.

But as for the confession - here it is - I never told any of the other skaters about my little gold mine, because it was too much fun to watch them curse and whine.