Just when you think it can't get any worse...

Day Three of our new daytime shift schedule went pretty well, and we got back to the hotel finally in the late afternoon. Go wash up a little, grab the newspaper to catch up on the world, and go down to the restaurant for some dinner. (Amazing, they actually remember my name from two nights ago!)

I had a nice salmon curry (certainly can't get THAT in a Swanson's TV dinner back home) with rice and some mineral water. The wait staff were all very friendly and helpful. However the curry was pretty spicy and when the waiter noticed the look on my face, he came over to ask if he could "cool it down" for me. He took it away and brought it back shortly. The curry sauce was still hot temperature-wise, but he had stirred in some coconut milk to lessen the spicyness. Mmm good.

I was now pretty tired and it was getting past my bedtime; remember that I needed to wake up at 4:00 in the morning to get to our new 6:00 a.m. class. So I paid the bill, included a nice tip, and waved Goodbye to everybody for the night.

Take the elevator (a "lift") back up the my floor, say "Good evening, sir" to the security guard standing there, and walk down the hall to my room... where I see the door standing wide open. WHAT? Who's been in my room and left the door open? Forget that. Who is STILL in my room, and waiting on me to come in and jump me?! I call the guard over and tell him my door is open, and to please go in and check the room. He just gave me this uncomprehending look, so I repeated my request, and he just looked at me, said something in Hindi or Maharati or whatever, and said something about "8:30" when he pointed at his watch.

It was evident he wasn't going in himself, so I called out "Hello?" and slowly advanced into the room when there was no response. Everything looked in place and nothing was ransacked: camera, wallet, money, passport, clothes were all where they were supposed to be. But what if he is hiding in the bathroom? Well, the shower has clear glass walls and there's no door on the fancy separate room where the toilet is, so maybe he's hiding in the closet waiting on me... or under the bed.

Nothing. Nobody. Nowhere. Just an open door. Once I was satisfied there wasn't anyone wrong inside, I closed the door and locked it tight, just in case he was still OUTside, waiting to come back and get INside.

When I called down to register a notice with the front desk they apologized for the strange incident. The door was now locked so I started working on email and desk stuff. I thought I heard a noise. No, it’s nothing. Keep working.

Then another noise. Coming from the entry foyer. Coming from the door! The handle is moving, and I hear keys in the lock!! The guy is back, and HE'S COMING TO GET ME!!!

I tiptoed over to the door, verified that someone was messing with the handle and keys, took a deep breath, pounded hard on the door, loudly shouted "WHO IS THERE?" and flung it open. Standing there is a hotel security manager in a suit and tie with a set of electronic keys... and there I am standing in my underwear. Oops. Uh, Hello.

Turns out the front desk had sent him to investigate with his electronic lock memory gadget... but hadn't bothered to phone the poor guest on the other side of the door to let them know.

Once I realized what was going on and that he wasn't going to murder me in cold blood (in my underwear) I recovered, and then gave him a little tongue lashing. (Looking back, I was pretty tired and cranky on top of being scared or at least nervous.) "Next time you come up to check someone's door and fiddle with their lock, PLEASE CALL FIRST!"

He sincerely apologized, I calmed down, and we discussed the unlocked and open door situation. He said he would investigate it and get back with me. I reclosed the door, relocked it, and redialed the front desk to ask them to PLEASE call the next time they sent someone up to check on an irregular situation.

After sitting around for a while, waiting impatiently to hear back and then placing another phone call reminder to the front desk, the Duty Manager finally called me around 10:00 to apologize and to tell me that according to their electronic records the last key used in the lock was my own. The only thing I can think of is that when I left to go down to dinner and the door closed, it did not latch and close fully. That much I can go for... but then how did it end up wide open and back against the wall, latched against its magnetic door stop?

So why was the security guard not standing right there to secure an open and unlocked door? Or why did the guard not simply pull the door closed, to secure the room? And what did he try to tell me in his language, that seemed to include the words "8:30" ?

Oh Lord, it is now past 10:00 at night, I am tired and cranky and just a little shaky, and I've got to get up at 4:00 a.m. for work. Please give me a good night's sleep...