Saturday, February 27, 2016
When Giving Up Your Seat Means So Much More
I read this New York Times article today about an accomplished retired lawyer who was asked to move from her seat on an airline just because her fellow seat passenger refused to be seated next to a woman for "religious" reasons.
This story struck a very personal note as a very similar incident happened to me in a Saudia flight from Riyadh to Dubai a few years ago.
I had specifically selected an aisle seat in a packed economy class cabin. There was a Muslim woman in a hijab and abaya in the window seat, and a few minutes later along came a heavy-set Saudi Muslim man. He took one look at both of us already in our seats, then at the empty seat between us, and told a nearby flight attendant he wanted to move as he claimed he couldn't sit next to a Muslim woman to whom he was not related.
All the classes in the flight were near capacity and there wasn't another spare seat he could take that wasn't next to a Muslim woman. So the harried flight attendant leaned over to me and asked if I would move over to the middle seat.
Now all this happened very rapidly and it was somewhat chaotic in the plane which was already delayed in its departure. Nearby passengers were stuffing their oversized luggage in overhead compartments, others were trying to squeeze by with young children in tow, so I initially had difficulty hearing the request. It was in this harried environment that resulted with me automatically saying OK whilst feeling mildly exasperated and alternatively rationalizing it was not that big a deal; I then moved over to the middle seat.
I regretted it the moment I agreed to the request and still do to this day. You see, it wasn't only that it was physically uncomfortable for me to sit in the middle, but more due to the fact that I did not stand my ground, stay in my aisle seat and tell that male passenger to go find an alternate seat somewhere else.
It's not even a case of me moving seats out of noble and unselfish reasons, because if I believed I was any of those things to justify my action, then that would be a huge lie. The truth of the matter was, in that split second when I agreed to swap seats for no reason other than to accommodate one person who didn't want to sit next to another for "religious" reasons, I was a patsy, a doormat, and an enabler, and I will never, ever let that happen again.
Friday, February 12, 2016
Hotel Review: The Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino
Lately, my thoughts have been drifting back to Tofino, a tiny, super chill town on the western peninsula of Vancouver Island. Maybe it's the current foggy weather in Hong Kong that's reminding me of that rugged coastline, or it's dreams of winter surfing the Pacific Ocean, Point Break-style as I wade through the PR plans under my office's fluorescent lights, but there's definitely something tugging at the ol' wanderlusting heart of mine.
![]() |
Aerial view of the resort in Tofino, Vancouver Island (Photo credit: The Wickaninnish Inn) |
![]() |
View of Chesterman Beach through the old-growth forest from the lobby of The Wickaninnish Inn. |
![]() |
At the entrance to The Wickaninnish Inn. |
As it was the shoulder season, we paid the rack Harvest Season rates for our corner Beachcomber Suites. Each come with a gas fireplace, a small balcony with two white Adirondack chairs, and a queen-sized bed. My only beef is that the inn has a surcharge for a third person in that suite - a tad penny pinching, in my opinion. I mean, the rates already don't include breakfast, and one of the main features of the suite is the additional queen-sized pullout sofa bed in the living room so there's already an expectation of more than two persons who can comfortably occupy the space.
![]() |
Elements of the exceedingly eco-friendly materials used throughout the inn. Especially those handmade driftwood chairs designed by BC artisan Maxwell Newhouse that's found in every guest room. |
All produce, seafood and meat are sourced locally from sustainable farms and fisheries, the Ancient Cedars Spa's certified organic SeaFlora Skincare products are made from nutrient-rich seaweed that are hand-harvested off the coast of Vancouver Island, and electric vehicle charges (including one of course specifically for Tesla) were installed back in 2012.
Oh and it's 100% non-smoking - has been ever since its opening in 1996.
![]() |
The comfy seating area in the Wickaninnish-On-The-Beach lobby |
The weather was quite temperamental while we were there - from sunny blue skies to dreamy mists and back again - all in a matter of hours. It made for interesting explorations of the inn's grounds and beaches - sensory-wise. On a side note, I appreciated the genius of the inn's marketing team in promoting their winter season (which gets the lowest rates of the year) with the superhero pugilistic-ish name of the Storm Watchers package, complete with oilskin hats, wine and cheese plate, and daily breakfast for two. Available from November through February.
![]() |
My mom on Chesterman Beach. To paraphrase the inn's marketing literature, there's nothing between her and Japan but the Pacific Ocean. |
![]() |
My order of toasted bagels, a generous dollop of cream cheese and fresh fruit. |
![]() |
Ancient grain porridge of quinoa, oats, flax seed, spiced honey, dried and poached fruit, vanilla chantilly. |
![]() |
Brioche French toast with pear butter, poached pear and oat streusel. |
![]() |
The Pointe Restaurant overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Photo credit: The Wickaninnish Inn |
![]() |
Photo credit: Sander Jain for The Wickaninnish Inn |
Tofino, Canada
1.250.725.3100 Main Line
1.800.333.4604 Reservations Line
(Unless otherwise credited, all photos are by me.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
©
GoodLifeGoodTimes | All rights reserved.