Stopover at the Miramar

We had no idea what to expect
As Peace Corps Volunteers
Assigned to Thailand.
A group of us were on our way
For a two year assignment
To a country few of us
Knew anything about.
We assumed
We would be roughing it,
Living in the jungle somewhere.
We had each mentally
Prepared ourselves
As best we could
For the unexpected,
Having no idea what
We would actually encounter.
We weren’t told very much
Before we left,
Except that the people
Are largely apolitical
And smile a lot.
It turns out the students
Were a little more political
Than anyone realized,
And were in the process
Of overthrowing the government
In a violent revolution
While we were on our way there.
Rather than put us down
In the middle of a battle field,
The airlines put us up
In the Miramar Hotel
In Hong Kong for a day
Waiting to see what developed.
It was one of the finest hotels
In the world at the time,
Certainly the ritziest
And most elaborate
Any of us had ever seen.
We were in for a bit of culture shock.
This was a far cry from the jungle
We had been anticipating.
Our rooms were equipped with
The latest in electronic gadgetry
Such as vibrating beds,
Flashing disco lights,
A quadraphonic sound system
And electronically controlled curtains.
When we got through playing with those,
We were in for another treat.
Every meal was a feast fit for a king.
There were more varieties of food
To choose from
And ridiculous quantities if it
In the dining room
Then any of us imagined possible,
And all of it was good.
There were at least
One or two servants
For each of us.
If we took a sip from a glass,
It would be refilled
By the time we put it down.
The dining room
Was ornate beyond belief,
Several stories high,
With theatrical or circus acts
Going on over our heads.
We would scurry out
Between meals
To experience the sights and sounds
Of Hong Kong,
Shopping until we dropped,
And reassuring ourselves
That this was real.
It is amazing how fast
We adapted to this life of luxury,
We couldn’t stop giggling,
Amusing ourselves
That roughing it
Was so much different
Than we expected.
We were in for a rude awakening
When we shipped out
To Thailand the next day.
By Thai standards,
Our hotel in Bangkok
Was decent
Through not extravagant,
Except coming from the Miramar,
It seemed trashy in comparison.
Later many of us
Would come to appreciate
The simple amenities at that hotel
Like hot and cold running water
As luxuries beyond measure.