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The Modern Butlers’ Journal for Service Professionals Worldwide, June, 2012

BlueLogo2011web The Modern Butlers’ Journal for Service Professionals Worldwide, February, 2012

The Modern Butlers’ Journal volume 8, issue 6

International Institute of Modern Butlers

IIMB Chairman Steven Ferry The Modern Butlers’ Journal for Service Professionals Worldwide, February, 2012Message from the Chairman

I am afraid that the general message being promoted about our profession by the media right now is not the best.

Firstly, a book has just been published entitled, (groan)  The Butler Did It. I will not provide a link to it because it is basically tabloidal in nature. It may or may not be the truth, but some people have a habit of focusing on the salacious truths of life, to which rather too many others pay attention (while the majority of the profession, going about its business industriously and earnestly, receives scant attention).

The gist of the book, as I understand it, is that a member of the British Royal Family was one among several notables of the time involved in homosexual relationships with the butler, who also, it is said, happened to have murdered five people. This man was never trained as a butler, but brought into the profession it seems, as a sex toy.

There is no disputing the attraction of sexual sensations and uninhibited behaviour, but the Roman Empire went the same way and look where they are now. I make this historical analogy because, while we may well respect the wealthy, and particularly the royalty, we serve as professionals, we should neither hold them in awe nor allow our respect to be alloyed by the behaviour of some among them.  They are but human, flesh and blood, and while their positions, gained either by industry or inheritance, have their privileges, they also have their duties, the execution of which may not always be easy.

My point? If some amongst the British Royal family have misbehaved (or still may do), this neither makes less of the standards they, and those who have served them, have worked to achieve over the last millennium; and we should not allow books such as The Butler Did It  to undermine our perception of, and dedication to, those standards.

Secondly, the Pope’s butler has allegedly been busy poking through his employer’s  (organizational) papers and leaking them to the press. From the reports surfacing as the investigation continues, it seems he was spying on behalf of others in an effort to help his employer, as in the case of the French butler recently taken to court for recording his employer’s conversations.

As soon as butlers start to spy on their employers, they are not being butlers but spies. It is that simple. Butlers do not have anything about “spying on my employer” in their job description, no matter how well intended. Butlers are not vigilantes. In the final analysis, the Pope has been “particularly hurt by his butler, to whom he was close, whom he knew, loved and respected.”

The message? It’s time those already in our profession, and those coming into it, re-assert our standards in the public eye so that the vast majority of employers continue to have faith in our profession, and do not come to believe that all butlers are suspect. This was the take that Giovanni Lodigianni, our man (butler) in Italy, had on the situation, too. His words:  “I wrote to the Italian Butlers’ Association asking for some action be taken against the supposed butler if he is sentenced for theft, as this news is creating a huge damage to the profession at a time when work is completely lacking and we do not need a reputation of this kind.”

If you have any ideas how we, the vast majority of ethical butlers, can promote our standards, over and above the very welcome but fictional Downton Abbey, then please forward  your ideas so we can share them with other members of our community.

 Letters to the Editor

 Photo by Janos Feher

In answer to last month’s reader question about funeral etiquette: “There is no standard for sending a personal card or other written form of correspondence over and above the  signing of a Guest Book for a Funeral. Sending an individual communication is at the discretion of the individual and normally would come from either a close family member or personal friend.” R.B.A.

****

In response to Ms. Galbari’s response to a letter from an unappreciated butler: “Very interesting letter about the butler living with a very unreasonable principal.  I know how difficult this kind of situation is—I am living it.  I have looked inward to find a solution and Ms. Galbari’s response/comments while wise…well, sometimes you have to pull the plug on such ridiculousness.  I am hopeful I can stay through to experience my two-year mark, however, three people have quit in the last six months (which validates my persistence as well as perceptions).  I keep my head down and hope for the best, as I, too, am worried about my next employer’s reaction to my leaving too soon. Very good letter …it gives me hope. Thank you very much!” R.L.

Ed: In regards to that unappreciated butler, the sequel to the story is that he is just today on the market again, having left that less-than-ideal position. As a note to other butlers who find themselves on the market, the writing of a compelling resume/CV is an art that needs to be mastered. It can be difficult, when one has a varied career, to present a clear picture of why one is the right choice as someone’s butler.

The trick is to look at the resume from the perspective or through the eyes of the potential employer, to see what he would think: what questions he might have, what he might be looking for. The goal is not to write a complete life history of you as an individual, but to focus on presenting those things that the potential employer is looking for. So yes, you may have worked as an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in Bophupetswana at some stage of your life, and doing so again may seem like a comfortable change from being unappreciated as a butler, but if you are serious about finding a job as a butler, do not make the objective of your job search “To find a position as an ESL teacher in Botswana or similar.” Take away lesson? If you want a job as a butler, then make the resume butler-centric. Not to say you hide information, but in any performance there is the lead actor, and there is the chorus in the background or even off-stage. Your trick is to direct the attention of the potential client to the facts that would most compel him to ask for an interview. What is the lead actor in your career track that would enthrall the audience?

***

I would love to hear from your readers on any bath rituals they have observed or practiced, and which they would most recommend. What kinds of oils, soaps, candles, music,  rituals? What helpful tips? What bathroom decor ideas? TC
Ed: Good idea, thank you—please write to the editor with your ideas for publication in the next MBJ

Butlers in the Media

Another resort gets it on providing butler service to their top-end guests.

Another story about poor treatment of loyal household staff. “All I wanted was to be treated fairly, with respect and dignity. During this period of time, the majority of employees at Buckhurst Park have left,” the employee has stated.

As a profession, we really need to offer workshops for employers, just as much as their staff. In this case, the employer was educated as an architect before she came into wealth  by marriage and was expected to understand human nature and the proper management of employees so as to bring out the best on them. This is not necessarily an innate skill nor something offered on the syllabus of architecture courses. The employer is as much a victim as the employee.

One of the Institute’s members in the news, receiving an award—congratulations.

The Pope’s butler commits the cardinal sin.

Placement

A luxury resort in the Maldives is looking for an Assistant Head Butler to help manage the forty butlers. 25K per annum, etc., no taxes. For more details, ask.

Cigars, Part IV

frankmitchell The Modern Butlers’ Journal for Service Professionals Worldwide, February, 2012 by Frank Mitchell 

Handmade Cigars

Before the matured tobacco can be rolled into cigars, the spine of the leaf must be removed with a small blade worn on the thumb, splitting the leaf in two. The leaves are suspended in bunches or  stacked in neat piles called ‘books’ and processed together using a treadle-operated guillotine. From this point on, when we talk about ‘leaves’ we are actually talking about leaf halves.

Hand rolling a cigar is a difficult art to master, especially the complicated shapes of the figurados. The cigar roller, known as a ‘torcedor,’ needs just a few tools: chief among these is a broad, flat blade called a chaveta that is similar to one used in a kitchen to chop herbs, but without the handles on either side; he also uses a platform, which serves as both a working surface and chopping board; and  vegetable glue called pectin. Finally, cigar molds that are provided by the factory.

A handmade cigar consists of three parts; the filler, the binder and the outer leaf known as the wrapper. The torcedor begins by preparing the filler. The number of leaf-halves used will depend on the size of the cigar. These leaves may be from the same source, or may be a blend of different tobaccos to give a more complex flavour.

The leaves must be rolled carefully if the cigar is to draw and burn properly. One method involves stacking the leaves before rolling. Another method, said to originate in Cuba, is called ‘entubar’. In this method, each leaf is carefully folded before the filler is bunched together. The aim in each case is a balanced construction resulting in an even burn and a light draw.

The next leaf is the binder,  coarser in appearance than the wrapper and a very important part of the cigar’s construction: not only does it hold the filler together, determining the final shape and size of the cigar, it must also provide an even surface for the wrapper, free of bumps or hollows. Once the binder is on, the unfinished cigar is placed in a cedarwood mold to rest for 30 – 45 minutes. The mold fully encloses the cigar, except for the foot (the end you light).  This may protrude slightly and is trimmed flush with the side of the mold, so that all the cigars will be exactly the same length.

While the cigars are in the mold, the torcedor clears the platform and prepares the wrappers. These are the most expensive leaves, chosen with great care. As they will determine the final appearance of the cigar, they should not have any blemishes or tears. The torcedor selects the best part of the leaf and trims it into the correct shape to wrap the cigar. Unlike the binder which is placed over the filler longitudinally, the wrapper will be wound around the cigar in a spiral. Pectin is applied to the wrapper and the cigar removed from the mold and wrapped. This is said to be the most difficult part of cigar making. In factories where rollers work in teams, the task of wrapping the cigars is entrusted to the more experienced torcedors.

The next step is adding the cap, a circular piece of leaf which finishes off the head of the cigar and secures the wrapper leaf in place. This small disc of tobacco is most often cut out with a punch, though I have heard of torcedors cutting around a coin. From here, the cigar will go for inspection and final sorting before being boxed.

If the cigar is to have a band, it is added before the cigar is boxed: the cigar is placed on a wooden form with a mark indicating where the band is to be positioned so they form a neat line in the box. The band is affixed with the same pectin used to apply the wrapper. This is why it is important not to remove the band before smoking the cigar—doing so may tear the wrapper.

Let’s Talk about Wine, Part VI

Amer1x1inch The Modern Butlers’ Journal for Service Professionals Worldwide, February, 2012 by Amer Vargas 

Champagne, Part III

Before inserting the cork onto a champagne bottle, vintners add what is called “licquéur d’expédition,” which is a bit of base wine (the product obtained after the first fermentation) plus a certain amount of sugar. The amount of sugar will determine the level of sweetness of the final product, always mentioned on the label as ‘doux’ (sweet) and then, in increasing dryness, ‘demi-sec’ (semi-dry), ‘sec’ (dry), ‘extra sec’ (extra dry), ‘brut’ (very dry), ‘extra brut’ (a bit drier than brut), and ‘brut nature’ (no additional sugar, bone dry).

Although it may not seem so, the shape of the cork starts completely cylindrical. A machine forces the cork into the bottle, making the end that remains outside the bottle swell as it is squeezed by the pressure from within the bottle below. Right afterwards, a metal cap is placed on the cork top and a wire cage secured to hold it in place—giving us the cork that we know today with its distinctive final shape.

The bottle is ready for the final stages, which involve labeling and finally decorating the top of the bottle with a thin, colored paper that covers everything from the cork and the wire cage to the shoulders of the bottle. Dressing the whole neck of Champagne bottles dates back to the times when disgorgement of the debris in the neck was done by hand: during this operation, very often a little of the wine would be lost, so the vintners couldn’t guarantee that every bottle would have the same amount of Champagne. The dressing therefore covered up the different levels in each bottle.

Other famous sparkling wines, like the Cava from Catalonia (Northeastern Spain) follow the Traditional Method. But there are also other ways of making look-alikes to Champagne: the Método Charmatt  is a process similar to the Champenoise, but makes the second fermentation in tightly closed, stainless steel tanks or vessels, instead of in a bottle. Many Italian Espumantes (fizzies) and the Soviet Champagne from the USSR era follow this system.

The Tranfer Method is also similar to the Champenoise, the difference being that the “licqueur d’expédition” is added after pouring all the Champagne bottles into a tank after the second fermentation, and then re-bottled; this method is very rarely used nowadays.

Lastly, there’s a system that involves adding CO2 to a wine by means of a carbonator—a carbon dioxide blower that injects the gas into the wine; this  process is also quite uncommon and is certainly not used for quality sparkling wines.

To finish, hold your glasses up to this bit of trivia: an average Champagne cork flies at 13 meters/second, around 50 km/h (30 miles/h), so either hold the cork properly, or aim it carefully!

We shall next discuss other excellent wines, but without moving from France. In the meantime, sip your Champagne and enjoy!

Care of Silver

 by Jeffrey Herman

Lacquering Silver

Mr. Jeffrey Herman concludes his article on silver tarnish and patina, and dealing with the lacquering of silver that one can encounter.

The trophy pictured below was coated with lacquer in an effort to prevent tarnishing. Over time, the lacquer yellowed and degraded, allowing tarnish to form underneath. Since this is a common occurrence, I prefer the use of archival micro-crystalline Renaissance wax, which won’t yellow or crack

Lacquered trophy tarnished

To remove the lacquer, I used Dumond Smart Strip, a 100% biodegradable, water-based paint stripper with no emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This gel-type stripper adheres to the surface to which it is applied. After approximately 18 hours, the still-wet stripper and loosened lacquer were removed with cotton balls. The surface was then rinsed with water.

Trophy being cleaned 

This image shows the cleaned trophy with the surface not yet polished. Two major dents were removed and the interior surfaces (which contained no lacquer) were cleaned and hand polished. The resulting surface required light machine polishing to remove all tarnish and micro-etching caused by the tarnish.

Below is the trophy with its final finish. The age of the piece is still evident with its patina of minute scratches and “dimples.” This is a better outcome than what often emerges from a mass-finishing service which may overpolish silver, removing this valuable patina and possibly damaging the crisp engraving.

 Mr. Herman is the owner of Jeffrey Herman Silver Restoration & Conservation located in West Warwick, RI. He can be contacted via email jeff@hermansilver.com or by phone 1-800-339-0417. Or visit his website at www.hermansilver.com

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The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and skills of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resort,  spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts, & cruise ships around the world.

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Newsletter

The Modern Butlers’ Journal for Service Professionals Worldwide, January, 2012

BlueLogo2011web The Modern Butlers Journal for Service Professionals Worldwide, October, 2011

The Modern Butlers’ Journal volume 8, issue 1

 International Institute of Modern Butlers

Message from the Chairman

Welcome to 2012, a year that promises to be anything but boring with high economic, social, and political stakes. It is the year in which quite a few people are convinced none of us will see it through to the end, as they expect the world to end on 21 December. If you find this kind of talk disconcerting, then please rest assured that this prediction is one of  eleven different versions of how it will all end at various anticipated times over the next 30 years, and that it joins a long list of 465 predictions for the end of the world of which there is a written record over the last 4,800 years ago. What seems to escape each person making and buying into such predictions, is that not a single one has come true. Our view is that 2012 will go to those who keep their eye on the ball, remaining in the moment and creating and having fun along the way.

See you in 2013, flourishing and prospering in your line of work!

Butlers in the Media

Two interesting articles on butlers last month:

1)  Digital butlers  

2) English Butlers Wanted For Emerging Super-Rich

and one rather hopeless article from Huffington Post, which really needs to sharpen its reportage. Finally, a list of the world’s most expensive hotels for consideration by your employer for when he or she needs to travel. It is far from comprehensive, as three hotels I have trained at this year alone have suites that would rank them as #2, #3, and #4, yet they do not make the list at all. I would recommend Fischer Travel as the best source for the top suites around the world. (Note: this article is written in German).

Minimizing Use of Silver Polish  

by Jeffrey Herman of Herman Silver Restoration & Conservation

Wash silver objects periodically (in order to avoid arduous polishing sessions to remove accumulated tarnish) with warm water and a phosphate-free detergent such as Dawn (not lemon-scented), and dry immediately. Do not immerse any object that has hollow sections or wooden parts  such as handles. If tarnish does build up, remove it as soon as possible for two reasons: (1) it is much easier to remove tarnish in its early stages of formation; and (2) your silver will show less wear, as it will be exposed to less abrasion. Most of us are familiar with that light brown – and eventually black – color that forms on silver as it tarnishes. To catch tarnish in its very early stages, hold the silver object against a piece of white paper (glossy paper preferred). If tarnish has started to form, you will see a very light yellowish tint in the silver. Try removing this light tarnish with either Windex Multi-Surface Vinegar or Purell Original Formula hand sanitizer. Use a cotton towel or cotton ball and rotate the material regularly to expose unused surfaces – elements in the tarnish itself can be very abrasive. If tarnish remains after using the above products, a silver polish will be required (see my Silver Care Guide for pointers). As always, feel free to email me should you have any questions (jeff@hermansilver.com).

Graduation

As part of a multi-month roll-out of improved butlerservice aboard the Norwegian Cruise lines thatis designed to set a new standard for butler service in the cruise line industry, enthusiastic butler trainers from several vessels completed their Train the Trainerscourse in December and will be heading back to their vessels to institute the next phase of the program.

 


Let’s talk about wine

by Amer Vargas

In our last article, we covered the  nature of wine, where it comes from, and the basic steps of wine production. In this article, we will focus on white wines.

First steps Harvesting for white wines is commonly accomplished at night to take advantage of low temperatures and to preserve all the properties of the grapes. The first step thereafter is de-stemming, separating the fruit from the tannin-rich stalks and then cooling the grapes to 52 oF/11 oC; after which the fruit is transferred to a press where the juice is separated from the tannic and color-giving skin and bitter-oiled pips, thereby producing grape juice or must.

From must to wine This freshly pressed must looks like peach juice, a thick and murky drink with no alcohol content that is a far cry from the delicious, transparent libation aimed for. It is transferred to large tanks where it is kept at a steady temperature of 59-61oF/15-16oC and allowed to rest so any solids can sink to the bottom of the tank. After one or two days, the clean must, now as clear as wine and sweet, is transferred to another tank made of oak or stainless steel (or other inert material that will not add tastes to the wine).

It is at this stage that fermentation takes place as the sugars in the must are converted into alcohol. Vintners are obliged to add a yeast culture to augment the fermentation process, as little yeast is present in clean must when it is separated rapidly from the skins and pips.

The yeast culture A yeast culture is a mix of water and dried yeasts. In order for yeasts to hydrate and ferment the wine-to-be, they need to be mixed with right amount of water at 100-104oF/38-40oC. Within a few minutes of the mix being created and stirred, bubbles start to appear on the surface, indicating the yeasts are active. Clean must is then added little by little to the culture to lower its temperature to that of the clean must in the tank. When this temperature is achieved, the yeast culture is added to the tank; the fermentation starts in about three days and lasts 7-10 days, sometimes even longer, the wine having the appearance of water coming to a boil. During this period, density and temperature are measured at least twice a day to ensure the yeasts are performing properly, with adjustments being made in nutrients or oxygenization if they aren’t. After the fermentation is complete, a secondary one, malolactic fermentation, may be carried out to reduce the acidity of a wine (by transforming the tart-tasting malic acid that is present in the must into C02and a softer lactic acid). This secondary fermentation is common in red wines more than whites: while Chardonnays, Pinot Blancs, and Pinot Gris that are to be laid aside for aging are taken through the malolactic fermentation, wines with a greater acidity, such as Rieslings or Gewürztraminers, are not put through a secondary fermentation so as to maintain their freshness.

Next in the sequence is the clarification of the drink to remove byproducts of the fermentations, such as yeasts, bacteria, or proteins that could continue to change the wine. Young whites can be taken to these final filtering steps straight away, but vintners will age others a few months or years to add texture, aromas, and complexity to the wine in oak or stainless steel tanks, always under cold and steady conditions. The wine is filtered through such as diatomaceous earth to remove any remaining solid particles before storing the wine in a cold tank at 25oF/-4oC.

Cold stabilization is designed to remove the elevated levels of potassium bitartrate crystals created during the fermentation process.

After this, the wine undergoes polish filtering, a second filtration with thinner soils that leave a bright and clean wine ready to be bottled.

 

In the next journal, red wine production! Enjoy!

The Household Manager – Who am I?

 I must be a diplomat, a democrat, an autocrat, an acrobat, and doormat. I must have the ability to entertain Prime Ministers, Princes of Industries, Pickpockets, Gamblers, Bookmakers, Pirates, Philanthropists, and Prudes. I must be on both sides of the political fence, and be able to jump that fence.

 I must be or have been, a footballer, golfer, bowler, tennis player, cricketer, dart player, sailor, pigeon fancier, motor racer, or linguist, and have a good knowledge of any other sports involving dice, cards, horses, and pool cues. As I sometimes have to settle arguments and squabbles, I must be a qualified boxer, wrestler, weight lifter, sprinter, and peacemaker.

 I must always look immaculate when drinking with ladies and gentlemen–as well as with bankers, swankers, theatricals, commercial travelers, and company representatives, even though I may have just made peace between any two, six or more of the aforementioned patrons.

To be successful I must keep the bar full, the house full, the storeroom full, the wine cellar full, the employer full, and not become full myself; I must have staff who are clean, honest, quick workers, quick thinkers, non drinkers, mathematicians, technicians, and at all times on the boss’s side and the guest’s side, but always outside the bar.

 To sum up: I must be outside, inside, offside, sanctified, crucified, cross eyed: and if I am not the strong and silent type, there is always suicide.

 I am The Butler and Household Manager and Proud to Be So.

 By Olivier De Boynes, as submitted by Wayne Fitzharris

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The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and skills of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resort,  spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts, & cruise ships around the world.

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Butler training

The Barefoot Butler

 The Barefoot Butler

Far removed from the swirling turmoil of the world, its political upheavals, financial scandals, and social unrest, Soneva Gili stands as a very small island sanctuary—no bigger than a football field or two, it secrets away 250 staff amongst its shady trees and about 120 guests in less than 50 water villas satelliting around the island. Three gourmet restaurants on the beaches or over the water, including a below-ground wine cellar where eight people can enjoy fine cuisine and vintage wines and savor the chocolates made on the spot; and a spa where glass-covered holes in the floor below the massage tables reveal fish swimming below.

The Private Reserve is the top villa, standing apart from the rest

But this discreet elegance and luxury is not what attracts so much as the serenity of the space that pervades from the moment one lands. Shoes are not part of the dress code. Unsustainable living is not part of the agenda either, with organic gardens and greenhouses, water all made on site, and no throw-away plastic or other fast-paced, throw-away culture, please. The Founders of Six Senses have a vision they call SLOW LIFE, which stands for Sustainable, Local, Organic, and Wellness, Learning, Inspiring, and Fun Experiences.

It’s a great way to experience what life and society would be like if there didn’t happen to be a few dedicated to raping whatever they can lay their hands on in life. The number of people who return time and again to this little speck in the Indian Ocean testifies to what a hidden treasure it is. The owners do not advertize, relying mostly on word of mouth and the kind of writing that I am doing right now!

And to top it all off, they have butler service, called “Man (and Lady) Fridays” after Robinson Crusoe’s Man Friday, copies of which are available in each water villa. The Fridays, who are almost all Maldivian, were eager students and fired up to offer the best possible service—with some innovative treats conceived to wow their guests.

So when your boss is wondering where to go for the next getaway, I suggest you suggest this far away place: a twenty-minute private boat trip from the airport.

Housekeeping on the way to a villa just before a storm…the rainy season has arrived and is not that rainy
Cruising under my villa in two feet of water
One of the trainees—not a butler, but the Training Director—coming up to speed on how to butle
Two of the butlers: no plastic smiles here, just fun-loving people.

These hotel and resort butlers are the butler-away-from-home, filling in for the butlers at home for those lucky enough to employ butlers, and giving a taste to those who do not yet have butlers, of what life is like when butlers take care of the minutiae that go into living.  As 90% of the uber-wealthy are new money, this seems like a good way to test the waters. These butlers may not have the sophistication of experienced private-service butlers, but they make up for it with their open-heartedness—and the difference is just a matter of degree, really, for in the final analysis, private and hospitality butlers pursue the same goals for the same people.

A typical sunset view from my villa
Wishing you Love!
Categories
Butler training

The Floating Condos of the Carib

Spent two weeks cruising around the Bahamas and Bermuda in floating condominiums, training very eager butlers.
Even managed a sail around Bermuda in a Cat

Colorful government-assisted housing graces one shoreline. Each condominium costs about $250,000, while we can’t even give away comparable housing in the US for 1/10th of that price: a curious example of supply and demand, made all-the-more curious by the huge demand for housing among America’s millions of homeless.

A more upscale neighborhood in Bermuda

Bermuda is hit by hurricanes, but their building codes require reinforced concrete that can withstand Category Four storms; and they do not have any storm surge, as they do not have a continental shelf—so the water passes right by them.

Petrol is $9 a gallon, over twice the US price, but then on an island something like one mile wide by twenty miles long, they don’t use much petrol—even in their speedboats!

 

Categories
Butler training

The private Peter Island Resort is part of the BVI but otherwise in a World of its Own

The view from on top of the mountain, over the infinity pool. This 22,000 square villa was home for me and classroom for 11 butlers on this private island.

 

An enjoyable, challenging and productive time training some more smiling West Indies butlers.

During the first week, we started to receive various reports:

taxi drivers telling the General Manager how the guests were talking about the training on the way to the airport, based on their experience with the butlers when they left the training for the day and went back on the job;

other staff wanting to know when they could also do the training;

a mystery guest visitor from a famous association who noted how good the service was of one of the trainees;

a travel agent, doing the same.

These are all good signs, but what floats my Ferry boat is the trainees talking about their lives changing, not just their job performance, based on the understandings and skills we provided.

Peter Island has a blog http://www.peterisland.com/news/blog/416 with a photo of some of the recent graduates.

 

Categories
Butler training

The Road to Marina Bay Sands in Singapore

The many butlers of Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, an iconic property destined to be a leader in the Far East, had their butlers trained, Round 1. Here the entire complex is still under construction, 10,000 workers laboring feverishly to complete by the opening date.

Compare with the finished shot taken a year later.

Categories
Butler training

Training Butlers in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

  
The Globe Restaurant offers fine dining that is prepared
11 floors below after the waiter beams down the order wirelessly.

Interesting city, Riyadh: life goes on behind closed doors. The women dress anonymously when they step outside in what looks like black sacks with narrow slits for their eyes (sometimes not even that), but when you look closely, you see what fine materials they are made of, how flowing and elegant they are. There are no cinemas, bars, clubs, and even some malls are segregated, keeping out single males. People rarely look at you, let alone smile, and your doing either is discouraged. But like any people, when they open up to you, they are friendly and have a lot to say. Their city has quite innovative architecture, much of it new, as in Dubai.
The Globe is one of the restaurants at the 6-star Al Faisiliah hotel, the #1 hotel in the city.They also offer a Brazilian restaurant, where everything from baby camel (tough stuff, despite the hopeful name) to elk, bison, alligator, lamb, turkey, chicken hammour (white fish from the area), veal, lamb, venison and much more besides, are grilled and brought around on long spits to be carved directly onto your plate.
Better tip the waiter: that's not a carving knife but a machete...

On the business side of things, the two teams of butlers at their Al Faisiliah hotel, one of the few still offering butler service to all suites, pose for their graduation shots, before enjoying a celebratory meal at the Brazilian restaurant
Consulting at a palace over the weekend provides an interesting break, and insight into the private lives of the wealthy in Saudi Arabia. There is an apparent disconnect between their worldview and the existence of other people.



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Published Articles

From the Hot Sands of Saudi to the Snows of Vail

Well, China postponed, so back to the US and one last project for 2008: after 120 degrees in the Saudi desert, snow in Vail is a welcome change. But first a pit stop in Denver with a family whom I have never met before and whom I had had the insensitivity to want to meet on Thanksgiving eve to discuss business. “No, come and stay the night.” With business colleagues like this, who needs friends? I did stay the night, we jam in a meeting over dinner, I tell Kelly her laying of the table was spot-on for the next day’s feast (she was nervous, you see, about a “Butler Emeritus” seeing her handiwork up close); Mike and I chat on the way back to the airport and agree to move forward. See http://thesociety.com/ It’s actually very exciting, as The Society coordinates and services the owners of over 5,000 holiday rental villas around the world, and we will be providing those clients who want it, with the invisible, anticipatory service characteristic of the butler.Here is the McFadden family a few days later, celebrating some special news.

The trip to Vail takes almost three hours, starting at about 5,000 ft in Denver and arriving at about 8,500 feet.

The Arrabelle at Vail Square sits right at the bottom of the ski lift and a short way from cross-country trails.

The butlers all dress in what I seem to recall as Swiss ski wear from the Sixties and the hotel is mocked up as a Swiss Ski lodge.

What I love is the fireplace in my suite, the heated bathroom floor, and limitless cups of complementary hot chocolate brought by the butlers. Second to that have been the ready smiles of the butlers, whom I had trained in the summer, and who are as glad to see me as I they. Apparently they have been doing very well over the last half-year since opening, offering superior service the likes of which visitors to Vail are not accustomed. These butlers are actually all ski-aholics, so they indulge in their passion for the slopes when not indulging in their passion for service.

I did crack out my Helle Hanson ski suit ($415 on sale fifteen years ago and worn just 5 times before I moved to Florida) and packed it ever hopeful of snow. Luckily, the cycle of fashion has just come full circle, and my style of suit is once again on the cutting edge. One hard day of skiing and I spend the rest of the week letting the knees recover, so the Helle Hanson adorns the back of the closet once again. It was very useful for the butlers to practice their packing skills, though.

The second round of butlers being trained prove themselves to be as sharp in class as on the slopes, so we have made good progress and, as always, I am reluctant to leave their company, doubly so as their boss, Kathleen, is leaving for California (family reasons). Still, in this hospitality industry, one seems to strike up friendships with wonderful people only to have them move on and…re-appear somewhere else where one can bump into them again! I count myself very fortunate to have met so many frankly capable, decent, upbeat, and earnest-but-fun-loving people. I suppose that’s what it takes to survive in this line of work. And guess where the GM, another gem, is from…Switzerland.

The economic blues are starting to set in, with other hotels in the area experiencing low occupancy (Arrabelle is still fine), but hopefully the snows that arrived the day I did, and the holiday season, will give people hope and cause to blow off the blues. Due to weather-related delays, Continental slips me onto a direct flight on an economy airline direct to Tampa. Wasn’t too comfortable, but it’s sure good to be back home for a few weeks, and arriving the same time as my original planned flight. A long hug for wifey when I stagger out of baggage claim, bags in tow.

And there was peace on earth....

Here’s to an upbeat 2009 for one and all.

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Butler training

Butlers in the Wilds of South Africa

Another boat ride and flights through and long layover at Dubai airport found me finally in Johannesburg airport, where I enjoyed a couple of days with my sister and family, including Plato, the old Rhodesian Ridgeback. First time visiting Sis in South Africa since she moved there three decades ago, so I had some explaining to do. Actually, she was busy as heck meeting deadlines for the first ten days, so I had arranged to train at two hotels before we began our (working) holiday together.

We did manage to attend a lecture at the Military Museum by the former Chairman of Anglo American on his take on Africa and its future, as well as China. Fascinating stuff, especially he being the only one to survey and brief the Chinese leadership. This was a few years back, when the Politburo elite feared an American implosion on the mortgages resulting in a worldwide financial collapse in demand and their own potential collapse as a government when not able to keep giving their increasingly demanding populace the kind of expansion (8% growth minimum) that keeps their standard of living rising. And look where we are now. Funnily enough, testament to the mantra that he who dares, wins, the Chinese politburo contact thanked him afterwards for his consulting, telling him that had he been English or American, they would never have asked him to speak. The irony being that this gentleman works in South Africa but is as British as they come. I am afraid we cornered him during the break and became so engrossed that we all missed out on the nibbling of biscuits and sipping of tea.

This gentleman, Mr. Clem Sumter, sees crime as the main issue South Africa faces in order to maintain its stature as the gateway to Africa. I might agree with that. While we were there, a friend of my sister was followed into her estate as the gate closed, but at least the robbers told her if she did not look at them, they would just take what they wanted and leave. And so they did. Most robberies, it appears, are just for some food and money. One of the butlers I trained in Joburg had an organized gang drive up right after he had left for work, and when he returned, the only thing left was the bed. There are solutions, of course, like criminon.org, a program with a 70-99% success rate in reforming criminals permanently.

Then it was off to train butlers at three lodges: Waterfall, Atlantic, and Safari, all part of the privately held luxury Tintswalo chain (a local Shangaan word meaning “the intangible feeling of love, gratitude and peace that you bestow upon someone who has given you a meaningful and worthy gift”). This is a deeper meaning than one normally discovers in the names of hotel chains and in a way reflected the earnestness with which the staff took their positions.

"Atlantic" is built at the bottom of a steep cliff, inches above the Atlantic where it meets the Indian Ocean by Capetown, with a magnificent view of the Sentinel rock and the occasion whale sliding by languorously.

The hotel is built around an existing intricate and dense stand of trees on an old campsite, a condition for building in the nature reserve Chapman’s Peak, touted as one of the most scenic oceanic routes in the world. The grand opening occurred while we were there (my wife, Monica, had joined me by then, flying down on the unlikely named Mango airlines) with the Consul General of the Republic of Hout Bay officiating and his red-uniformed gunnery officers and men firing two old cannon into the Bay (and not hitting anything, luckily). In case this is a country unknown to you, the citizens of Hout Bay declared themselves a Republic in 1987 and even issued their own passport that some countries recognized (accidentally) when presented by arriving tourists.

 Swinging by Johannesburg to pick up my sister, we drove all day to Kruger Park, or more particularly the park on its border, Manyeleti, in the local Shangaan language meaning Place of Stars: A most apt name, because during a night safari, we saw a panoply of Southern hemisphere stars in stark relief, heralded by the moon, Venus and Jupiter.

We took every opportunity to exercise the skills of the driver and tracker assigned to us after each day’s class with the butlers, to go on all the safaris we could fit in. For we were in the middle of luxury in the wild, a spectacular concept, and from our armchairs, the picture window of our villa overlooking the waterhole afforded a TV au naturelle that captivated us for hours; but we wanted more, hence the four three-hour safaris. There was so much game, it was almost as if the animals were taking numbers to appear before our jeep. The very first day, we saw “The Big 5” in an hour flat. Then we saw the “Small 5,” and then everything else between, including a colony of wild dogs that represented 15% of the entire world’s population of such malodorous beasties. Maybe not high on one’s list of things to see, but their group dynamic and hunting techniques make a fascinating story. Had I not forgotten my camera in Johannesburg, I would have taken copious photographs of this cornucopia—a sorry confession from an erstwhile professional photographer.

One is used to butlers in diverse settings, from stately homes to barefoot on beach paradises, so in the wilds of Africa was definitely one for the books. The reasons one appreciates butlers are perhaps even more compellingly clear in the wilds of the bush, and Monica and I did not see any contradiction in enjoying the epitome of sophistication within a primitive setting; for the very juxtaposition created a unique universe. Take the warning on the laundry slip that the lodge would occasionally be overrun by baboons. What this had to do with one’s laundry, and what to do about such an invasion, were left to the imagination. We decided that perhaps the baboons might make off with one’s more personal articles of clothing (being of the right size compared to trousers or shirts), so we tasked ourselves, amongst the many wildlife curiosities we expected to see, to be on the lookout for any baboon troupes already attired from earlier raids. Enquiring further about the baboon question, we were told to double-lock our doors as baboons could open a door that was merely locked. We were advised, furthermore, to exit the suite discreetly if they did manage to enter, rather than yell and scream at the baboons (as one sorry gentleman had done, only to have the entire troupe, now in a high state of agitation, empty its collective bowel from the rafters). The only problem we saw with this advised strategy was that we were not allowed to walk between suites (discrete huts) without an escort, in case itinerant wild cats felt puckish, peckish, or peevish. What exactly the escort would do with his small torch in the event of such an encounter, was never explained with any great degree of satisfaction, either. Such is life in the bush…don’t sweat if you don’t have to, smile, be happy.

We made good friends and enjoyed ourselves very much with the butlers and staff at all three lodges (and hope the Executive Chef has quit steaming and cutting himself to shreds…your cooking is too good to lose you!), and seeing Sis was a real treat. But Saudi Arabia called, so back North through, you guessed it, Dubai, to Jeddah.

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Butler training

Maldives the Way only the Maldives Can Be

I was sorry to leave paradise Mauritius style, so imagine my surprise when I alighted off the plane in the Maldives (another full-day trip courtesy of an 11-hour layover in Dubai airport and routing via Colombo, Sri Lanka) and was taken by a one-hour boat launch trip on my own (spent on the deck at 30 knots with such a wonderful spectacle of the Milky Way as I had not seen so clearly since a child thanks to light pollution) and arrived on Reethi Rah (Beautiful Island in the Maldivian tongue) and found … another paradise with an exclamation point! The kind of place that one associates with paradise…crescent-shaped beaches outside the door of one’s thatched roof hut with palm trees waving in the breeze…yup, they do exist.

Which brings up the point I am usually asked: where on earth is/are the Maldives? They are about 1,300 islands (some are so small you could walk around them in one minute) south of India, in the Indian Ocean. They are among the peoples of the world not too happy about global warming, as the islands I saw could not have been more than 6 feet above sea level at their highest points. Luckily for them, global warming is not happening, but I won’t spoil everyone’s fun with fixing global warming. Although it might be more useful to address the huge continents of microscopic floating plastic in the world’s oceans, for instance…now, that would be bad news for the Maldivian tourist industry and fishlife.

Reethi Rah is unique, in that Saul Kerzner leased it for his One & Only chain and expanded the island six-fold in size by the simple expedient of dredging sand from around about. Nothing else was used to build this island. And that is why the island happens to be a whole series of crescent-shaped beaches from one end to the other…it was built that way, and then hundreds of palm trees planted to stabilize and create shade and, well, the right ambiance for paradise.

Occasional storms roll through, but mostly it is sunny. Partial view from my villa window

Here, the butlers are dressed in light trousers, shirts, and sandals and go about the island on tricycles. Guests travel either on bicycles provided or golf carts, chauffered or self-driven for the larger villas. Villas are separated from each other, except the water villas, which are clustered three in a group at the tip of each crescent.

The training was for about 30 butlers, which was done in two groups so they could continue to service guests. As many butlers are from Maldives and thus Moslem, and as we were there during the holy month of Ramadan during which they fast from sun-up until sun-down, the challenge was to keep the training lively enough to overcome their lack of sleep (they have to pray and also eat at night) and lack of food during the day; but we had a pact with the students that they would sleep at night after prayers and eating, rather than mucking around, and it worked out fairly well. I was impressed that a small mosque had been built on the island for the staff.

Frank Mitchell, one of our South African trainers, was with me at Mauritius as well as Maldives. He is an extraordinary fellow; he looked at the front of a golf cart that had been jazzed up and said, “’58 Buick.” A Buick is an American car, so how he, a South African, could tell from the design of the front of a ’58 that it was so, is impressive; but not as much as his intimate knowledge of all things Rolls Royce. I doubt there is a single element of any Rolls Royce built that he does not know. He even sent me an article he had written on how to choose a Rolls Royce wisely when considering purchasing second hand. So you might be thinking uncharitably, “What a geek!” That would be an erroneous conclusion, however, because there is little about any subject in our profession this walking encyclopaedia does not know. He has terrific poise and is a butler through and through, and I look forward to the next time we can do an assignment together.

When I train, I am pretty focused. I train, I eat dinner, I work on my computer running the businesses, and I enjoy about 4 hours sleep. You have to be pretty nuts to be in Paradise and not enjoy it, so I would rise a few minutes early, run out onto the beach, do some intense swimming for a few minutes and run back. Big compromise, that. But I also went boating to some reefs on one day off, where I snorkeled and drank more sea water than is generally good for one.

But this time particularly was busy keeping in touch with two trainers working on a project in Mauritius, one in Florida, one in Malaysia and Indonesia, and one in Russia. And then there was the request from Hollywood to make a film of myself answering “a short list of questions or possible scenarios that you could address extemporaneously” for presentation to producers wanting to create a series (about which more I cannot say right now). The idea of sitting in front of a camera and spouting off about various issues seemed a tad bit boring, so I spent half an hour working out a film script with lines for myself and instructions for the cameraman. We used my embarrassingly small hand-held video camera and the cameraman was Mr. Frank Mitchell, who was not daunted at never having been a cameraman before. The following morning on our day off, we spent an hour shooting the scenes (https://www.modernbutlers.com/publications/iimb-publications/multimedia) and the day before, the video was being downloaded in Hollywood. (Reethi Rah is one hour ahead of the capital of Maldives, which is 12 hours ahead of Los Angeles, so the video was sent at 11 am our time and arrived 10 pm the day before). I make no apology for having made this clip, it was fun and creative to do and that is reason enough to do anything. Having said this, it is not the normal image I would project of myself, but I suppose these are the little quirks and weaknesses blogs are meant to uncover. The point is that it created the necessary impact on viewers in Hollywood, so whether it goes anywhere or not, my debut as a script writer/actor/film director can be considered a success.

We enjoyed eating at the three superb island restaurants (one Moroccan and one Japanese) and being enthralled by the breadth of knowledge of the sommelier (I had no idea there were so many varieties of sake, as many as there are Inuit [language of the Eskimo-Aleuts] words for “snow”). We enjoyed a night at the island bar on my last night with the staff to say our farewells. It was past sundown, so they could drink (no alcohol) andeat. It might seem idyllic to live on paradise, but they do go stir crazy after a while and cram onto the boat ride to the “big island” on their days off. Otherwise, they have to make do during their days off with snorkeling, sailing, beach soccer, swimming, running, sunbathing…tough life.

And so, the first element of the training complete, it was time to leave Mr. Mitchell in Paradise with all the Paradisians putting it there (literally, they are like a large, landlocked ship responsible for everything on the island) to complete the training. Next stop: South Africa (you guessed it, with a ten-hour layover in Dubai—and by now you may have worked out I was flying Emirates…an airline I can recommend for attention to detail and excellent equipment and service. They may have an advantage over most other airlines [very cheap fuel and rather rich bosses], but they have put the effort and intelligence into creating a world-class service and I look forward to the day other airlines [particularly in the US of A], can achieve the same.