Thursday, December 30, 2010

Too quick to judge.

I was about to send this glass away when a closer inspection revealed what I thought was a smudge on the glass was actually a beautiful etching. An etching matching the English Edwardian plaster on the walls of the Thames Foyer in the gorgeously restored Savoy Hotel in London. Happy New Year to all.

A plot twist.

Covent Garden Hotel's plastic laundry bags made Sofia Coppla's movie Somewhere at the Odeon Covent Garden far more enjoyable. While other people in this London theatre were lining up for popcorn, I took the time to line my seat, backrest and armrest. Ninety-seven minutes of germ-free entertainment. Too many infractions in the movie to mention.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

O Christmas Tree!

This is what the festive tree in Berkeley Square in London looks like. You can actually admire its beauty because it is sans crowds. THE PEOPLE are all a few blocks away SHOPPING on Bond Street.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

O Christmas Tree?

This is what the Rockefeller Christmas Tree in New York looks like. What am I doing here in this sniffling crowd?

No way to treat Santa.

Dear Renovators:

Even though my toilet is new, it is still a toilet. And not a place to leave cookies for Santa. Or yourselves.


Spread cheer not germs,


The Hygiene Hunter

Friday, December 24, 2010

Joy to all Hygieneistas.

If you are going to sit on Santa's knee make sure he is plastic. Much easier to clean than fabric. Happy Christmas!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Spreading the clean.

Sneak peek. This is what the Hygiene Hunter is stuffing into stockings this Christmas. COMPLETELY natural soaps MADE IN CANADA available at Coup.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Christmas in a blender.

Green, red and good for you. Two cups of kale, one apple, one cup of water and Vita-Mix.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Festive and antibacterial.

Thank you Air Canada for serving pumpkin seeds in your lounge.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Inhale.

Mountain air is like soap and water for your lungs. As long as you are not standing next to a man smoking a pipe.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Paper towels and Anna.

I can honestly say encountering paper towels in a restroom is just as exciting as eating in the same restaurant as Anna Wintour. (Anna's bob is perfection.) Plus, it is far less awkward asking a roll of paper towels to sign a release form.

Paper towels can be used to open doors and protect against other dirty touch points. Hand dryers cannot.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Hello little paper clip.

How long have you been living in the floor at Balthazar in New York? OKAY. OKAY. I promise not to give up your whereabouts.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

It is the thought that counts.

YUMMY. A steam cleaned area rug in my hotel room at the Mercer in New York. WAIT. Shouldn't that be done AFTER I have murdered my husband?

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

As it should be.

This HYGIENISTAS is what your bed should look like when you check into a hotel. It makes the inspection easier. The Mercer in New York knows what I expect.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Breaking news.

Has Fox News arrived to cover my mattress inspection at the Mercer Hotel in New York or the Madoff incident down the block?

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Strange Friday on Sunday.

The ultimate face whitening cream courtesy of Benjamin Moore.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Strange Thursday.

This is like a playpen for the Hygiene Hunter. Super fun. Do you wonder how superbugs can exist in hospital settings with all this at your disposal?

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Strange Wednesday.

Finally. 5:20 p.m. in the Emergency waiting room I encounter blog worthy material. A dad stores his hat in his daughter's vomit bowl.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Strange Tuesday.

Strange to me anyway. If I were a construction worker I would not leave any forensic evidence behind.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Strange Monday.

The first odd thing I see each day this week I will post. Careful where you eat today because someone dropped their hair net.

Friday, December 3, 2010

This was just in my co-worker's mouth.

I am driving her to the hospital. NOW. Of course I would witness this act. She said she had to fix her hair.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Two questions.

One. How many beer bottles does it take to create this recycled glass countertop? Two. Is it easy to maintain?

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Internal housekeeping.

Meet my digestive tract's new best friend -- The Champion. Champ is shy and did not want to come out of the box to be photographed.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

For feather duster lovers.

'The grime and dust I sweep all away,
My mind no trouble can borrow,
For deadly disease, which lurks therein,
Is routed today, for tomorrow.'

'The Happy Housewife's Song' 1899

Monday, November 29, 2010

You had me at Staphylococcus.

While trying to decide on flooring for my bathrooms I learned that Marmoleum is often used in dormitory rooms, military barracks and prisons. Minor turn off. Then I read Marmoleum possesses a self-sanitizing quality. Major turn on. "Independent testing has shown that Marmoleum has a sterile zone around the material that inhibits the growth of organisms such as Staphylococcus Aureas and Clostridium Difficile." Resistant to bacteria and a certified sustainable flooring.

Friday, November 26, 2010

The perfect way to end the week.

A cup of fresh mint tea is always relaxing and refreshing. It smells good and so will you. Way better than chewing gum and actually good for your breath and digestion. I have not yet been in a restaurant in London that did not have this herb available.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Lucy in Disguise in London.

Welcome to this new vintage shop in Covent Garden where you can buy or hire clothing. The shop is owned by Lily Allen and her sister Sarah Mary Owen. Clothes are thoughtfully arranged according to decade with more expensive clothing available in a VIP Salon in the basement. I almost bought a pink 60's shift dress. BUT. A close inspection revealed underarm stains. In my opinion pink and yellow do not go all that well together. The thud in the fitting room heard around the world was me passing out. ALL IS WELL. I was revived with a sniff of the dress. I did buy a brand new flower for my hair though. It is a Lily lily and branded The Libertarian.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

I am all for clean, but ...

Where did the Neal's Yard mural go?

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

What do we have here?

A confessional in a lingerie shop? A dressing room that looks like a confessional? Oh, if that chair could talk. Coco de Mer staff in London kindly explained this particular arrangement is a unique way to keep all parties entertained while shopping for erotic luxuries.

This is how the drama unfolds. One person tries on the garments in the room pictured here while their partner waits on the other side of the red box -- just like in church minus the partner and the trying-on-the-garment-part. When the person is ready to reveal their look they open the confessional and TA-DA ... SEXY TIME. And you do not even have to pay a quarter for the peep show. Money. Dirty. No Touchy.

Another plus is not having to come out of the change room to secure an opinion on whether or not the Spatula Spanker works with the Butterfly Merkin.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Who needs theatre tickets?

Not me. Not with Made-Just-For-Hygiene-Hunter entertainment right outside the Covent Garden Hotel Bar in London. He could have swept all night. And he did because I kept calling for an encore.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Hides fingerprints brilliantly.

Keeping hotel walls free of knicks and scratches must be difficult. And painting rooms after every guest checks out nearly impossible -- unless of course you are the George V Paris. That's why I really do appreciate the pinstriped fabric textured wallpaper in my room at the Covent Garden Hotel in London. The walls look perfect. Since I do not sleep on walls or even touch them, I am not too fussed about their contents. Let's hope I do not get a blue light for Christmas.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Propelled by others.

For me, it was IN and OUT of the National Portrait Gallery in London without even touching a door. I even took a few spins around just for fun. To use a cliche, "Let others do the dirty work." Hahaha. Diabolical. I know.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

How many pairs does it take?

If I were to hang my stockings from the ceiling they would look exactly like this delightful light fixture in my room at the Covent Garden Hotel in London.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

How I like my Ketchup.

Untouched. I thank The Wolseley in London for serving me a fresh bottle -- without having to ask. No worries here about someone else's knife having gone in for a dip. People do that:(

Monday, November 15, 2010

My husband's bad.

Cottage Pie at Les Deux Salons in London. Quick. Someone call the Hygiene Hunter.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Full disclosure.

It would have been much easier to blame this hideous stain on a table companion, but I believe in Karma. As hideous as this is, it is completely my fault. MY French Bean with Foie Gras slipped off the serving spoon at La Petite Maison in London and landed on the table cloth at La Petite Maison in London. I now fully understand the need to carry a Tide Bleach Pen. Either that or master the classic table cloth trick. Or going back to the Karma Thing, do not order anything with Foie Gras in it.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Something different for Remembrance Day.

From Astrid a true presence to behold.

At 11 pm on November 11 -- wherever you are -- go into your stillness and send love and affection to the Mother Earth. Just send it from your heart with thanks. Then say Ma Ya Hai for a few times. You can say this slowly,

If you can --do this for 11 days in a row. You will feel and sense a difference in your awareness and how you and family and friends feel.

Your "message" of love and acknowledgement will become part of the collective energy field. It's late in the day and perhaps past your bedtime. However you may be surprised at how your days following will unfold and how you feel.

It's like Christmas -- stay up and give a gift.
Don't forget to sign in your email address at the newrealitytransmission.com
site. This will document the numbers of people who participated.

Tell your friends.

Enjoy
Ma Ya Hai to All
Astrid

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

My MaxMara Bubble.

It is truly amazing what I can do in my protective shell while flying. In addition to sleeping upright I can brush my teeth, do facial exercises and cry while watching sappy movies in total privacy. Oh. And. If someone sneezes without covering their mouth their germs repel off the fabric. It only looks odd from the outside.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

The dreaded airplane pillow.

Unless the pillow is in a sealed plastic bag I will never ever rest my head on one of these. I have trained myself to sleep upright. Picture tomorrow.

Monday, November 8, 2010

A safety-sealed toilet.

This is the first one that I have encountered in my travels. A little bird told me this is common in lower-priced hotels. Cheap and clean. Hahaha.

Friday, November 5, 2010

A or an?

Regardless, you should still wash your hands.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Spot the Sushi Cam.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

A bartender with a conscience.

David, chief mixologist at West Restaurant in Vancouver, is saving mankind from pedestrian cocktails with his devotion to quality everything. He is also saving the planet from destruction by using stainless steel forks instead of disposable straws to taste test cocktails prior to serving. (The taste test involves a dip and a lick.) David's artistry results in many orders in the course of a night. The forks bathe in vodka between testings. The vodka kills germs. All the more reason to consume more vodka.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Clean and Twisted.

I loved, loved, loved the Twisted Fork in Yaletown. Obviously, hygienic practices were in play. And, the Baked Eggs I had for brunch were perfection. I am told, this dish is also the chef's personal favourite. Eating with a twisted fork made the meal interesting though. Wink.

Monday, November 1, 2010

The Towel Pyramid.

And I was the first to use it. The staff at Blue Water Cafe & Raw Bar in Yaletown is as attentive in the restaurant as they are in the restrooms. The Towel Pyramid was rebuilt many times during the night I was there. Coincidence?

Friday, October 29, 2010

Do you see what I see?

Vancouver is webcam mad. Look up towards the right. This webcam is not keeping tabs on the kitchen staff though -- that is what I am for. And I am happy to report no fingers were dipped into any pots at Blue Water Cafe & Raw Bar in Yaletown. When the restaurant first opened images were broadcast online. The quality wasn't good enough so they killed the feed, but kept the webcam.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Has the Opus Hotel gone too far?

The Opus Hotel can definitely be thought of as one sexy place.

Exhibit A. Their closed-circuit system broadcasts lounge images into the restrooms so you can spy with your little eye even when nature calls. I would prefer the system to broadcast images of the restrooms into the lounge so I can see who is washing their hands and who isn't. (This system, BTW, recently caused a CBC TV reporter to say WTF.)

Exhibit B. Webcams above the bed. My husband was seriously excited when he saw what he thought were webcams on the left and right side of the bed. Unlike the CBC reporter, he said WTF when he discovered these nifty gadgets are merely reading lights.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Alleluja!

Thank you Opus Hotel. Pillows that do not end up on the floor during turndown service. My husband agreed, although he wondered whether luggage may have been stored on the rack at some point or other causing cross-contamination from the wheels. Seriously. Why is everyone around me so paranoid?

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Proof it is new.

Some of the rooms at the Opus have just undergone a renovation. You know what that means ... NEW MATTRESSES. Gloriously clean and unspoiled. Even the tag is pristine. This mattress also offered a perfect sleep. Once I removed the bowling pins. Was the perfect sleep due to the coil configuration? Or the lack of stains? In my opinion, both.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Hello Vancouver.

First things, first. Vancouver, British Columbia is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. To live in. And visit. It continually rates highly in Surveys of the People. Visitors to the Capital of Luon -- for those unfamiliar with Luon it is the fabric used to create the most flattering yoga apparel on the planet; known to flatter even the widest bottom; courtesy of Lululemon Athletica. Moving on. In my opinion the best place to stay in Vancouver is the Opus. A boutique hotel in Yaletown. The lighting is right. The toiletries are delicious (smell only; do not consume.) And ... they offer a car service. Which is lovely. The car is super clean. And it takes you where your Louboutins cannot.