As a writer, the people I met in Las Vegas impressed me with their friendliness. I’ll remember them and might use some of their characteristics in my writing. At The Fashion Show Mall close to our hotel, I met three young women at a kiosk who became instant friends. Kate from the Philippines, Helen and Suja from Korea The three are around 30 years old, and took care of me when I had walked the ten miles on the strip in 115 degree heat and dragged myself through the air-conditioned mall on my way back to the hotel. They noticed I was over-heated, sat me in one of their chairs, Helen rushed to get me a glass of water, and they chatted with me until I cooled down. A couple of afternoons, I returned to the mall to have lunch at the food court and stopped by for visits with my three new friends.
At Caesar’s Casino, Mitchell and I met Michael who told us about what shows to see while we were in town. We ran into him again on another day and it was like seeing an old friend. I have to admit, one day I wanted to see the statues that perform by the huge aquarium at Caesar’s. I became lost and asked for directions several times, inevitably ending up where I began. A woman selling skin care products at a kiosk noticed my confusion, invited me to sit down, and told me tips about navigating the sections of the huge casino. We traded business cards and intend to keep in touch.
My favorite casino/hotel is New York. Winding streets with delicatessens, restaurants and little shops decorated like the ones we’d find on the streets in New York are quaint and fun, like a setting in a novel. In the photo above, I’m waiting for Mitchell to take a ride on the roller coaster.
Mitchell’s sister and family live in New Jersey and didn’t know we were in Vegas. We texted photos in the New York Casino and had her guess where we were. This Greenwich Village coffee cup puzzled her but she didn’t fall for the idea we were actually in New York.
Back at our hotel, I took notes about the people and settings to use later for stories. Since we have a Hilton timeshare, we were given a suite free for our stay at the Trump Towers which is now owned by Hilton. The shuttle driver from the airport pretended he wouldn’t take us to the Trump Towers. I convinced him we were there because it was free, not for political reasons. He gave us a broad smile and let us on board. (Timeshares offer free days if owners go for an hour presentation on what’s new so we might upgrade.)
Julaina Kleist-Corwin
Editor of Written Across the Genres
Author of Hada’s Fog
