Hello.  My name is John.  I was born at a home for unwed mothers on a foggy hilltop in San Francisco, and later rescued from foster care by two of the kindest, funniest people you could ever meet.  They gave me a new name and a second chance.  We migrated to Los Angeles in a station wagon when I was four years old.   I grew up just a few blocks away from where Marilyn Monroe’s body was found -- somewhere in the suburban limbo land of Brentwood, which is not quite Beverly Hills or Bel Air, but people thought we were rich anyway.   My early formal education took place in a Catholic grammar school with stern nuns dressed in billowy black, and later at an all-boy high school with sinister Jesuit priests.  As a result, I am not a very religious person, though I do still believe in God and an Afterlife without traffic.

Centuries ago, during The College Years, I double-majored in both German and English literatures, spent my junior year abroad studying at the University of Vienna, and, during a most surreal senior year, eloped with a hip Japanese woman who still makes me laugh to this very day.  After graduating in the rain in Portland, I and my beloved flew off to live in her hometown of Tokyo for many years.  We also started a family.  I attended a university there to immerse myself -- body and soul -- into the Japanese language and culture.  I became obsessed with all things Japanese.  I even wished that I could blend in and pass as a Japanese person; but tragically, with my Caucasian looks and supposed resemblance to the late John Ritter, such was not to be.  I worked mainly as a translator in Japan, but also managed to form a band, get a record contract, and release a CD of my original songs.  Yes, I was a rock star for a few seconds on the other side of the world.  Or so I like to think.

Later, with my wife and two kids in tow, I returned to Los Angeles hoping to make it for real in the music world.  But rock star jobs were far and few between at the time, so I decided to look for something where I could use my German and Japanese language skills, work with people, observe wacky human nature, constantly learn, and feel alive.  I landed that very job -- as a concierge at the beautiful, historic Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.  What a magical, intriguing gig!  I was hooked.  I eventually became the Chef Concierge and felt like an expert in all things Downtown.  But being in the same place for almost 11 years eventually wore me down.  The Biltmore came to feel like the Titanic to me.  I needed a change.  I wanted to learn new things.

In November of 2006, I started working as a concierge for the Ritz Carlton in Marina del Rey.  What a different world – quite the luxurious oasis, of course, yet so genuinely warm and welcoming, with ocean breezes and energetic dance music seeping into the main lobby.  (It’s fun to bob to the beat at my desk when no one’s looking).  The Ritz is a place where employees are known as Ladies and Gentlemen, problems are called opportunities, and everyone is empowered to give guests the very best service.  There’s no red tape here.  With the help of my superhuman colleagues, Michelle Gilley and Amanda Kinsley, I feel like I can make anything happen for our guests.

Of the many vendors we work with, I especially like Elite Adventure Tours.  I know I can count on Tony and his incredible team to give our guests the most fun and innovative tours.  As with the Ritz, there’s no red tape to muddle through, no complications.  Their tours –from start to finish – are seamless.  I am also excited about the new and extremely unique tour they are offering.  It’s called the Nellie Oleson Tour featuring Alison Arngrim, who played the nasty Nellie Oleson on the TV classic Little House on the Prairie.  I met her at our recent LACA meeting.  She was hilarious AND spewed out delicious tale after tale about her own personal experiences in Hollywoodland.  Her tour promises to be a big hit.