My First Season

Marthen Rorintulus

My guest today and I met at Club Med Ria Bintan in Indonesia in 2001/2002, but his first season was in Club Med Bali as an au pair Mini Club G.O. in Summer of 1998. Everyone, please help me welcome the first Indonesian EXGO to MFS, Marthen! Uncovered during this interview is the fact that Marthen, who was born in Indonesia but now lives in Malaysia, studied French literature at a private university in East Jakarta and I do not think he even mentioned that to me when we worked together the entire year! Marthen worked for Club Med from 1998 to 2011 and worked in many villages in the Asian sector such as Bali, Bintan, Cherating, Phuket, Kabira and Kani. Marthen has stories and recollections from each village, so I hope you enjoy this interview with a very kind and charming man. I asked him to do his “Takashi” impersonation (this will be explained during the interview and check out the video below) and he kindly indulged me. We fondly reminisced over Ria Bintan a little and have a laugh about why the “Swimming Contest” pool game used to freak and stress me out, how impossible it was to win at Janken (rock paper scissors) with Japanese GM’s, trying to outrun the ever-present and noxious, mosquito-spraying truck and the wonder of Korean honeymooners arriving to Bintan dressed exactly the same.  **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora, Podchaser and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

Please check out his Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/marthen_rorintulus/?hl=en

And his YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJFh2sntOrhLLwI4Q0IJ0eQ

You can see Marthen at the .47-second mark doing his Takashi impersonation (Takashi was my amazing Chief of Circus in Ria Bintan).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIzEK2xP-n0

Emily Jensen

My guest today and I have never worked together, but each of us had our first season in Turks and Caicos. Her first season in Club Med Turks and Caicos was in September of 2014 as a Sailing G.O. From Vancouver, please help me welcome to MFS, Emily Jensen! Interestingly, Emily’s father was also a Sailing G.O. in Turks almost twenty-five years ago to the day Emily started working for Club Med. Her uncle Jenner (whom you all know or have heard of as well as her father) also worked in Club Med. Not many G.O’s can say they were conceived in Club Med Paradise Island on their parent’s wedding night, but Emily can, thus proving that she was born to be a G.O! Emily worked for Club Med from 2014 to 2020 and worked in villages such as: Cherating in Malaysia, Phuket in Thailand, Ixtapa and Columbus Isle. Emily’s last season in Turks in 2020 got cut short by Covid and she tells us what that was like. Emily also helped open the first Club Med in Canada in December 2021 in Charlevoix, Quebec and shares that experience with us and how she felt being a Boutique G.O. there after so many years as a Sailing G.O. **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. **And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

And please check her out on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/emjensen9/?hl=en

Dee ”Keri” Nicholson

My guest today and I met in Club Med Cancun in 2004 where I was working and she was a G.M. Her first season, as an au pair, was in Club Med Paradise Island in February of 1986 as a Snorkeling G.O. From Boston, and now living in Arizona, please help me welcome to MFS, Dee “Keri” Nicholson! Keri has a rather unique story as she started working for Club Med straight out of high school. She received a trip to Club Med St. Lucia in December of 1985 as a graduation gift from her mother, the week it opened no less. But after a few minor setbacks from the opening week, the guests were offered a free stay at another CM resort. That is how Keri found herself as an au pair in Paradise Island. Keri’s Club Med stories sound like they are straight out of 80’s disaster movies as well: A huge tropical storm hit Paradise Island in 1986 flooding the theater pit with fish! Another storm hit Club Med Playa Blanca the Summer of 1986, sinking all the boats, and the 1987 5.9 magnitude Whittier Narrows earthquake aftershocks were felt all the way in Club Med Sonora Bay where Keri was a Snorkeling/Silk Screen Arts G.O. Keri also had the fortune of working for the greatest Chief of Sports ever (and one of my most favorite people in the world), Hansel Moss! In February of 2002, Keri also worked in the Club Med Sales office in Scottsdale, Arizona. After Club Med, Keri pulled a Van Wilder and attended both Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University for several years, with a double B.A. in Art & History with five (count ‘em five) minors! She later then obtained a Master’s degree in English history. **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to (and add-free)and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. . And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

Please check out her YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9k3YaIdIETaubDhauOd04A

 

 

 

 

G.o. Nzo

My guest today and I have never worked together before, but we did meet at the EXGO Reunion 2 in Cancun in 2008. His first season was in Club Med Cancun in October of 1999 as a Snorkeling G.O. Please help me welcome, from Mexico City, the one and the only, G.o Nzo! Before Club Med, G.o Nzo was working part time in the day and going full-time to Intercontinental University (UIC) from 4:00pm to 10:00pm. He was going at this pace for roughly 6 years (without a vacation) and when the chance came to work for Club Med, he took it and never looked back. G.o Nzo worked for Club Med from 1999 to 2002 and worked in the villages of Punta Cana, Sonora Bay and Ixtapa. He worked as a Snorkeling, Archery and Sailing G.O. and has quite the stories to share. G.o Nzo shares a snorkeling trip anecdote from his first season and a rather humorous story that involves getting stung by a jellyfish in Sonora Bay in the mouth, but outside of the water (you have to hear it to believe it!). We recorded this episode with G.o Nzo from Mexico City, and if you did not know, Mexico City is the most populous city in North America (and quite likely the loudest), so you will hear a lot of sounds! **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review on Apple podcasts.

Please check him out on Instagram and give him a follow: 

https://www.instagram.com/g.o.nzo/

Cory DeCoteau

My guest today and I worked together in Club Med Paradise Island during the Winter 2002/2003 season, but his first season was in Club Med Sandpiper in February of 2001 as a Golf G.O. Originally from Vermont and now living in Indianapolis, please help me welcome, Cory DeCoteau! Cory got into golf at 10 years old because it was the family business: his parents managed a golf course. Later on, Cory played golf at a Division II university called Mercyhurst in Erie, Pennsylvania and then attended the Golf Academy of America in Orlando, Florida. Cory worked for Club Med from 2001-2005 and even went to one of my favourite villages, Club Med Ria Bintan in Indonesia, and of course we talk about our shared experience in Asia. As you can imagine, Cory has amassed lot of stories along the way and he does not hold back. Granted, his funniest stories involve injuring himself in some way, but they are worth a listen! One funny story takes place in 2002 in Cancun during a “High Potential” (hi-pot) team-building weekend that involves Cory and a once-in-a-million occurrence that I do not want to say anymore for fear of spoiling the story. And needless to say, we both think that “Caddyshack” is the greatest golf movie ever! **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to. My First Season is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. *And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

Patricia ”Patchy” Peixoto

I thought I knew my guest a little when we worked together in Club Med Cancun in 2004/2005 (where she was the Choreographer), but as it turns out, I did not know her at all. Her first season was in 1996 in Club Med Rio das Pedras as a Waterski G.O. You know her, you love her, please help me welcome, Patchy!! Patchy had quite the interesting life before Club Med, to put it very mildly. You may not know that Patchy did Equestrian Vaulting (please Google it) for ten years and went to four World Championships all over Europe. If that wasn’t amazing enough, she has an Engineering degree from Escola de Engeharia Maua in Brazil! Patchy worked in many villages from 1996 to 2005: Itaparica, Huatulco, Paradise Island, Punta Cana, Crested Butte, St, Lucia and Kani in the Maldives. And, she even did a season as a Sailing G.O before she switched to Choreographer. We cover most if not all her seasons in Club Med and she has many funny and interesting stories to tell. Please enjoy this episode with the amazing Patchy!

**My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to. My First Season is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

Please check her out on Instagram and give her a follow:

https://www.instagram.com/patppeixoto/

 

 

Ece Tepedelenli

My very special guest today and I met in Club Med Bodrum, Turkey in the Summer of 1999 in what was my first season as a Chief of Sports and her first season as a Kayak G.O. From Ankara, Turkey and now living in Montreal, Quebec (and no, she did not follow me here!), please help me welcome the amazing Ece! Before Club Med, Ece (who speaks four languages) was studying French in Bilkent University while pursuing a degree in Translation and Interpretation when she first heard about Club Med from the father of the son that she was tutoring. She applied, had her interview in Istanbul and was sent to Bodrum at just 18 years old (and not 17 ½ years old as was mentioned in the interview). Even though Ece was a “Kayak G.O.” that is not what she thought she was going to be doing. This is one of the most hilarious and confusing 1st season stories you will ever hear and I am so grateful that I was witness to it, so no spoilers, please listen!! After Bodrum, Ece switched to Excursions and worked in the villages of Foca, Kusadsi and Palmiye. After Club Med, Ece put her translation skills to work for various human rights organizations and NGO’s as well as law firms and for-profit corporations. Ece was also hired as a translator in Turkey’s office of the United Nations and currently has her own translation company. If you need high-quality translation and proofreading services in English, French or Turkish, please visit her website (please see link below). **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

Translation | Freelance Translator | Canada (ecetranslator.com)

And please check out her Instagram and giver her a follow:

Ece Tepedelenli (@ece_tp) | Instagram

 

Dan Beeman

My guest today and I have never met, but we do have 56 mutual friends on Facebook. His first season was in Club Med Sandpiper in October of 1991 as a Mini Club Scuba G.O. Originally from Chicago and now living in the Golden State, please help me welcome, Dan Beeman! Dan flew from Chicago to New York for his interview with Club Med and because he had taken a Scuba course in school, he was offered the Mini Club position in Sandpiper. Eventually Dan became a Scuba instructor while still working in Club Med. As you can imagine, he has many funny stories and he shares them with us in this episode. Before Club Med, Dan was an Airborne Paratrooper in the US Army stationed in Germany. He has a Masters of Hospitality degree from UNLV where he studied tourism with a specialization in Sustainable Tourism. Dan is also a pickleball ambassador for Head, USA Pickleball and the International Pickleball Federation Ambassador in California, Mexico and the Caribbean. And because of his love for the sport of pickleball, Dan also wrote an award-winning, buddy comedy screenplay called “Pickleballs!-The Movie”. Please visit his website (see link below) which has links to the two books he wrote and it is here you can see pictures of the famous “Pickle Palace”, a luxury, turnkey bed and breakfast that he owns in Palm Desert, California. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. 

https://danbman.com/?fbclid=IwAR2KhHXn63PDkrWaa2TP6UyxtV6PZsU4Zp_ds162ZFxkzZHjQw4fsGnRCpA

 

Jessi Weeks

My guest today and I have never met but her first season was in Club Med Sandpiper in February of 2007 as a Mini Club G.O. Please help me welcome, from London, Ontario (and not England as I discovered), Jessi Weeks! Jessi was going to Fanshawe College in Ontario and she applied to Club Med on a student contract to satisfy her Co-op requirements for College. Jessi had her Club Med interview in the most Canadian of all places, you guessed it, a Tim Horton’s! Jessi held many positions during her time in Club Med from 2007-2016: Mini Club/Teen Club, Boutique, Landsports, Lifeguard Supervisor, Animation Manager, and Animation/Sports Manager. She even worked in the ski village of Club Med Yabuli, China from November 2014 to March 2015 (and yes, we will talk about that experience). Jessi is an amazing singer, so we cover her musical influences and how she got into singing. Jessi also helps me introduce a new segment to MFS called, “Harmonize with Hannah”. She has too many stories to cover in only 45 minutes, but we did have time to talk about hosting the tour group "Olivia" for 2 weeks in Punta Cana, being terrorized by wild monkeys in Cherating, Malaysia, to having emergency appendicitis surgery in the Dominican Republic without a translator, and to having to play charades to communicate with the Chinese G.M’s in Club Med Yabuli, China. **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM and Listen Notes.

Please check out her Instagram and give her a follow!

https://www.instagram.com/jessi_canadian_traveller/

Sabrina Fagen

My very special guest today and I met in Columbus Isle in Winter of 2000, but her first season was in Club Med Paradise Island in October of 1997 as a Reception G.O. From my hometown of Montreal, please help me welcome the amazing and funny Sabrina Fagen! Sabrina heard about Club Med from her parents who were frequent guests, so she decided to apply in 1997. Sabrina worked about 3 ½ years in Club Med and has many stories to tell. One of them involves a tongue piercing gone awry in Ixtapa on her day off and she shares her thoughts on what it was like working at the Club Med in Cuba during the 1999/2000 Winter season. Sabrina and I also share the same feelings whenever we see a FedEx truck in the neighbourhood-meaning that we have a Pavlovian response because we think the truck is bringing us our plane tickets (old school G.O.’s will understand the reference!). We also cover her favourite crazy signs, La Charanga, Gala-Freed from Desire and Mila. During her time in Club Med, Sabrina worked at the Reception, Mini-Club, Landsports/Fitness and Sailing. She also explains her reasons for wanting to transition from the Mini Club to Sailing. And lastly, we get to hear her recollection of the Jay Tighe, Sabrina & Greg "fence story" from Columbus 2000! **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes.