Introduction

BEEEEEEP!  Why do alarm clocks make such an irritating noise? My eyes slowly opened as I rolled over to see the digital numbers on the clock reading 5:15 a.m. Eventually, I peeled myself out of bed and jumped into the shower. The first day of the show was finally here. The more I thought about it, the more excited I became. My hair was done, makeup on and I was dressed in my neatly ironed outfit. I grabbed my bag, put on my boots and long black coat and took one last look in the mirror before leaving the hotel room.

It was 7 a.m. when we arrived and there were people in suits everywhere. The mess that seemed to cover the hall a day earlier was gone. The hustle and bustle had started. The smell of doughnuts and coffee filled the air.  I could hear the buzz of people talking and cell phones ringing. People were moving swiftly throughout the lobby, grabbing coffee, registering for the show and mingling.

I turned the corner to the entrance of the hall and a radiance of red caught my eye. It was as if our booth was glowing and I felt proud to be part of it.

There were different exhibits scattered everywhere, but none of them could compare to the Oracle booth. One had a café where you could grab coffee made to order; another had a stage where the winners of America’s Best Dance crew from MTV were performing every hour. The entire room was filled with signs and banners. After getting over my initial shock, I took a deep breath and thought to myself, “Here we go!”

Advertisement