New "Clutch that Matey!" III

Hmm.

Man. Wrok today was probably the most exhaustive experience EVER. I came to work, expecting to have a small bite before commencing work. To my surprise, I had to immediately jump into clearing tables, topping up food items, entertaining customers who needed change for internet usage etc. To my even bigger surprise, my full-time colleague who normally works mornings informed me that another colleague of mine who is supposed to be working is absent. Hmm.

Ok, to make matters clearer... colleague present is L. Let me give you guys a low-down on what L is like. L is an early 50's spinster who is a point of controversy and politics at work. Her shoddy work ethics and tendency to get on one's nerves are due to the following:

1. She would tell you to do a task or job which she is most capable of doing, but she is just too lazy/self-assuming in her own superior position as 'senior waitress'.
2. She would do a task halfway and leave it do attend to other business. When attempting to complete it for her, she would chastise the person for 'looking down on her'. She will eventually abandon it and someone would complete it for her anyway.
3. When an urgent task needs doing, in the event that she is free, she would do something else of a lesser urgency, leaving someone to rush and do it. When task is complete, she would 'add-on'. Like replenishing of butter. After adding the butter, she will 'add some more'.
4. She is completely unable to get along with alot of people. This adds to political tension within the working environment and therefore alot of working difficulties. Troublesome lah.

Right.

So I worked alongside L, waiting for my other colleague S to arrive and lend us a hand, and hopefully get that small bite I needed to function properly because the work was pretty tough. So there I was clearing tables as usual when S came, and she proceeded to help us. However, I felt as though my workload did not decrease. In addition to clearing tables, topping up food and entertaining customers, I had to go and chase the cooks for more food (due to L's inability to get along with one of the cooks, resulting in the cook ignoring her request for more food), top up the food myself.

Amidst all that bustle, I saw L sitting there peacefully counting cash from the cash counter while I was swaeting it out clearing the cafeteria tables for the 3rd time in 1 hour. It's no small feat I tell you... imagine 17 tables with at least 1/3 of the tables requiring clearing at any one time. Then when you have the big families coming in, you get to clear tables which are picturesque of London during the blitz.

Food everywhere, chairs askew, cutlery hanging off the edge of the tables. You name it, I had to be there to clear it in a heartbeat. Naturally I had a cup of coffee to keep my senses working.

However, despite my ability to clear and wipe a normal table clean within 1 min, I soon realised the magnitude of the various tasks requirin my attention. I had to add more milk to the jug for the cereal. I had to add more milk for the coffee station. I had to do hot milk for the pesky mainland china woman whose cereal was groaning under a heavy dosage of sugar. Milk this, milk that, milk every-fucking-where!

Not to mention L's voice ringing out every now and then: 'Errik can you go and get (something she would have to chase the cook in the kitchen for)? Thanks'

This whole menagerie went on until 10am, when the breakfast crowd slowly thinned down. By then I was having mixed feelings of fatigue, annoyance, gratefulness and resignation to the fact that I had experienced the penultimate effects of working with L and S during breakfast time. Let me talk abit more about S.

S is a girl of my age who has finished her 'N' Levels and is currently waiting for her nursing semester to start. In the meantime, she is a full-time waitress at the YMCA, and also a part-time cashier at some Cheers outlet. A very admirable person who is currently the sole bread-winner of her home, S is this cheerful, easy-to-get-along person who:

1. mainly speaks in mandarin, but she sometimes cracks jokes which completely go over my head. Cue my canned laughter and the obligatory half-grin.
2. has somewhat poor oral hygiene. Speaking to her from a safe distance of half-a-metre is best to avoid the ever-present morning breathe.
3. chews very loudly when eating. It's disturbing somewhat, especially when seated next to her during meal-times.
4. is currently involved in a cold war with a supervisor at work. Since I'm very friendly with both parties, I have tried to make peace, but as is the case between extremely stubborn women, the situation needs a good trashing out in girly fashion (in my opinion), whatever that requires.
5. has difficulty focussing on the task at hand. She will procrastinate or just stare at a table waiting to be cleared.. with the excuse of 'wondering what to do first'. Bah.

But whatever happened today, I know that it was not easy to do so much work by myself. I was literally flying in and out of the kitchen area clearing trolley-loads of dirty plates, replenishing food items and cutlery and plates, doing miscellaneous things which were meant to keep the place afloat.

I'm just very tired and rant-happy. If you have read everything this far.. well congratultions on your patience... you're just like what I had to be this morning.


Cheers,

Crawldaddy