Ceci n'est pas une Blog

Work, Work!

Today was my first day working in the kitchen at Baranga's. I plan to make this the one and only time I talk about work, (or this particular job, at least) on a personal level because the idea of this blog is that anyone's welcome to read it. I guess I'm saying there's the possibility that one of my co-workers or employers could read this, however unlikely, so I want to be sensitive to that.

The kitchen runs in a fairly orderly way. The waitresses (referred to always as "the girls") come in bearing armfuls of dirty dishes which they put in a rack on the counter. I'm responsible for making sure there is an empty rack there at all times, or at least enough space for more dishes when they come. I pull the full racks across to my side of the counter and then push them along a track to the sink. Then I spray them spotless. I have to make sure there's nothing left on them, because neglected scraps get baked onto their surfaces when I put the load in the sanitizer. Then I push the full rack into the machine and hit the switch. If there's downtime with the incoming plates and stuff, then I'm supposed to go over to the other sink and scrub the bigger items which have to be done by hand. (Pots, pans, and greasy trays.) Once the sanitizer is finished its cycle, I pull the full rack out the other side and lay the items out to dry. Eventually I have to gather them up and run around looking for their spot. Apparently my supervisor is pretty prickly about things being put away in the wrong place.

Washing dishes on its own isn't very enjoyable. It's tedious, and mind-numbingly repetitive. The only remotely fun part is spraying something clean with the high-powered nozzle. Scrubbing things is my least-favourite part - it's slow, and wet, and dirty. Stray noodles and bits of meat gather in the corners of the primary sink where they float like fetid mold on the brown water's surface. Also, the soap dispenser doesn't work properly, and the tap is too long for the narrow sink, so you can't swing it around with the water running or you'll make a big mess. (Guilty, once or twice.)

But, all complaints aside, a job is a job. The best upside to all this is that my co-workers seem very friendly. I only worked for about 3 and a half hours today, but it seemed much longer because I wasn't talking to anyone. I think this will change soon when I get to know the others in the kitchen, and then the time will go by a lot faster. I hope so, anyway - I don't know how long I'd last if every day was like today, only three times longer. Anyhow, I'm scheduled to work again on Friday and Saturday, starting at 11am.

posted by Dave @ 11:23 PM