Reflect

Disturbed. Can't help feeling sad. Pity? Maybe. Served a customer today, who looked gorgeous-on half his face-the other half seemed it was recovering from a serious burn and had undergone skin grafting. Could not help staring, and could not help noticing that he was starting to get embarrassed. And could not help noticing how good he must have looked before, and then started to think how bad he must have felt at times, over the loss and the treatment of others, and started to feel really bad. Incredible. Then started to think of the possible causes. Home fire? Industrial accident? Arson? Searched the net for some clues, maybe through the news, if the accident was really significant, but nope.

8th week into work. Learnt a few things, about people and life and myself.

1. Customer type
- outright saintly: they thank you for everything, from the stirrer to the extra serviette to returning their change. Chat with you like an old friend, tell you how tired they are and just need that cold drink to cool off.
- the arrogant: ignore you when you greet them. Talk and laugh among themselves when placing order, placing great effort on their ability to multi-talk AND -understand, and showing how plain bad they are at the activity. Take 10 years to decide what they want, from the menu of 12 burgers and 12 beverages and 4 desserts and 4 finger foods, till the caterpillar had moulted and laid eggs and become a grandparent caterpillar, and the bud had blossomed and grown fruit and been eaten and the digested remains dispersed. Well, I just slow down when it's their turn. Time for my breather too.
- downright mean: out to torture. There was this woman who came in with a bunch of school kids. Thought she was the in-charge, cos she was directing their orders to me and advising them on what to eat. Suddenly, she demanded, "so have u printed my order?" "No, mam." She turned fierce," then what do u think I'm standing here for? Huh?! Why didn't you take my order? I thought I've repeated two times? I want turkey HAM!!" Bloody. BTW, you just said it once, so you didn't repeat at all mam. And who ARe YOU? TeachEr? Then why so rude and wanna fight for attention with the kids? or just a passer-by? Then why so kapoh and act like nanny to the children. Woman. Unfanthomable.
-the boisterous: mischievious and amusing. There was this couple who came up and the guy said, "I've only two bucks and I need a regular drink. What can I have?" ..."Ok, but I want that. $2.50 right? How?" and reproduced another dollar. Haha. Thanks for the effort anyways. And not to forget the young bossy lords who come up heads just barely above the counter and boldly order, chests puffed up. "I WANT this this this. And ketchup. How much?!" Straightforward.
- the cheapskate sing style: A customer of today requested for, after his order of a croissant meal, 10 sugar, 10 chilli, 10 creamer, 5 tissue. Wah, bad for health leh. And there was another request by a lady, nope, 3 consecutive times, for 2 cups of hot water, filled to the brim, to fill her waterbottles. But these are rare.

2. Eating Style
- be nice. Use the tray. There is some purpose. For one, it is cleaner. The tables are not always sterilised. Oh well, never lol. Just sanitized. Two, it is easier to clear, for the crew. There was this table full of ketchup and mayo, yucks.

3. Boss' mood
- highly crucial to survival of the day. Wrong start, terrible fate, like late break, OT, more chores like mopping and clearing rubbisk. Dirty work lah. Look out for PMSes and hormonal fluctuations or pimple outbreaks.

4. Not so lazy afterall. Can mope around with a rag looking for oil spots. Good at that lol.