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A great little town
Entry 29 of 155 | show all | print this entry |
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When I have a plan I try to stick to it. That's why, as I mentioned on the previous entry, I went out to find a part time job the very next day and found one. I was instantly hired at a restaurant at Mondragó Beach as a cashier. I didn't tell the owner this, but he hired a person who's always been a complete idiot when it comes to numbers.
Nonetheless I showed up for work the next day thinking it couldn't be that bad. I mean how hard can it be to keep track of the orders in a computer, print out the checks and give back change? I was in for an awful surprise.
Most of the 6 hours I worked I was on the verge of tears at the screw ups and miscalculations I made. It seems easy theoretically, but keeping the cash register balanced, having to calculate added value taxes and making sure I was charging the correct things to the correct table when there are more than 150 people seated at the restaurant, was an overwhelming task on my first day.
I came home that day and held my cell phone in my hand for more than an hour trying to decide if I should call the owner to tell him I wasn't coming back. Finally I decided I would give it another shot to see if I could really pull it off.
The second day wasn't as bad but my screw ups with the cash register were still ever-present and I got barked at by the manager a few times. He was, of course, right to do so since the cash coming into any establishment is the only thing that matters at the end of the day. If the numbers don't add up by the end of the day then all eyes would rightfully be on me. I think the manager was more stressed than I was but was nice enough to give me a pep talk, telling me that I had to trust myself and believe I could do the job properly.
So today was my third day and overall, I think I did pretty well. The manager told me so as well and added I would have to keep it up, especially when the weekend days come when the restaurant is put on full throttle. The pay isn't that good so the only thing that keeps me there is that I work only 6 hours, from 1pm to 7pm, enabling me to have the mornings free to go to the beach or sleep in and the nights off to work in The Cave on weekends....even though I'm not given any days off....which seems to be a common thing here in the island.
My family is coming in on Saturday and it'll be hard not being able to spend the entire day with them as I had planned. I keep having to remind myself that I'm not here on vacation, but it's so hard being in this island with its beautiful beaches and its hot sun and not being able to lay in the sand like a lizard all day. The people I've met and the place I've seen so far have made my stay so far very enjoyable, even if the working situation doesn't really suit me.
We'll see what happens from here on with this new job. If it doesn't work out then I'll find something else. Ed is still working in Varadero where he is growing accustomed to the rhythm of things and actually enjoys going to work sometimes. He shaved his head in the hopes of maybe cheating the sun from its harsh effects and apparently it's worked. He says he feels much fresher and he also looks very good, although he is still very thin.
Ed's dad arrived in Porto Petro yesterday in the hopes of pursuing a career left interrupted by mishaps in Buenos Aires. I visited him yesterday at Bernie's, where he's staying, and he seemed happy to be here even though his flight was a complete nightmare. Bernie and I drove him around Porto Petro and Cala d'Or to show him the sights. He was pleased with what he saw and I bet a breath of fresh air from the obliviousness of Buenos Aires has already done him good.
Since Ross left for Ibiza this morning to Dj at some of the clubs there, I am left without my free-time companion. Yesterday evening for example we borrowed Oliver's scooter, the German chef, and drove around for a few hours watching the sun go down (Ross just slut-watched). He seemed like a boy with a new Christmas toy and he even tried to convince Oliver into selling him the scooter without succeeding. After returning the bike, we stayed for some late night beers at Oliver's place with Bettina, his charming girlfriend. His terrace upon the sea is to die for. If he wants a dip in the ocean all he has to do is climb the stone steps from his terrace into the water. And the view is staggering.
So all in all, even though I've inserted myself back into the job routine, there is nothing dull about the routine of living in Porto Petro. Even though it's a small town, there are always things to do, people to see, places to go, and new circumstances to deal with.
Yeap....far from dull.
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