1st week
I waited for Jennifer-my friend and the two of us are both assigned in the pantry-that morning. We were asked to come 10:30am and told us not to be late. We were both so nervous because we don't what was stored for us. We entered the establishment and a warm greetings welcome us both. The assistant kitchen supervisor assigned me in the Bar whilst Jen was in the pantry. I'm a a bit disappointed because I want both us to be assigned in the same station. But I reckon, it is for the best. I was introduced to Sir Bien, the head of the bar. He is a regular employee there and he is the queen of the Max's Bar! :) Anyway, he immediately told me to be familiarized as soon as possible because he wanted to me to learn fast. I said, I'm a slow learner sorry. Then he said, "that's okay bebe, (bebe is like a term of endearment inside the Max's Restaurant and I am actually comfortable with it, it's like they're so malambing) we're going to slow down, but be sure to learn something!" I just nodded and let the reality come to me. My mind was floating. I just can't believe I'm an official practicumer of Max's Restaurant! Then Sir Bien broke my thoughts. "Be, sa lahat ng station dito sa Max's, dito sa Bar ang pinaka madali." I was able to meet kuya warren, kuya don and ate rona. Their contracts in Max's were going to expire so I'm a bit sad I wasn't able to know them more. Sir Bien taught me the standard slices of red and green jelly. How to portion the ingredients. He also told me to wrote down the stardand measurement of all the products and their expiration dates. He said I have to memorized them. I met my friend inside the Bar. It's the mini timbangan. I called this week an adjusting week because I have to adjust. REALLY. I mean, it's not easy for me. At first. Sir Bien even got irritated to me when I sliced the red jelly wrong. It makes me feel so bad because that only means I'm not doing a good job. But what I learned was, Experience is the best teacher. And you won't make mistake after mistake ever again. That was what happened. I don't wanna disappoint him so every time I rode a bus, I reviewed my "lectures". So far, I think I know how to portion Halo Halo. Sigh. This week is very tiring. Yet, I've learned many things.
2nd week
A very tiring week. But I guess, I'm improving. In the morning shift, I'm with Sir Bien and in the pm shift I'm with Kuya Don. I had a three days mid-shift and it was exhausting me. It was my VERY VERY first time to go home 11 in the PM. Yes, that late. My granny told to begged to my supervisor to make alter in my schedule but our schedule is already there and we can't change it. Actually, I was always excited to go home that late. The weather ain't that bad and the traffic wasn't that bad also. And I always have this love for night lights. I feel like I am really working for my family... and I feel like I'm already a grown-up. Ha ha. This week, I already mastered doing the shakes and standard cut of the garnishes. I'm also improving doing Dessert Sampler. I found the easiest step to do it. I also slowly memorized the standard weight of the buco meat, green jelly, watermelon, green and red mango, melon and a lot more. Less than 3 days to go and Chad will soon show up. We will be the new partners in the Bar.
3rd week
I was so shocked. Ma'am Jo assigned me in the pantry this week which I like, not. It was so hot in there and it took me an hour or two before I can prepare all the ingredients of lumpia wrapper and make it. Jen was assisting me, but if you aint really interested on what you are doing, whatever you do, you can't do it properly. I badly want to go back to the Bar again. It was my original place. But now that Chad is here, they had to place me in the pantry. How sad. In the midst of the week, something happened. And I felt really, really, really bad for myself. Honestly, I know that I'm a crybaby. But the worst thing you can advice to any people is to stop crying. You know why there are a lot of men committing suicide than women? Because men doesn't express their feelings. They won't let it out. They just hide it inside. So yeah, to cut the story short I cried because someone hurt my feelings. I was totally didn't plan to cry in front of everyone. But I just couldn't hold the tears back anymore. So I cried. The best thing about it is, I learned. And he knows now how to limit his words. Anyway, I was so shocked because there are so many people this Sunday. And it is because of Mother's Day!! A lot of people showed up. I found out that 12:00 noon up to 2:00pm and 6:00pm up to 8:30 is the peak hours in Max's. It was a very exhausting week. I'm even too tired to write.
4th week
I was kinda sad because Kuya Don's contract expired last week and there are only three of us in the bar. But Sir Bien is now training Kuya Arjay so he can replace Sir Bien on his day-off. And it was fun because I can move around the Bar now, I'm totally enjoying it.
5th week
Finally after two weeks I'm out in the pantry! I'm officially back in the Bar and my schedule is now permanent. 1:oopm up to closing, which means Chad and I are always together! Yay. I have someone to talked to, I have a friend to hang out in the middle of the night. There are times that we stopped to buy fries in Mcdo before going home. And Chad and I make the best team in the bar. We really exert extra efforts just to do the order and make sure it won't be late. Sometimes we talked anything under the sun especially in lean hours. We also talked and joked with the other casual and regular employees especially when they need to drink water. It's really fun to bond with them. The nicest people ever. Sometimes me and Chad find ourselves fighting because of a lot of stupid reasons. But the end of the day, we'll just find ourselves happily laughing with each other. Friendships can't be broken by stupid reasons. We built it up, we will take care of it and make beautiful memories together.
6th week
Two new comers came this week. A casual and an OJT like us. But she's different.(I mean the OJT girl) She has to complete 1,800 hours. OMG! That's like... 6 or 8 months? She's from Leyte and has a very cute and funny Visayan accent. It's our 6th week here and the five of us decided to count our remaining days so we know when is the exact date of our endo. And I begin to feel sad. I just couldn't picture out US in the school anymore. I just wanna be stuck here waiting for the orders, making their orders and making sure they are happy drinking it. I feel like a professional Barista already. He he. I'm kidding. Anyway, Father's day may be the most busiest holiday we encountered. Morning till evening non-stop work. They even posted "No break muna." in the clock. The CSA's and waiter only had one hour break. But I still had my two hours break. The Father's day was the famous holiday ever. I even had to make my favourite Buco Pandan dessert as fast as I could so we won't be "kamote" if the guest order per tables. Sigh. Just great they order 3 per table which means 30 buco pandan desserts. Exciting right?
7th week
So basically, we just do whatever we are doing everyday. Nothing exciting happened. But I'm going to miss my friend in the bar, my little "timbangan" and I will basically miss everything. From the sexy glasses up to the glass rack. From copying the beginning inventory up to ending inventory. I will miss the chiller, freezer and my favourite sink. From the bonding moments with Kuya Arjay up to the most funniest moments with Sir Bien. I started to feel sad, really. And it shows. Sir Bien told me not to be sad because life is really like that. It's natural to leave. We have to go to school because it's an opportunity and we're lucky so I don't have to be sad. Sigh. I better do yummy buco pandan desserts next week.
8th week.
We started taking pictures from sago gulaman, buco pandan, dessert sampler, shakes, halo halo up to the people of Max's Restaurant. Guess what? I've got no day-off. I sacrifice it because I definitely gonna miss the loving people of Max's. And Because of the sadness creeping on me, I've done so many stupid mistakes. Seems like I'm back from the very first day I've started. He he. People noticed my sadness and seems like they're sad because we are all leaving too. So yesterday, and that's Monday was our last day. When I reached the establishment I feel like okay, I'm here now. I'm not gonna be sad. I'm gonna smile. You are just leaving temporary. You're gonna be back one week after so don't over act. But when I reached the door I feel the tears in my eyes. I WILL MISS THIS RESTAURANT! This has been like my second home since April. This is where I ate my lunch, this is where I met the greatest people I know, this is where I learned so many many many things, facts and realities school can't offer. Everyone is like, we're gonna miss you like crazy and I'm like, oh please don't be like that! I'm gonna start tearing up again. Sigh. The day was like a bullet train. It goes by so fast. I was touched because they all hugged me and wish us all the best. Thanked us for the memories and told us to study hard and come back. Do not ever forget coming back, keep a level head, stay grounded and always keep in mind that we must continue our studies because someday it will be our most precious "weapon" in the future battle of our lives. (I hope I'm making sense here.) After our shift they showered us water like a blessing because finally we graduated. It brings tears to my eyes fortunately the water covered up the stream of tears dropping from my eyes. Life is continually amazing, let's go FIGHTING!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would be very thoughtless if I did not thank everyone who helped and supported me for all the trials and challenges that came to my life as a practitioner.
My Father who have been there since the day I've decided to go and submit a resume to Max's Restaurant. Thank you for all the encouragements and advices. Thank you so much for the allowances.
My friends who also been there to be with me. Only few people are lucky enough to be with their BFF through good and bad times and I'm one of the luckiest person in the world.
Thank You so much to my mentor, the queen of the Max's Restaurant-Trinoma Bar, Sir Bien. He who have been patient and kind for teaching me and guiding me around the Bar. Thank you for being our mother. Thank you for all the advises and all the lessons you taught to us that we will never learn in school. Thank you for being the main reason why we enjoyed staying and working at Max's Restaurant-Trinoma. Thank you for making us a better person.
Most of all, I will never ever never forget to thank you God, for giving us the strength, the courage and all the skills me need. Thank you for showering us blessings and thank you because you've helped us pass these challenges.
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