1. Carrying big, heavy and what’s worse hot things.
2. Telling all the old ladies from each other to be able to give them the right dishes for they all look the same, dress the same and sound the same.
3. Remembering everything they teach me.
For starters, let’s go back a couple of days. Leaving home. One word: TERRIBLE. Luckily it got better very soon, sooner than I thought. I haven’t been feeling homesick at all yet. On the aeroplane I sat next to a very annoying-seeming guy who was a couple of years older than me. He was sitting with a woman whom I assumed to be his sister (it couldn’t have been his girlfriend???) They kept arguing over money. I spent the 2 hours and 50 minutes in some sort of not-sleeping-yet-not-awake state. From Gatwick I took the train to Worthing, following a nice old couple who told me where to get off. I later realised it would have been really easy to tell anyway. Then I got in a taxi, the driver spoke so bloody fast I didn’t understand a thing, he might have said I’ll be sound in Chatsworth. Once I stepped into the hotel (actually even before that, on the stairs) everyone was being so nice to me. “D’you need a hand with your machine gun?” The man was talking a about my guitar and helped me carry it. The first taste of the British politeness.
So here I am, sitting in my own little room. It’s meant for the hotel staff so it’s definitely not luxurious but it’s alright. I need to tidy it up myself a little bit when I’m not this tired. They told me I’m the only girl on the 2nd floor, however, I’ve only met my next door neighbour, Carlos. He’s a kitchen porter and Spanish. I was hoping for Spanish neighbours but he’s a bit old, haha. I think he’s on the computer outside of his room in the corridor again for apparently he hasn’t got a functioning WiFi in his room. Lucky me! From my window I have a lovely (you should know I’m sarcastic) view to a parking lot where the Union Jack patterned double-deckers are left to rest every night. I can hear the seagulls and smell the sea so I know I’m on the seaside. I like to keep the window open so the room stays fresher, gotta love the wall-to-wall carpet. I can hear the cars, music floating from other people’s windows (right now it’s Adele, someone seems to be feeling blue, Someone Like You is playing for the second time in the last 15 minutes), and what’s best, I hear British people. The thing is, 90% of the staff are not local. Even the two managers are of foreign background and their English is broken. One of them is Spanish so that will certainly do but, to be honest, I’d rather be told what to do in an authentic British accent so I could catch it. I have fellow workers from Poland, France, Brazil and Spain. And one English lad. ONE. He said I sound like I’d been living in Cambridge for ten years. I don’t know whether that’s good or bad. He says it’s good, though. All of them are very friendly and got sense of humour, which is a relief. But for now everyone’s just “trying to be British” (or not) and making fun about being British, just like myself: “LOVELY, INNIT BRUV?” I’d like to get to know locals so bad but I guess the time will come later… I’m staying positive.
The work is hard. It would absolutely kill you if the fellow staff weren’t so nice. This is my third day and I’ve already gone through three breakfast services and two dinner services. In the morning I get up before six and work till twelve. In the evening we work from six to ten. It’s difficult to get more than six hours of sleep. It’s the same routine every day. Between the two shifts I have spare time, but for now I’ve been so exhausted I’ve barely left my room unless I wanted to go to the toilet. It’s not that I don’t want to, but it’s physically impossible. On the first day I took a short walk to the beach, which is only about 100 meters away cause I had to get at least some idea about where I am. Then I found a Tesco and bought something to eat in the mornings so I wouldn’t have to work for 5 hours with an empty stomach — the staff gets to eat AFTER the breakfast service. I also bought a Company Magazine for £1, in Finland you have to pay 5,30€! Madness. I’m looking forward to my first day off so I can do some exploring. There are still so many things that need to be taken care of, mostly paperwork and shit. But what I really need is a decent night’s sleep. Please, thank you!
I'll get back to you,
Vilma
Ed Sheeran - This City
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