SO today is the end of my first job, EVER. I DID IT! Having a part-time (this is a full-time job though, so let's consider it a summer job lol) job before I turn 22! Now there're just a few dozens more things on that random list to do before next year hur-hur.
(I can't find the list now for some weird reasons. Oh well.)
Anyway, I feel obliged to write a little reflection of my short-lived career as a waiter at HOTDOT Cafe & Bar. As always, this is gonna be a rambling and really random post as it goes on.
I've wanted to have a job since like forever, back when I was in secondary school when I just want to gain that little bit of financial independence and was almost ready to become like a newspaper delivery boy or something. I even wrote an article on some outdated software and sent it to my favourite technology magazine hoping that they will publish it, which of course nicely told me that the software was outdated and there were already tutorials for whatever I was writing about lol. It's just like the desire to wear glasses as a kid (when my vision was still perfect) or ride the motorcycle as a teenager/young adult. I've realised that the fight to get something is much more interesting and worthwhile than the achievement itself, most of the time. This job, too. But unlike glasses that I can just take off and go for a lasik surgery, motorcycle that I can just refuse to ride and ride the bus instead (albeit not the best choice in Hanoi), a job is something that eventually I would have to get in order to survive. And all the plus-plus that come alone with it: dealing with bosses, LATE PAYCHECKS (hot topic over the past few days lol), how to carry yourself in front of different people, grapevine communication aka gossip,... I don't know if I've learned something cool or awesome or beneficial after this 1-month experience, but I've definitely grown to understand myself a bit more, like how I deal with difficult circumstances (avoiding them as much as possible), how I adapt to different people (not everything you say is as interesting or funny as you think it is), how more comfortable I am with being super service-y and welcoming when I speak English (not that I'm local-phobia or anything. Really. I just find it a bit awkward to be all "HI. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME *SMILES*" in Vietnamese, for some reasons. I still smile though :). And I've definitely learned more about the service industry, and grown more appreciation for those people who make food, serve drinks and all that stuffs. It's not as easy, but they (the professionals) make it seem so effortless (unlike me running from floor to floor shouting orders everywhere lol).
I'm also glad that I took the job, despite all the 7am mornings and the dread of travelling 10km to a bar that is more likely to be empty that crowded in the morning/early afternoon aka my shift. I've met awesome people who may not think the same way I think, or do the same things I do (no one does -.-), but are friendly, fun, and they definitely lit up my summer holiday, which otherwise would be a lazy routine of wake up - lunch - babysitting - dinner - laptop - sleep - repeats. Working for the first time also serves as another reminder that I shouldn't take anything for granted, and the money that I spend everyday has been hard-earned by my parents who've worked 1000000000 times harder that me in this 1 month to make me so fortunate in life. (Grammy award acceptance speech much?)
So yeah, it has been fun, and I hope I'm more confident now to get like a part-time job in Singapore, because I kinda need the cash. Yup, one more thing about working: bosses, pay your employees on time or they're gonna get pissed off and start looting the stuffs (like, idk, alcohols in the bar? lol).
*BACK TO THE SCHOOLIN' LIFE IN HALF A MONTH'S TIME*
Anyway, I feel obliged to write a little reflection of my short-lived career as a waiter at HOTDOT Cafe & Bar. As always, this is gonna be a rambling and really random post as it goes on.
I've wanted to have a job since like forever, back when I was in secondary school when I just want to gain that little bit of financial independence and was almost ready to become like a newspaper delivery boy or something. I even wrote an article on some outdated software and sent it to my favourite technology magazine hoping that they will publish it, which of course nicely told me that the software was outdated and there were already tutorials for whatever I was writing about lol. It's just like the desire to wear glasses as a kid (when my vision was still perfect) or ride the motorcycle as a teenager/young adult. I've realised that the fight to get something is much more interesting and worthwhile than the achievement itself, most of the time. This job, too. But unlike glasses that I can just take off and go for a lasik surgery, motorcycle that I can just refuse to ride and ride the bus instead (albeit not the best choice in Hanoi), a job is something that eventually I would have to get in order to survive. And all the plus-plus that come alone with it: dealing with bosses, LATE PAYCHECKS (hot topic over the past few days lol), how to carry yourself in front of different people, grapevine communication aka gossip,... I don't know if I've learned something cool or awesome or beneficial after this 1-month experience, but I've definitely grown to understand myself a bit more, like how I deal with difficult circumstances (avoiding them as much as possible), how I adapt to different people (not everything you say is as interesting or funny as you think it is), how more comfortable I am with being super service-y and welcoming when I speak English (not that I'm local-phobia or anything. Really. I just find it a bit awkward to be all "HI. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME *SMILES*" in Vietnamese, for some reasons. I still smile though :). And I've definitely learned more about the service industry, and grown more appreciation for those people who make food, serve drinks and all that stuffs. It's not as easy, but they (the professionals) make it seem so effortless (unlike me running from floor to floor shouting orders everywhere lol).
I'm also glad that I took the job, despite all the 7am mornings and the dread of travelling 10km to a bar that is more likely to be empty that crowded in the morning/early afternoon aka my shift. I've met awesome people who may not think the same way I think, or do the same things I do (no one does -.-), but are friendly, fun, and they definitely lit up my summer holiday, which otherwise would be a lazy routine of wake up - lunch - babysitting - dinner - laptop - sleep - repeats. Working for the first time also serves as another reminder that I shouldn't take anything for granted, and the money that I spend everyday has been hard-earned by my parents who've worked 1000000000 times harder that me in this 1 month to make me so fortunate in life. (Grammy award acceptance speech much?)
So yeah, it has been fun, and I hope I'm more confident now to get like a part-time job in Singapore, because I kinda need the cash. Yup, one more thing about working: bosses, pay your employees on time or they're gonna get pissed off and start looting the stuffs (like, idk, alcohols in the bar? lol).
*BACK TO THE SCHOOLIN' LIFE IN HALF A MONTH'S TIME*
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