Flashback Friday: Time to Get a Job
06 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Daily Life, Flashback Friday, Italy Tags: flashback Friday, Italy, moving to Italy
Back by popular demand! Well actually, my mother’s demand… This is for you mom!
So, nigh on six months ago I was telling you all about my Italian language classes and my decision to study in Italy. Well, studying meant spending money, which I didn’t have, and so, I decided to look for a job. At this point my Italian was pretty good, I could sustain a conversation without getting too exhausted and confused. So I decided to start applying for jobs. Thinking like a good Canadian, the first thing I thought of was a waitressing job, or working in a cafe’. Little did I know, that the very complex Italian school system actually had a secondary school specialized in the hospitality sector, and there was a diploma course in it. So being a waitress or learning how to make cappuccinos required a diploma! And a special certificate! Good lord! However, a few kind souls decided to try me out anyway, under the promise that I would go get the certificate (assuming they hired me).
The first was a cafe’ in the centre. My constant failure to produce the foam in a cappuccino resulted in not being called back for a second day. Sigh.
The second was in a cafe’ in Nervi (a very posh area of town near the sea). There, I proudly managed to make perfect cappuccino foam and was all excited, convinced that yes they would hire me for the job. Then the owner put me on the till. He showed me how to punch in the number and OK the receipt. Seemed easy enough. He observed me while I did a few and then went off to run some errands. I was alone in the cafe. A client came in and asked for a coffee, which I made and served. He also asked for a piece of foccaccia which I also gave him. Things were looking good. When he asked for the bill, my lack of math shone through and I punched in the wrong total. I wanted to cancel what I had punched in. Among all the buttons and knobs there was not one with the word DELETE written on it. I pressed one. It multiplied the number by almost a thousand and printed the receipt. Good lord. The 2.50 total became 250,000. And the receipts had been printed. This was financially accountable money. Just at that time the owner came back and saw my pale face. I explained. He swore and picked up the phone to call his accountant. I finished the day, but needless to say, I never heard from them again.
Deciding that clearly working in a cafe was not meant to be, I applied for another job. It was a job in a call centre, making appointments for a spa. I figured it couldn’t be that hard, and it was only part-time in the evenings, allowing me plenty of time to study. I applied, I was called for an interview and I was hired! Success.
There was one day of training before I could begin. That lead to – my first experience with Italian seduction. I’ll make you wait until next time for that one…
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