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- Written by: Rod Boyle
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The Persian girl, her boyfriend, a couple of others...
"Long-timers" here, almost as long as I, they've adapted to living in the Hostel by sleeping all day, and spend all night up gaming on their computers. They come into the common area, 9, 10:00 PM, set up their computers, they're there when I finish work, and again when I wake up in the morning, before packing their shit up and going to bed.
They're just here passing time, and I'm wondering - why? I mean - why be here - overpaying for squalid quarters - and not looking for a more permanent or cheaper place to live, find employ - the Persian girl, she has anxiety attacks every other day - and no wonder - but - her lifestyle is largely fueling it.
Curious, this, these travelers, one imagines their reviews of Canada or Vancouver in the next edition of "Lonely Planet" - "Days are grey, nights are dark, WiFi is so-so...".
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: People
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And Daniel, at work, older fellow (late forties, perhaps?) - always in a suit - well dressed, overdressed even, had owned a few restaurants, sold them - and now was looking for work as a server - worked a few shifts - maybe 5, 6, took a couple of days off, sick, before coming in and working his last shift, quitting.
The stress, I suspect, he looked pretty harried, the staff here - bitchy, bitter cliques, heard a few scathing remarks about his plate carrying abilities, being an owner doesn't mean you can serve, or carry plates, or...
Anyways, he's off. 1 down. Another new girl trying out, pleasant again - but - saw her Friday night, she wasn't seen again on Saturday, this is a fairly frequent thing for them I suspect...
So - while I'll never hold a candle to the lifers here - and why should I? I got a LottoMax ticket - 65 Million will be mine tomorrow, and then you'd all better watch out...
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: People
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This was a question at a job interview. "What's your worst quality (presumably at work)...". I had no ready answer. Away from work - well - how long do you have?
At work. This just occurred to me - I have no patience for fools - it's exhausted on the customers, don't make me use it up with staff.
And the second - and this is probably true of anyone in service, whether it be restaurants or retail, and a great number of Chef's have it as well.
I have serious boundary issues.
I need to tell more people to fuck off.
I've been - too long, too often - too patient - and far too hands off.
That is all.
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
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I'm in awe. I didn't know the restaurant, but - entering it - I do. I've seen articles about it - it's famous, 120 pages to their wine list, wines up to $30,000, $40,000 dollars.
He's doing it right. There's no shortcuts on decore - on anything - and rarely do I admire a job well done in this industry - but - this is a job well done.
He's frank, an easy candor, not - I suspect - easy to work for - and he tells you as much - but - if you wanted to be a server this would be your Everest.
My clothes - going through my addled suitcase, I forgot decent shoes, I packed the worst of my white shirts, the wrong vest... I have to address this, repack, get rid of the extra baggage, going through my suitcase I'm discovering long lost thrifting treasures - a wireless microphone, a pair of Bunsen burners...but the right waistcoat? Nope. The right shoes? Nope. You get it. I could go on.
Still, you have to try - and while I'm not optimistic - I'm appreciative that he took the time to interview me. And I should have known - really - what I was getting myself in to. My bad.
And laughing to myself - it makes the last fine dining position I had look like McDonald's by comparison.
Afterwards - well, don't hold your breath, and off to circulate another half dozen resumes...
***(Got the call back. Start tomorrow - voluntary Try Out. Fingers crossed.)
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Quite possibly the best city ever for this. See past the precarious teeterers - on every block, head down, trying to fight the slumber - try and see past the addicts and the homeless and there's a genuinely interesting contingent of people. Not that they aren't - only - well, that's another post.
The addicts, they all remind me of that short - "The Burden of Other People's Thoughts" - a little masterpiece. And you can see how he came about his inspiration.
But the rest of them - 70 year old man, small, grey hair, adorned with bright gold chains and a huge gold skull pendant. WTF.
A woman stops to say she knows me -
"You were in my AA Meetings".
Not yet, not yet
"Well, then, we must have been drinking buddies..."
And proceeds upon her way.
And others - up early, someone out for a walk in full BDSM regalia, top to toe, including the BDSM mask. On his way home from a sex party? Escaped from a dungeon? The fashionably beautiful - that would fit in anywhere, including Calgary. The visibly trans and misgendered, the odd couples in every combination of age & youth, beauty and decrepitude, that you can imagine. The appalling facial tattoos. And I could go on.
Suffice it to say I'm enjoying the city very much.
And when I'm not watching the people there's always the bookstores - and antique shops - and period architecture - and museums.
All of which other big cities have - Toronto springs to mind - but - unlike Toronto - the range of personalities, fashion, and the out-and-out in your face addiction that plagues the city, makes it all a very interesting place to be. I shouldn't half mind to live here for a year or two.