My American Days: Been there Done that
My pockets were empty and I was willing to do any job to earn my living. Here is the first of my odd jobs that I did in America.
1. Pots and Pans. This is the lowest in the pecking order of the dishwashing room. The job description was simple: Scrub.
2. On Thursdays was the day when America got the best pizzas simply because I used to make and sell them. In America when you enter the kitchen, you are the Cook Almighty on Day One. No prior experience is required. All you have to do is to follow the instructions carefully and at the end of it is the dish, made by yours truly.
3. A unique feature of the cafeteria cost cutting method was that is also employed the local mentally challenged people. So when I used to chat with my ‘colleagues’ the probability that he or she could be from the asylum was 50-50. So I had to be quite discerning before I figure out if the person was cuckoo or not. Some of them were brilliant and could by- heart names and schedules like this – snap! One of them used to be a local millionaire’s son who used to get dropped in a Mercedes.
4. The first item that I made was garlic bread. I had many rolls to cut which I did with great fervor. Feeling accomplished that the bread was cut in such a short time, I reported to my supervisor that my job was done. He congratulated me and I was waiting for the next task. However, my ecstasy was short-lived when the supervisor called me to the kitchen table and showed me the scene of the crime. The cut bread was all well stacked up – but what missed my attention was the table which I didnt clean. The crumbs, the knife and the plastic paper lay littered on the table – I was expecting someone else to clean it up! I was reminded that the responsibility of the clean up operation was also mine. So be it, sergeant. And it never happened again.