Cafe assistant

So today I began my new career, as a cafe assistant in an old peoples home. It was very interesting, with a lot of new impressions.

First I was introduced to the two others, where one was the obvious manager. She talked, guided me around, grabbed me by my arm to come with her and being bossy as few. But charming! When she told me she was 87 I nearly fell off my chair! I believe she had more energy than I.

Haha, to think that an 87-year-old is still working, and in an old peoples home where many are younger than her, is fabulous. And when she was sitting down, while I and the other one were working, she was knitting and told me she did it for needy people. Knitting, knitting, talking, talking, she was really a multi-tasking person. And 87 years old! I was impressed. But she was confessing to me that she's thinking of retiring soon. Yeah!

The work consisted of tending to a cafeteria with about eight tables indoors and a few outdoors, and with a limited menu. Coffee, tee, various soft drinks, beer and wine. Cake. The most ordered one was Ovomaltine, which is an E-nr chocolate powder drink mixed with hot milk. Hot milk we didn't have, so the alternative was with hot water only. One woman tried to order with hot milk three times, she had forgotten she tried before. So I smiled and each time explained to her that we didn't have hot milk. Was told somebody had decided that hot milk was off the menu. Why, I have no clue.

Another popular order was "Schale" or perhaps "Scharle", not sure. Apparently that is coffee with hot milk, and again, no milk, so we had to sell in normal coffee with those little plastic thingies containing something milk-like.

The coffee machine was a George Clooney-one with wee containers put in a machine. It doesn't smell like coffee, not like beans being grounded like my own machine at home. These small coffee containers come in different colours, but none of us in the service knew the difference between them and to be honest, I don't think anybody cared.

The machine took forever to produce one cup. But we did serve the coffee with both sugar and some sugar-like substitute, as well as "milk" and a tiny piece of chocolate. And for a very reasonable price.

It was actually more busy than I thought. Many of the people had visitors, and those came with so I must admit I was kept on my toes, trying to remember the orders ("one espresso, water in a glass on the side, one coffee with extra milk" and so forth). We were serving at the tables, and also clearing them off.

On the alcohol-side we had two orders today. One visitor wanted a beer, and one of the oldest-looking men ordered 1 dl of rose wine. I think I might have poored 1,5 for him :), glad to see that somebody still enjoyed a glass of something alcoholic.

And all of them gave a tip! Not that I will get any of that, but it's nice to feel appreciated.

At times it felt like being out in a pub, it was buzzing and everybody was talking seemingly enjoying themselves. All the while their walking gizmos were parked outside.

I really had a great time! And the 87-year-old dragged me into the toilet to get away from the people, showing me the grades she gave me ("but don't tell anyone I told you"). Top of the class my friends :), she even added adjectives. Ok, I was the only pupil but still.

Now I'm waiting for the official feedback, but I do expect I have qualified. This'll be fun!