Work in Progress

I have a job. I’m working as a floor manager in this tiny little café near to the tourist hub of the city of Amsterdam. It’s actually really close to the Ann Frank house, so we get lots of tourists running through – with many of them stopping to make use of our premises. The main reason for that is that the café has a bridge right in front of it and on that bridge we have a terrace. That terrace sits in the sun (when it’s sunny) and is therefore a real trekpleister (That's dutch. The literal translation would be pulling band aid – but if you want to get at the meaning, you’d have to go with ‘attraction’).

As floor manager I basically manage the bar area, which is where everything gets done, except for the bits where the orders get taken, the money gets collected, the food and drinks get brought and the goods get consumed. In other words, I’m working the production side of things. Not a great deal of customer contact – which is a bit of shame (I like talking to people) but I do get to tell other people what to do and I like telling other people what to do.

Well, I will get to tell other people what to do. Right now people still think they need to tell me what to do. It’s quite alright, really. At least I get all the information that I need to run a smooth bar, whether I want it or not. I’ve decided I’m going to hold back on giving too many instructions until I’m certain that I’ve got my skill set well under control. I’ve always found it’s hard to take orders from somebody who isn’t doing their job well themselves.

Truth be told, I don’t think the majority of the people realise yet that I’m going to be in charge. I don’t know who they think is going to be in charge, though. Or maybe they think we’re working in a communist bar, where everybody’s equal. Most of the staff there aren’t very experienced in bar work – so maybe they don’t realise that somebody needs to be in charge.

How wrong they are.

At least everybody is nice and everybody seems well impressed with how quick I’m picking everything up (yesterday, my first day, was quite busy and I was running the bar alone – yet still there were no complaints, I even got compliments!)

How long can I do the job? I don’t know. It’s hard work and it isn’t exceptionally well paid, but it might be fun for a few months. Besides, the owner of the place (she hired me) has already asked if I want to help organise a party on the bridge at the end of the summer. If I get to do things like that, I might be able to hold on a bit longer.

In the end, it’s basically like everything else in my life; we’ll have to wait and see. After all, ‘life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans’ (-John Lennon).

I do wonder though, does that mean that if I don't plan for things, I don't have a life?