Why Do You Look So Sad?

Today I worked from 11:00a.m. – 9:30p.m. in the bar at the lodge. This was only my second time working in the bar and today, like last Sunday, I was mostly working the dessert station. I also helped on the sandwich, salad, starter, and classics section, and did some prep work. This was a Monday, so fairly quiet – nowhere near the crazy Sunday last week.
First thing this morning I began with setting up the dessert station. Then I moved on to some prep work such as pulverising a pan of brownies, then making a fresh  batch of brownies for the brownie sundae, filling tart molds with apple crumble mixture, etc. Then some prep work for other stations – such as cutting up mackerel, filleting smoked salmon, slicing lemon and red onions, cooking chicken, preparing prawns and crab claws, slicing bread, etc.
Of course not being busy, there were not many dessert orders coming in either, especially at first. So I was going about my business, trying to stay busy with jobs I knew how to do, yet trying to accomplish as much as possible. Trying to help out, while not being in the way. Being only my second time in this kitchen, I still don’t know where a lot of ingredients and equipment are, a lot of the procedures, and even everyone’s name. So yes, I did need to ask where the walnuts were, and how the brownies were to be mixed, and where the olives were. So I must have had the deer-in-a-headlights look on my face. I was really nervous, and not totally comfortable in this kitchen yet. Chef asked me a few times if I was ok, or why I was so quiet, or if I missed home. A line cook said I looked sad. I am shy, and I will continue to be nervous for a couple weeks until I feel more comfortable and know what I am doing. But soon, I am sure I will be more sociable with these nice people, and they won’t be able to shut me up! Some of the wait staff did manage to get a rise and a snarky comment out of me though!

Staff meal - vegetable curry on rice.

Around supper time and afterwards, I began to relax more, but also because it was less busy and less stressful – all the prep was done, so it was just filling orders and cleaning now. Staff meal was not bad today – the chef made me a spicy chicken vegetable curry with rice, and made me a special dish and one without chicken because she knew I was sick of chicken and not a big meat fan anyway. I was chatting with some of the wait staff and able to smile.