'Bout Time

Damn, I'm glad I didn't take that office job which pays $6 an hour, which seems to be the average pay for post-pre-university (yeah, figure that out) students. I'm relieved that the company that was hiring Assistant Accounting Managers didn't reply my email. Or that company that was recruiting Admin Assistants.

A week back, on Tuesday, I went for the first interview at Esplanade's Al Dente Trattoria. It's a pretty nice place. I was told that I got the job, and literally too. The assistant manager got up, and held out his hand to shake mine, smiling, "You got the job". I half-expected a gruffy old voice shouting, "Cut! Alright,we got the take.".

Then I got a call on Friday, from the manager of the restaurant.

"Hi, is this Miss Woo?"
"Uh, yes. May I know who is this speaking?"

I hate having to do that. I don't have a caller id you see. So forgive me for being suspicious. People who are calleridlly-disabled do tend to be vulnerable to what is euphemistically (but not really a euphemism) called 'heavy breathing calls'.

"This is Mr Lim (not his real name, thought it could be, I forget) from Al Dente. I know that you got through our first interview-"

What? You mean there's a second one?

"- so we'd like you to come down on Tuesday, anytime between 3 and 6. Is that possible?"
"Y-yeah, sure."
"Yup, alright then, bye."

So I panicked a bit. I mean, wouldn't you? I thought I got the job. I was looking forward to being paid, like everyone else, $6 an hour. What does 'second interview' mean? Does that mean they don't really like me? How can they not like me? But I need the money for my UK education! And that gorgeous ballet wallet that I keep telling myself I won't get. So I do what I always do when approached with unfamiliar, potentially life-defining situations - I 'nerd' up (and pretend I'm teaching someone else), and read up on Italian cooking on Wikipedia, and tried my best to visualize their menu. In increasing thickness of pasta - vermicelli, spaghetti, linguine (right, I remembered this one because of its likeness to a tongue. Tongue-cunnilingus-lingus-linguine. Got it) fettucine, macaroni, penne, lasagna and the stuffing-filled ravioli. I read up on wine reduction, and what carpaccio is. All in a day's work.

Tuesday arrived and I arrived at the restaurant at 3.05pm. They asked me to take a seat, and I waited for about 15 minutes, looking at the paintings, scrutinizing the way they folded their napkins, observing how the nails held the chairs in place. Then Mr. Lim introduced himself and sat himself opposite me. Something about him just set my gaydar off. Could be the effeminate way he held his hand. His voice. His way of speaking. Oh well, never mind. I pulled my shoulders back and looked confident.

"So, Yiming - Miss Woo. Tell me about yourself."

Ah, the oldest trick in the book. You're not going to get me with that.

"Well, I'm really quite familiar with Italian food, because I have some members of my family who live in Italy, so I visit there quite a lot - "

LIAR LIAR! PANTS ON FIRE!

"- therefore, I do know the pastas from each other. I have just finished my A levels, and I can work full time."

At this point, Mr Lim looked ready to speak, so I rounded it off. "As in, full time, from Mondays to Fridays."
"Okay, so you're 18, and ready to work full time."
"Yes."
"Alright, let me tell you about Al Dente"

He then proceeded to rattle on about their rapidly expanding franchise, and looking to recruit people permanently into the F&B industry. Then, he went on the part that I was the most nervous about.

"Okay, so here at Al Dente, we pay by the hour, and we work in shifts, from 11 to 11. I can see that you can speak very well, and can carry yourself well, so we are looking to get you to join the F&B industry for the long term. The pay is set within 10 to 13-"

What? Oh my... my heart is beating a little faster. 10 an hour is great.

"- but for you, I'm going to start you at 12"

Whooo! I'm a happy girl.