Working at llaollao
February 19, 2015
Post A levels with sanum and zav
Ever
wondered how it's like working for the ever long queue for the all
time popular yogurt that everyone craves for?
I've been
working in llaollao for close to a month now, and I must say working at
llaollao is so much different from previous part time jobs that I hold over the
past few years. Even though I've only been there for a short period of time,
it's the job that had taught me the most over the short period of time. Read
till the very end to see the transition of how I felt over the past one month.
Why did I choose
to join llaollao?
I actually
didn't had llaollao in mind, but my friend wanted to join llaollao so we
decided to go for it together. However, she backed out in the end but I stayed
because I have a very curious mind for everything - I wanted to experience new
working environment and meet new people, so I went for it.
On my first
day, I was told that I needed to do a full 13 hour shift. I thought it would be
alright because Im used to long working hours. So hey, why not? I was never so
wrong. I had to serve the endless crowd that usually starts after 2pm and it
goes on till closing, and im sure everyone knows how long the queue for
llaollao can be. It was continuous rushing around from the yogurt machine, the
crunch, fruits and sauce section for few hours non stop. We were told to work
fast because we needed to clear as much crowd as possible. I got so dizzy after
the first few hours I couldn't be bothered to smile.
Being at work on the first day my swirl for the yogurt was horrendous. When I saw others doing it for me when I was a customer they did it effortlessly. It's not easy to swirl a perfect sanum because the yogurt is soft and you must adjust the pressure against the handles of the machine so that it doesn't flow out too fast, yet you are working under the time which makes you panic. One wrong turn and your sanum looks horrible. I got displeasing stares from customers when I made my first few sanum but thank god they didn't make my life horrible and demanded another one. I was really lucky.
By the time we close I couldn't feel my legs,
or open my mouth to talk because that day we were shorthanded and there were only
3 people running the shop. We still had to do the dreaded closing of shop that
took nearly two hours. Never would I have thought working there would be so
exhausting, even more exhausting than working banquet. Now when I look back at
the times my friends warned me llaollao is very busy and I told them, ' What
can be worse than doing banquet? Chill guys! ' Im such an idiot.
The
following week I dreaded to go to work. I dreaded it so much I literally
dragged my feet into the shop. I'm someone who likes things to be flexible,
because I believe that if different ways doing the same thing achieves the same
result I don't see why not.
I felt so restricted and afraid to help out with
opening except to top up crunch/sauce/fruits because whatever I did I was being
criticized.
Little things like I couldn't cut fruits in a certain way though I
still get cubes, arranged the cups a little unevenly, I cannot use towel to
wipe up the sauce on the counter but tissue and making my yogurt a little bit
taller made me dreaded work even more.
I felt like I wasn't needed because
whatever I did I was being criticized at and things weren't flexible. I
couldn't find a reason to how things operate, but I had to suck it up and do
what I'm supposed to. That explained my black face whenever I work, and why I
never ever smile.
I hated it, dreaded every hour, minute down
to the seconds of it.
I was
assigned to kitchen for the first time, and I had to cut tubs and tubs of
different fruits. I thank god I didn't have to run around like headless chicken
serving people after people. BUT NO, this is worse.
I did my thing, I cut so
many fruits, as fast as I could. I was the only one cutting the fruits but it
came and go because it needed refill. When I got off work I was so happy to be
released from what I deemed as hell, and went to watch movie with my friend, a
much needed break from juggling multiple jobs and one job that I particular
dread of going. I came out of the cinema, only to receive blasts of scoldings
from many, saying that I didn't cut enough fruits and everyone is panicking,
and I wipped the melon seeds away with the dryer.
I just broke down in tears
and I was ready to quit, there and then. I told myself that I didn't have to
stay to take on all these suffering. I just finished a movie with a good friend
I couldn't spend much time with and it was AFTER my shift, why don't I deserve
my break from it? It's just like a blackhole, sucking all the happiness thats
left out of me. Thoughts like, 'It's after my work damn it!' and 'I did
whatever I could and i got scolded even for following the rules and doing my
shit'. I went down and wanted to apologize for my mistakes and quit on the spot
because I just couldn't stand the tough environment I was in.
Call me weak, but
I'm not someone who can take rigid working style, people with major OCDs and
people who just follow orders. Many a times I tried to bend the rules a little
because I did what I think it's right on the spot, such as giving two dips of
sauce for customers because I really gave very little on the first, or give
more sauce cause my sanum looked super, super out of shape, making my sanum a
little taller because I gave too little fruits cause the fruits they wanted was
going to run out.
I kept getting scolded for these little things, things I dont
understand why we couldn't work around.
I was then told by my manager that I
could have asked for help with the fruits, and I could have asked for more
people in the kitchen. I was like thinking, 'How do you expect me to open my mouth
and ask for these kind of things when whatever I do you all seem to say no, no,
no. ' Nobody dared to do anything. They just followed orders like blind mice
because they live in a feared working condition. I didn't like that.
I don't know
why, but that day when I got reprimanded by my manager something she said came
to me. She told me how things worked here. My views changed, completely.
Teamwork.
Running a
shop with long queues everyday needed much teamwork, be it whatever roles you
play. We needed to work together as a team in order for things to be done.
There must be camaraderie between workmates. It wasn't like a 9 to 5 job where
you just do what you're supposed to do and then you leave for the day.
When I
didn't cut enough fruits for the evening
shift, everyone came down to help, even those who aren't supposed to be on
shift. They cut fruits for MY mistakes when it's not even their job. They
helped their friends to speed up the process by remaining in the kitchen even
though it isn't their role or aren't down for work.
I went down and saw with my
own eyes how one another supported each other and it really got to me. I felt
so horrible dragging people down for work and deter them from doing their part
but they never blamed me but comforted me even though we aren't close. There
wasn't any blame game or pointing fingers. They didn't make me feel like I'm a
bad person for not doing my job well. They gave me a chance to redeem myself.
The very next day I was called back for work because my friend was sick. I
hesitated to take her shift because I was traumatized by what happened, afraid
of how judgemental eyes would be set on me when I walk into the shop and
everyone would ostracized me cause I messed up. It was never what I expected. I
was greeted with smiles and a warm cny eve wishes from the people I have never
really talked to during my shifts back then. One told me to start anew and that
she would guide me along. She made so much effort to talk to me even though I
was still on my bitch mode face and my why am I here attitude.
" 做工要笑笑！" was what she said repeatedly and it eventually got me
to smile and started talking.
Others came in to help me cut fruits even though
it wasn't their role, and I'm really thankful that I didn't have to go through
it alone.
The people
there showed me the true meaning of teamwork and how everyone gave their very
best at work. Because if one person slacks off, others have to carry on the weight
of two person's tasks. I didn't really have much projects back school so I
didn't really get to experience the true meaning of teamwork much because
everyone pretty much do what they do.
My manager
also told me how she got fired even before she got hired because her sanum was
horribly looking, but she told them this,
'I want to learn, please let me learn. '
and she really
did, considering she is now the manager.
It made me
rethink about my decision to stick around in llaollao though i hated it so much
initially. I wanted to learn. I want to learn and take away as many skills I
can from working there. Little did I know I've forgotten the true skills that I
could actually take home; the ability to work together with others, strengthen
my sense of responsibility because every action of mine has effects on others,
learning that there isn't anything that is wrong or prohibited until you ask to
confirm it.
Without fear, there wouldn't be order.
Everything would be so
chaotic, imagine if there is only one person during a certain shift because
everyone else cancelled their shifts? Or when everyone choose to slack off and
bully the newcomers to do everything? Though i'm still not supportive in a work
place with fear, I believe that its essential to get things going, and thats
why bosses always seem to be the bad guy.
I would be
lying if i said I dont dread going to work and facing the endless crowd or
staring into blank space chopping up fruits like a zombie, but it's the people
that make it a hell lot better. It makes me feel like whatever happens,
everyone has got your back.
Now you see
why this isn't a typical job. It makes you learn and grow to be a better team
player, a better person with good work qualities. It's not a one man show kind of
job, it's the whole team. I've only been here for awhile, but I forsee more
scoldings because i'm just a clumsy and oblivious person that makes stupid
mistakes, however this time I would take it as I have to learn from my mistakes.
Because after all, this is the reason i'm still around isn't it?
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