Sixteen days ago I packed up my apartment and moved home to live with my parents for the summer in order to spend time with them, work, and save some money for more school this fall. I had just returned home from a spectacular two-week journey to the Holy Land. It was just amazing - my fellow travellers were so friendly, the hotels were by far the best I've ever been to, the history I learned from the guide and the professors was fascinating, the landscape was breathtaking...I could go on. And I likely will, in another post, along with posting some of my 1500 photographs.
I showed up right on time, probably a few minutes early actually because I'm kind of obsessed with that, and waited with a handful of other ladies from the temp. agency to begin working for the week. We were taken to the basement and I was handed a blue striped shirt that labelled me as a chambermaid as soon as I put it on over my pink t-shirt. To be honest, I was pretty embarassed. Never before have I had a job where I had to wear a uniform.
Everytime we went downstairs to the breakroom, I was hoping I wouldn't see anybody that I knew, lest they see the blue smock I was wearing and somehow think less of me, as I was already thinking of myself. I can't count the number of people who looked at me with disdain, simply because of my uniform, probably thinking that I was an untelligent girl who didn't speak any English, because I did not really talk to anyone. Every time I got that look, I felt like shouting at them, "Hey! I just finished university! At the top of my class! I just returned from a majestic trip to one of the oldest places on earth! I just quit a great job to move to this town! Don't look down on me because of this silly shirt! You don't know the real me!"
Over the three days that I've worked here, I made exactly $2 in tips, $1 yesterday and $1 today, from the same hotel guest. It made me so happy and I kept rubbing that little loonie between my fingers in my pocket all day. Another thing that perked up my day a bit was when a hotel guest was entering his room, one we had just finished cleaning. He looked me in the eye and thanked me sincerely for the work I was doing and how much he appreciated it and how important the work is. Simple, yet profound.
I'm done this job for now, as I am heading out on another trip this week, which includes my convocation from university. I do hope that I can find a more permanent job for the summer, but, despite the hard work, sore back, chipping fingernails, and hot rooms, I am actually thankful for this work because it taught me a lesson that I could have never learned had I not been the girl in the uniform. My parents have taught me to respect all people, regardless of their position, and we often thank the cashier behind the counter or the person collecting our garbage. But now I am going to make an even more conscious effort of thanking people by looking at them in the eye - because they're worth it and their job does not define who they are - and even leaving a tip on my pillow every now and then.
But the reason I chose to write this evening is because of what I have been doing the past three days. Since returning home, my job hunt has proven fruitless, despite my best efforts and even a couple of good interviews. So last Friday I signed up with a temp. agency in town and they told me to arrive at a particular conference centre/hotel Monday morning at 7:45am for a housekeeping job. I can't say that I was thrilled, but I was certainly in need of some work.
I showed up right on time, probably a few minutes early actually because I'm kind of obsessed with that, and waited with a handful of other ladies from the temp. agency to begin working for the week. We were taken to the basement and I was handed a blue striped shirt that labelled me as a chambermaid as soon as I put it on over my pink t-shirt. To be honest, I was pretty embarassed. Never before have I had a job where I had to wear a uniform. Well, the work was long and hard and my feet ached by first break. I was so thankful to be put with a quiet, hard-working lady who was patient with me. Some of the other staff were not the crowd that I'm used to - their humour was crude and I felt quite uncomfortable sitting next to some of them in the lunchroom.
Everytime we went downstairs to the breakroom, I was hoping I wouldn't see anybody that I knew, lest they see the blue smock I was wearing and somehow think less of me, as I was already thinking of myself. I can't count the number of people who looked at me with disdain, simply because of my uniform, probably thinking that I was an untelligent girl who didn't speak any English, because I did not really talk to anyone. Every time I got that look, I felt like shouting at them, "Hey! I just finished university! At the top of my class! I just returned from a majestic trip to one of the oldest places on earth! I just quit a great job to move to this town! Don't look down on me because of this silly shirt! You don't know the real me!"
Over the three days that I've worked here, I made exactly $2 in tips, $1 yesterday and $1 today, from the same hotel guest. It made me so happy and I kept rubbing that little loonie between my fingers in my pocket all day. Another thing that perked up my day a bit was when a hotel guest was entering his room, one we had just finished cleaning. He looked me in the eye and thanked me sincerely for the work I was doing and how much he appreciated it and how important the work is. Simple, yet profound.
I'm done this job for now, as I am heading out on another trip this week, which includes my convocation from university. I do hope that I can find a more permanent job for the summer, but, despite the hard work, sore back, chipping fingernails, and hot rooms, I am actually thankful for this work because it taught me a lesson that I could have never learned had I not been the girl in the uniform. My parents have taught me to respect all people, regardless of their position, and we often thank the cashier behind the counter or the person collecting our garbage. But now I am going to make an even more conscious effort of thanking people by looking at them in the eye - because they're worth it and their job does not define who they are - and even leaving a tip on my pillow every now and then.
