Good news everyone!!
I'm startin' my new job today at three! Yeah!

Whatever, don't really have time now but will tell u how it went afterwards, k?!

Yours,
Johanna.

I actually am very busy at the mo serching for a job. I had an interview yesterday and two today, so let's hope for the best. smile
Whazzup in Sbg. anyway? Haven't heard a lot from you recently. *pout*

That's it for today, just to tell u there's no need to worry. lol

Yours,
Joanne.

My first day at work was pretty cool. All the staff r very nice and I get on well with everyone but it was sort of hard because Monday was a bank holiday and so the restaurant was packed with people. Hard times I can tell ya and I didn't get very much 'training' so to say. I was completely wrecked after only five hours of work and slept nearly twelve hours without waking up.

The second day was ok as well, more things to do though but I coped better than I had thought I would before. Anyhow, remembering all the names of the personnel was one hell of work. Still don't know everyone. lol But after my five hours I saw an improvement in my physical fatigue 'cos I wasn't as knackored as on Monday.

Third day came and although I took the day AND night menu with me home on Monday it was impossible to look up all the vocabs and learn all the dishes by heart until then. The menu embraces 'bout 300 different dishes so I'm asking u: how fast can u learn them?
Well, in the end it didn't matter 'cos knowing all the dishes and what goes with them or which possibilities of choosing the side dishes the customer has is so different from standing in the kitchen and trying to recognise the foods in front of u.
There u have about ten different sorts of curry, ten different sorts of how potatoes can be prepared and they all look the same.
Just to give u an example:

Blue Rich Salad and Emperor Salad are exactly the same (mixed salad with chicken stripes and bacon) except for the Blue Rich Salad being served with a sauce and the Emperor Salad with (sometimes) two pieces of garlic bread. OR:
Barbecue Potatoes being exactly the same as Garlic Potatoes. ....
You can't learn that at home, only in the restaurant!

So on Wednesday I stayed until nearly the end, so 'bout seven hours altogether, and in the end my superior broke to me that he was planning on sending me alone on the floor the upcoming Monday. He as well added that he was concerned 'bout me having my own section (six tables) but because it is always so busy in there I didn't have a proper training and therefore was kind of relieved when on Thursday he told me he had changed his mind and wouldn't.
But particularly on that day the staff and chefs were very supportive and helpful. The called out the finished dishes by name for me and explained things although there wasn't much time.

Well, on Thursday working was very hectic and I didn't learn anything .... I only polished bloody glasses, cleared, cleaned and layed tables and bored meself to death 'cos I wasn't allowed to do this and wasn't allowed to do that .... Blah blah blah ....
That day I stayed until the end (so between twelve and half twelve) and wasn't very happy 'bout how things were going or better: how things weren't going!

Finally Friday came and I again only had five hours to work and although I should have been in training I was 'floating', which means that u don't work in one particular section but move between all four and see whom and how u could help.
I prepared loads of desserts then but didn't learn anything new.
When I finished at Midnight I looked on the roasters for next week and although I should have been on 'standby' on Sunday (so they call me if there is need for me) and the whole week on for forty hours, I was on the list only next Thursday and Friday and each day during daytime and only five hours.

So I went into the office and talked to my superior again. He then told me that they were searching for a waitress and I wasn't one and that they needed one immediately 'cos the exam season in college starts soon and they're having a lot of college students working there.
Well, I of course defended meself by saying that he didn't know if I could cope with serving if he wasn't letting me at least try for one week. I stressed that I didn't have ANY training and that learning and recognising dishes are a different kettle of fish but he gave me my salary from that week, said he would talk to the boss again if there is some work for me during the day and let me go sad, down and disappointed.

Of course he didn't phone me today and when I called him he told me the obvious: that there was no work whatsoever.
I just don't understand what difference it makes if he hires a 'real' waitress maybe next week 'cos that person would have to settle in at least one week as well and till then I would be able to serve!!

Whatever. I already dropped in two CVs into two other restaurants in the area and Pat helped me phoning three others in the city centre so we'll see .... But I'm not happy at the mo I can tell u.

The other main problem is that I'm getting crazy with seeing 'James on the rocks' everywhere!! FCUK!!

I'll tell u as soon as possible if I have any news 'bout work and when I have sorted out my love life, k?!

Have a nice time,
Yours Joanne.

HAPPY PADDY'S DAY!

My exam went pretty well ....

Was nice in Salzburg n cu soon!!

Yours, Joanne. lol

Tomorrow will be the moment of truth but still, I'm looking foward to taking my exam. (strange isn't it?! lol)
Hope everyone of u guys is ok and I can't wait to see u all next week. I will be on a very tight schedule, nevertheless we'll arrange sth, I was thinking about a beer garden session, where we can all meet.

As soon as I arrive in Sbg (maybe a bit later so), I will contact u and then we'll see what we're going to do.

Please cross ur fingers for me tomorrow so I'll pass the exam.

Cu in 48 hours,
Love Joanne.

I hope you didn't foget to send me my birthday presents, because yesterday was the last day you had the possibility to do so so they would arrive on time!
I'm looking foward to getting a lot of nice birthday cards and presents for it is a bit dull here and that would be a nice change.

My first exam is this upcoming Saturday and I'm already quite nervous. It is a speaking exam and only lasts fifteen minutes so it is doable but nevertheless one can't be too sure about passing.

I will tell you how it went next week and for now, thanks for your support.

Hearing from you soon,
Yours Joanne.

as thine farthest dreams will come true for I will be back soon.
My arrival date is on March 11th 2007 at 14:45.
Whoever is brave enough to show up at the airport may come.

....

Last week all I did was drinking and studying.
Don't get me wrong on that but after bloody three to five hours of studying one has to make a break and sometimes I go to the local pub for one drink to relax a bit.
It's really a hard one that certificate and because the teachers now, at last, have realised that over the past weeks they haven't demanded enough from us, we have to learn now all the more.
But whatever. I'm coping with it quite well.

Last week on Thursday i was sick. I had a stomach bug (which my dear hostmum had passe on to me) and in the night of Wednesday to Thursday I vomitted four (!) times and then got the runs. It was awful and I coulnd't eat anything during the day because I was afraid to throw up again (having vomitted even the camomile tea at night). So I was very weak and lost two kilos (which I gained already again lol) but still I forced myself to go to school on Friday, which was a good descision. I just can't afford to miss more than four hours. ....

So on Friday I was still a bit groggy but that didn't keep me from visiting the Beamish brewery and enjoying a nice pint. I did even go out later but therefore I studied hard on Saturday morning and afternoon.
In the late afternoon I met Sebastien in the city centre to visit Enrico, who was sick as well (but he had a very bad flu), and we stayed there for some time. Then his housemats announced they had invited some friends and so we got carried away and stayed even longer.
We had some problems with the polish neighbours (who smashed a window and after an apology and a further verbal disagreement even punched Seb in the face so he had nose-bleeding) but when everything was calm again, Seb and I went into the centre to get a taxi back home.
But as it was already half past one am there were a lot of people on the streets just dropping out of the pubs, having the same aim as we.
After half an hour in the cold and rain we gave up on finding a possibility to get home quickly and we decided to go back to Enrico's place and sleep there which we after his approval did.

My plans for Sunday were studying and meeting with Marc and Seb for watching a movie but I had the false cinema program (of the false week AND the false cinema) so the film wasn't on.
Seb and Michaela who were to boot waiting in another cinema then went to a pub and Marc and I for a spin with the car.
I saw the first time during my stay here in Ireland the sea and because it was very very windy I took some nice pictures of the waves breaking and rolling strepitous onto the (sandy!) beach.
This beach is situated shortly after Kinsale (where I have been the week-end before and which is in the south-west of Cork) and I then asked Marc if we could maybe go to the fort in Kinsale (which is so far away from the town centre) as well. He was ok with the idea, so we drove another twenty minutes by car which were really worth it.

The fort is really big and there is green growing all over it. It looks really beautiful and at the same time has a dangerous character.
Marc also wanted to show me a huge cave just under the main tower where in former times little ships delivered whatever was needed but unfortunately it was tide and the cave was filled to the top with water.

Then, after already driving around for two hours, we had to hurry up because the Rugby match Ireland-France was on and we had to get seats in the local pub on time to have a good view of the main, huge tv-screen. And we did it on time.
The match was absolutely great and although the referee should have given France one more and Ireland two more penalities and counted one try for Ireland and ALTHOUGH France, those bastards, won, it was a good game and we enjoyed ourselves.

I just wanted to remark at this point that we didn't have our two best players because of some recent injuries and the french team clearly dominated in the first twenty minutes (they're very fast) BUT then the match took a sudden turn and our perfomance was outstanding!! Only in the last one and a half minutes the game was decided in favour of the french and you can imagine the sorrow of the people and the sudden silence in the pub. But after all we enjoyed ourselves and that is the main point, isn't it? lol

I'm getting tired of writing now because in the last couple of days I did nothing but overstraining my poor hands and fingers.
I didn't even have time to read but I think maybe on Friday I'll have a bit of time to spare for my hobbies.
But before I can go home I have to pop in to Enrico's to get my dictionary which I forgot yesterday.

So no sparetime until the late evening.
Yours,
Joanne.